Essay on the Next Global Stage

[pic] SEMINAR CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT Essay on ?The Next Global Stage ? By Kenichi Ohmae 2005, Pearson Education, Inc, publishing as Wharton School Publishing, New Jersey. ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY HONOLULU, HAWAI July 2007 Introduction In his book, The Next Global Stage, Challenges and Opportunities in our Borderless World, the author Kenichi Ohmae, one of the world’s leading business and corporate strategists, makes the key point that Globalization is a fact, here to stay and unstoppable.In addition, we are moving to the next global stage, led by the world elite of â€Å"internet-ians†, a kind of global tribe, and our leaders in a borderless world. Ohmae does not question at any moment the sustainability of the global world growth model, nor the principles that rule globalization, nor the human rights of different countries, nor any other values. He accepts that profit and the prosperity and even wealth are part of the capitalist global world .Those countries, re gions more so in his terminology, corporations or individuals that do not have the flexibility to adapt to the new reality will be wiped out by the economic and social forces emerging and leading globalization. The author explains in detail, the key drivers of the globalization, such as the â€Å"no theory† of the economy dynamics, the leverage of the fundamental platforms for success and growth, the English language of Microsoft PC operating systems, or the prevalence of global brands.He points out the new face technology is giving the world and examples of governments which put economic prosperity at the forefront of their agendas, independent of the political system, i. e. China, other non democratic countries and countries with a political system based on individual freedom. Ohmae focuses on the technical capacities and skills that the leaders of the new global world must have in order to succeed in it.It is a very interesting book that offers a vision of economic growth where the main objective is to attract the money in the form of investment, local or foreign, to those areas that make the shortlist of most interesting places to invest and create wealth. Ohmae describes the skills needed to prosper in it and the characteristics of efficiency and competitiveness that attract investors. His viewpoint is that of the capital, without considering the freedom or human rights issues in human social and economic growth. In this sense the book is controversial.It does not question Globalization and explains with very good arguments the roadmap to success in it. The preeminence of the capital over any other production factor or human development is assumed. Ohmae is one of the most famous strategists, business persons, and academics in business and management theories and practices. He admits that traditional economic theories do not work anymore and that the case study approach, based on learning from the past and traditionally followed in western universi ties lacks relevance to the future and is obsolete to analyze and learn about the new realities.He is a believer in innovation and leadership as a means to improve the skills of future business leaders (and political ones, independently of their ideology, paradoxically enough). I am going to analyze, develop and comment on the main ideas contained in this important book, recommendable to all those dealing in the development of economic, business and management theories and practices. Whether one is a practitioner or an academic, I think that many of the ideas are very relevant to our global world. If you want to succeed in it, this book contains many recipes for success.The question that I will be trying to answer throughout this paper is whether you can skip the question of the model of economic growth in a sustainable way for the planet. And therefore for humanity . I will add my ideas to the analysis in the conclusions. I will start my analysis of the book by discussing the key i deas. Part 1: The Stage The world as a stage World wide music tours are a symbol of globalization . The author uses â€Å"Riverdance†, the Irish musical with its Celtic music and Irish dancing, as a metaphor for the global economy.It is originated and performed by participants of different nationalities and is enjoyed in many countries or ‘stages’. It is an encapsulated example of players in the global stage. The global economy is invisible, but its effects are evident throughout the world. We are players on the global stage and we all feel its effects, no matter where they take place. Ohmae says that China is the country that is benefiting the most from global economy, especially those regions like Dalian, that have an approach of being attractive with incentives to attract direct foreign Investment or DFI .China cannot be seen as a unity but as a group of regions with different approaches and levels of political and economic independence. In reality, those regi ons are competing with one another for investment and resources, not from China, but from the outside world. Ohmae explains the examples of two countries that have embraced globalization, such as Ireland and Finland. The first by attracting DFI and the second one by embracing the internationalization as the natural situation, plus the innovation and knowledge based economies that both countries promote.They have taken the whole world as their natural market, and they have not been economically nationalistic. What is the Global Economy? x Borderless Tariffs are disappearing, but borders still exit for people and goods for the sake of security and safety. But in terms of the key factors of business life, the world has become borderless. These business factors are designated as the four C’s : communications, capital, corporations and consumers. -Effective communications, with the development of internet in the mid-1990s onwards the world is getting truly borderless. The second C , capital, aided by the deregulation of financial markets, is also a beneficiary of a borderless world with the US dollar the monetary platform of the globalization so far. -The third C, corporations, have been successfully responding to the globalization by locating their functions in different countries, that is to say, for example, R&D in Switzerland, Engineering in India, Financing in London, etc. -And the last C, consumers, enabled by the internet to compare prices and products and making much more informed choices.And also the products are made in different countries, e. x. its fabric in one country, its assembling process in another and its design in a third one. . Invisible Transactions and settlements of money now take place mostly on and through computers. Plus the B2B trade exchanges, or as C2C auctions. Most ATMs around the world give money in the local currency with foreign credit cards. There is no way that governments can know what you have withdrawn and spent abroad or how much you have spent with a credit card to purchase goods and services across national borders. Cyber connected The global economy would not be possible without the cyber technology allowing large amounts of data to be transferred incredibly quickly. The internet is only the most public part of it. Voice over IP (Internet Protocol) is rapidly facilitating and making cheaper the communications. Everything and everybody with access to the internet can connect. . Measured in multiples â€Å"Money makes the world go round†. Money is the main and almost single value in the global economy.Shareholders demand to take advantage of business opportunities with expectations of profit. Ohmae states that the current globalization process is in its infancy and more changes, many of them permanent, will go on to benefit the world. Globalization is an opportunity to create more wealth and prosperity, as long as one has the recipes or skills necessary to succeed in it. His view contrast s starkly with the negative opinions of these same features expressed by other ecology-oriented authors and economists.In my opinion, we have to be positive and within the global stage and develop the skills that represent an evolution ofhumanity towards a better stage,provided that using those characteristics to create economic incentives are based on the maintenance and regeneration of the sustainability of the planet. In other words, I think that adding new â€Å"values in the market† economy can direct or redirect development towards those sustainability values, such as protection of human rights, freedom, democracy and protection of the environment.In my judgement, that is where some of the defenders of a collectivist approach to development are wrong. The human individual thrives in a free global stage that protects and promotes the right values with a regulatory framework based upon freedom and democracy, so the planet can increase its wealth and reach all the corners of it. Opening Night: Globalization started with the most important Earth-changing event . The opening night of capitalism spins around the information and telecoms revolution, with Bill Gates as the epitome of this new era.The fall of Soviet communism was due to the opening of Russia (The Soviet Union) thanks to Gorbachev and his reforms with the â€Å"glasnost† (transparency). This was another key change towards a borderless globalized world. The dollar as the world currency after the agreement of the G5 in New York, and the flexibilization of currency exchange rate. The Fiscal revolution to combat Budget deficit in the 80’s in the USA was another key factor for the fiscal revolution in public finance management.Both helped the globalization process at the beginning of the 90’s. The Microsoft eruption and accessible information technology and software have become a commonplace communication tool in today’s world and is the key technological factor for t he new global stage. The coming of China into the world economy, with their reforms accepting efficiency and prosperity and private property with the famous, †one country, two systems†, claimed by the Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping, and the continued by Zhu Ronji, was not short of a revolution.China now exhibits capitalism in its rawest form. And finally, the internet at the beginning of the 90’s and the development of the world wide web with its common hypertext language allow millions to communicate and has changed profoundly our way of living and working. These are facts and Ohmae is right when he says that they are here to stay and that the global stage is spreading more and more, not confined to an elite, but affecting an ever growing part of the world population.Turning our backs to them would not be rational, these situations give more freedom to people, companies and politicians all over the world and should not limit Freedom, which is the most impor tant human value, but enable societies to protect the weak and provide equal opportunities for people to make their own choices. Each of us knows better how to make decision for ourselves. Certainly better than governments. The idea is that Politicians set up frameworks, where fair values, not only profit rule, and allow the arket, with its limitations watched upon to bring prosperity and redistribute wealth with human criteria for the general benefit of all individuals. I do not believe in limitations on freedom, be it political, social or economic freedom. Countries with no democracy cannot claim that everything goes at the expense of prosperity. In other words, the Singapore model vs the Chinese model or the western model. For me prosperity does not justify political or human right limitations. The end of Economics The Global economy is not a theory, it is a reality.Not even economists understand how it works. The old masters theories and the well known parameters do not work any more. Economic theories are used to explain causalities, especially within a country . The problem is that national economies do not exist anymore. There is no model to explain the global economy as such, because we are dealing with many parameters and variables, and so many units of economy, so many new financial products, bonds, hedge funds, and so many derivatives and multiples, that make it almost impossible to establish a mathematical economic model.The theory of complexity is more suitable to approach this new 21st century economy, fundamentally different from the 20th century one. Part of the paradox that surrounds economic theory is that it is often divorced from the world in which it has been developed. The Author cites several classic economic theories from old masters such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, or Keynes that explain the reality around them. However, the global economy of today needs new thinking to tackle its realities.The technological revolution has transformed geopolitics, including turning obsolete the nation-states. Economic environments are constantly changing and are difficult to encapsulate. The liquidity of money, says the author, is another feature of the global economy. There is a constant flow, no absorption anywhere; absorption would cause inflation. Traditional economic theory cannotexplain this either. Technology and deregulation have liberated money from national economies. Money flows to areas of highest return, no matter where that is.Money has not patriotism. There is an over liquidity. Deflation’s antidote was inflation according to the theories of some famous economists (Paul Krugman) but the Japanese example contradicts the theory. Consumers know better than economists what is good for them and what to do with their money. Another aspect of monetary policy that the advent of the global economy has altered is the position of interest rates. More and more individuals save, for instance in a â€Å"portfolioâ€℠¢ of assets in the global world in the world stocks exchanges and the different currencies.The theory of complexity was developed because the traditional linear theories could explain less and less the complexity of the world, the relationships, the behaviors, the expectations of individuals, corporations and governments. There more and more thinkers, academics and business people who, like Kenichi Ohmae, see a parallel between the global economy and the world of complexity. Predictability, or more so the lack of it, is one. A small change in one variable can have a huge and inexplicable impact elsewhere. Traditional theories tended to think that equilibrium was the natural state of economic systems.Nobody is completely sure of how the very recently developed global economy works. The old economic paradigms that supported the classical theories have been broken, but despite that many countries, or governments find difficult changing habits, the old interventionism, or â€Å"touchin g a key† to obtain a result is still in place, but with sometimes opposite results to those expected. Those who do not understand the new economic paradigms are liable to become the victim of someone else who does. In the developed world the economic policy should focus on asset appreciation, which has much bigger impact than increasing the flow of income.China, the author says, in one of them. So, in summary, some the characteristics of the new economic paradigm of the global world according to the author, are: . For the first time in human history, prosperity and riches do not depend on existing wealth. In the global economy, there is no need for mineral resources or colonies, or any other â€Å"traditional† resources. A country or a region can attract foreign investment to create prosperity . The world has an excess of capital. There is plenty of money always looking for places to invest. A regions has to show worthy of consideration.Regions know that they are in a b uyer’s market and that they have to compete for investment. Investment means prosperity. . Size no longer matters. The need of an internal substantial market is not necessary anymore. International success is accessible to countries with small populations, i. e. Nokia in Finland, Ireland, etc. I agree fully with the book’s ideas about the end of the old economic theories. The complexity of the borderless world, where individuals, corporations and governments try to maximize their return on investment is the reality of today.The global economy still has to produce its theorist, with the permanent state of flux and metamorphosis as a defining characteristic. We see how the global economy emerges in front of us, but it is difficult to grasp. Those who understand it and use new thinking, succeed. Innovation and productivity for competitiveness are the real drivers. Part 2: Stage Directions. Playmakers For the author, the geographical and economic unit of the global economy is the region. Not so much the nation-state which, despite its political importance, cannot be viewed as an economic unit within the global economy.That is why political economy studied in classic economic theory is obsolete. The nation-state had its own currency and its natural territory and economic boundaries. With the global borderless economy, that notion is overcome. This idea is relatively new and revolutionary, and not ‘politically correct’ for some as it suggests governments should have a subsidiary role in the regulations of economic transactions. There is a group of economists and thinkers closer to the political â€Å"left† that oppose to this notion.In their opinion there should be more regulations to protect the nation-state citizens from the global economy, capitalists and multinationals. Indeed they argue there should be less international trade and more national barriers and clearly defined borders to protect the life style of the citizens withi n and that the market and the capital not only have profit as the only value, but others such as the environment and sustainable growth, influencing the market forces to adapt to a more â€Å"human† global, but local economies.This is a central confrontation in terms of vision of the global world and the political consequences. It will be a central debate for the sustainability of the world and its social, political and economic consequences. In his explanation of the rise of the regions, versus the nation-state, the author mentions several examples, like Singapore, Ireland, the Tokio region, Dalian and Guangzhou in China. Some of these regions are component parts of old nation-states; others spill over existing borders.Ohmae says that globalization is a liberalization of individuals, consumers, corporations and regions from the legacy of the nation-state in which they belong. Eventually the information available to each of them will give them the wisdom of choice, r. e. Part 1: The Stage Whether a consumer buys the best and cheapest from anywhere in the world is also their choice and not the decision of the government. Likewise corporations will shift eventually to the best host regions. Ultimately is a competitive world and one that will discipline all members of the global village, because wealth will migrate national borders. Platforms for ProgressThese are the developments that have promoted human progress; what the author calls the platforms for progress; that is to say means of allowing companies or individuals to communicate with each other to get things done more quickly and efficiently by enhancing communication and delivery, and creating the common standards accepted by the players. Technology platforms: These include operating systems, (Microsoft), personal and corporate computers, the HTML programming platform for writing web pages (Java), the internet, the World Wide Web and its applications like online transactions, shopping in the cybers pace, etc.The Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) and the versatility and affordability of telecommunications. Language: The English language is the linguistic platform of the global world. Many critics see it as symptomatic of US dominance and cultural imperialism. Attempts to impose other languages, like Russian in the old Soviet block of communist countries have failed totally. English language is spreading all over Asia where it is synonymous of business success. Being bilingual in your own mother tongue and English will become the norm, not a special skill.The US Dollar: The reason is historical and practical and dates from the end of WWII (mid 40’s). Many countries trade in the US dollar, e. x. North and South America, Australia, oil producing nations and Asian countries such as China and Japan. This puts the US in a privileged position, although, the recent trend in the importance of other currencies is balancing the situation versus the dollar and creating a group of gl obal currencies, such as the Euro, the Yen and the Chinese Renminbi. Other Platforms: These include ‘Branding’ in the global economy.The majority are American, but more brands from other regions of the world are becoming global. Global business culture; the global jargon of business is understood across borders. The ATM platform; this allows cash to be dispensed from locations far away from your locality. The credit card and smart cards platform. GPs platform, and other platforms are becoming available to a large number of users in a global world and those doing business need to understand this. Out and About Another issue shaping the global stage is the business process outsourcing (BPO).This means business optimization and refers to the relocation of sources and resources. Again it is the the Telecommunications revolution which drives BPO. An immediate benefit has been the reduction in costs. However, BPO is one of the most controversial aspects of global economy, see n by some as a capitalist exploitation of the poor, a new way of making money at the expense of poor countries, creating new global economy â€Å"slaves†. India (also Ireland) has benefited the most from BPO (again the English platform).The author defends this new form of globalization arguing that it facilitates the distribution and spread of wealth in a more effectively and efficiently than development aid. The money goes directly to individuals rather than potentially corrupt government agencies. The increased prosperity in India and Ireland is undeniable (other examples include China and the Philippines). Ohmae defends BPD as a source of wealth for poorer countries and criticizes those myths and half truths about the â€Å"sweat workshop† cliches, claiming these stem from western fear and insecurity about the loss of white collar jobs.The view from those countries is radically opposite. Cross-border BPO, is yet another example of the borderless world. Many clerical jobs have been replaced by computers and companies outsource more and more functions in search of cost reductions and competitiveness. It is natural that some of the better and cheaper operators should be found across national borders. Some politicians and intellectuals have a different point of view. In my opinion, BPO, like everything else in life has a right and wrong approach to it. If the conditions for fairness and other values other than just profit are introduced, the advantages outweigh the isadvantages. A global effort is needed by international political institutions to guarantee that exploitation by multinationals is not allowed. I believe in market forces over governmental control. In other words, if market rules penalize companies that do not comply with international norms of fair work then they will have the incentive to change. More so than a compliance with national regulations open, in some cases, to corruption, lack of transparency and consequently disregard for human rights. Breaking the chains The internet and the portal are becoming more and more important in the global stage.The search engine is the best â€Å"travel† guide and helpmate for internet users as they move through billions of pages in the cyber jungle. This is creating the emergence of â€Å"cyberites† or â€Å"netians†. This group of internet users has a tendency to follow behavior patters that Ohmae classifies in theorems. . Theorem 1; internet users for five years or more tend to think, act and behave similarly. They want to buy the best and cheapest from anywhere in the world. They are confident that they can live well under the liberated regime of a truly global environment. Theorem 2; (Age-10/10) is the number of years to become a real cyberite according to the non-scientific observation of the author. It takes longer to unlearn accumulated 20th century assumptions and myths depending on your exposure. The younger generations have less difficulty in learning the rules and games of the cyberworld. . Theorem 3; Cyberite as proactive consumers. People are passive when watching TV. They want to be entertained. By typing the names in a search engine cyberites are more likely to discover or buy something.The payment systems are a fundamental part for the development of internet. In fact, security is one of the issues that prevent people from buying and trading in the World Wide Web. Improvement of the security will increase the number of cyber transactions. More companies are introducing security and convenience to internet payment systems. The final part of the net revolution is logistics, or the physical distributions of goods. The new technologies have created many new business models, from the case of Dell, to Amazon, Zara and others.Parcel delivery companies have grasped the opportunity to become global logistics business partners with the outsourcing of that important function in the global world to many companies. Time and distance are barriers. This ‘barrierless’ global world is a psychological shift that shapes our understanding the global economy and its benefits. We consume items from any cornerofplanet,becausetheyareavailabletousasglobalconsumers. Part 3: The Script Reinventing Government Governments are losing their power in this global world. Some do better than others, and decentralization is happening within their countries.Nevertheless, strong central control is something of the past, Ohmae argues. Today’s intellectual battle is between the old and the new. Governments are wealth distributors, not wealth facilitators. They create wealth only through taxation. That is the way many people experience governmental intervention. The best taxation is the simple one explained in the book and also the fact that money raised from taxation should be invested in the places it is raised. As distributors of wealth, governments have gone the way of developing welfare states and welfare economies.They protect national industries, even if they are inefficient and weak globally, at the expense of the taxpayer. The distributive state is when distributed wealth is spread evenly and fairly throughout the country. Governments of the future must seek to facilitate rather than frustrate. The public service of any country must be prepared to work more on short term projects with identifiable goals as is the practice in the majority of European countries, rather than enter into a permanent employment regime. A pragmatic approach is necessary. A Vision for ChangeGovernments need to have a vision for the future, not only one developed by politicians, but by all social agents, which identifies national strategy and policies in an open and transparent way and reach all layers of society. It must not be just a mere collection or words and aspirations, but identify clear, practical and obtainable goals. Democracy should be used to reach majority consensus. Naturally coming with t his vision is not easy. First because of the political fractions in a country, then because we now live in a borderless world and can no longer put national interests first.And finally because we live in a cyberspace and are bound to the TIC (Telecommunications and Information technologies) . Mapping the future These are the fundamentals to develop a viable vision for a country: . It must empower individuals .It must invite capital from the rest of the world .It must maintain an even keel Government vision. These are things Governments can do: . Be ambassadors for new technology .Diminish the hindrances for capital flow .Eliminate obstacles for companies to attract the best people, skilled workers or managers .Minimize bureaucracy .Specialize the country around a competitive advantage A truly visionary government is dedicated to education. A highly educated work force is necessary to add intellectual value to the country or region. Workers in all areas should be educated in being ve rsatile and open-minded. Possession of disciplined thought processes and the ability to approach problem-solving are always the areas one can build upon and apply in many different areas. To this end, further education or skill acquisition should be made easy.The internet and broadband technology make attending and participating in learning from remote locations possible. A new Role for the Government Governments have been involved in providing education, but their role should change to being a member of a team and open up to the private sector involvement. Education and the school system represent one of the best ways in which governments can teach the citizens of the future about changing roles. But world reality is not very encouraging. Many governments, on the contrary, want to set up barriers to protect their national economies.There are examples of countries and/or regions with different characteristics, that are successful in the government involvement and the understanding o f the global economy. Some regions of China, Scandinavian countries, Ireland or Singapore are among them. In each there is tradition of interventionist government action, especially in the economic sphere. In different ways they have given more, by doing less, often providing only the initial impulse and vision and the right background conditions, but thereafter sitting on the sidelines. The Futures MarketGovernments must change, but the global stage, change is both necessary and inevitable at three fundamental levels: . Technological- Technological progress has the capacity to reshape countries . Personal- Individuals must become more proactive and more adaptable . Organizational- The emergent corporation will be homeless. It will be adaptive, focused on innovation and unencumbered by needless hierarchy or the psychological baggage of the past The technological Future Technological progress means that industrial death is increasingly a fact of business life.The rise and fall of com mercial enterprises is part of the landscape. Each technological wave usually has its victims, those who were unable to change in time. Time has been compressed. The history of the digital camera is just an example of this. Big companies like Kodak and Fuji are facing restructuring. Or the music and cinema industries with the emergence of the internet and the digital technologies. Something similar can be said about telephony, with the rise of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and its impact on Telecoms. The personal futureNo matter where they are, individuals will have to learn to adapt. A job career for life is a concept to be discarded. Another change will be the accepted norm that life always gets better and that workers, no matter their education level, can look forward to an incrementally improving lifestyle, leading to a post-retirement soft-landing, in which almost all their needs are provided for. People will have to learn to be lifestyle mangers. Flexibility will be cent ral to success. Success in the global economy will also depend on good leadership. This is true with regard to a region-state, or a company.Good leaders need vision but must remain pragmatists. Leaders must value information and innovation. One of the most important assets that a leader can possess is a flexible attitude to his/her role. He/She must be intuitive and able to change. The Corporate Future Uncertainty is another feature of the global economy. Paradoxically this provides opportunities for those brave and adept enough to adapt. The global economy is new. The rulebook remains unwritten. Nobody knows what will work. The best way forward is to try anyway and to learn from your mistakes, then try again.The author dismisses the case study method followed by universities, arguing business needs to be done in new ways. Notions from the past cannot be applied to the future. Companies need to commit to the global economy wholeheartedly, unless they want to be absorbed by others. C ompanies will be homeless. The traditional link to a nation-state will disappear, the relationships will be different, because their business will be widespread. The notion of headquarters is giving way to the reality that the market is open 24/365, the market never sleeps.The natural state of the homo economicus is movement. Innovation is another feature of global economy. And whatever innovation system a company may establish, the innovation of new, better, more efficient, cheaper, more convenient products and services will be permanent; Business systems, products and services, customer relationships and internal staff relationships, will become four key areas for innovations. Companies also need to learn to adapt their identities and shift their business models to adapt to market changes. More and more corporations will have to be like living creatures.The traditional military-like organization that companies have today, based on hierarchy will also have to be adapted. The old py ramid will not survive. The control focus organization will evolve to other forms of flexible, innovation-focused organizations. The next Stage The Region as the unit of the global economy will continue to rise. There are many examples, from Vancouver, to Sao Paulo, Estonia, Ho Chi Ming City or the Baltic Corner, that have been the chance to put together some of the right features to succeed in the global economy. The formula for success is not too complicated.What is complex is the need to unlearn the legacies of the nation-state and acquire new skills to work with global businesses. These regions now compete to attract investors to create wealth, and to this end are marketing themselves as brands to make potential target group investors aware oftheir competitive advantages. Conclusions Ohmae’s definition of the Globalization is described as one global stage where players act in an ever changing plot, brought about by the information technology and telecoms revolution which defies physical and political barriers.A network of powerful machines create, analyze and synthesize information in milliseconds. The information within them is easily and instantly available. The traditional nation-state is an obstacle in many instances to the functioning of this global network. All regions, not nations, of the world, fight and compete with each other to attract money and investment to create wealth in their territory. Traditional economic thinking is obsolete to explain such globalization. Knowledge and education are more important thantangible natural resources, locations or previous sources of wealth.Governments, businesses and individuals can only prosper through flexibility and pragmatism. The world is going through a globalization process , that is both inevitable as part of the natural human evolution and unstoppable ,because of the incentives that produces . The Global economy is a reality not a theory. Globalization is in reality unknown even for those who succeed in it. The features of the global economy are : borderless, invisible, cyber connected, and measured in multiples ,where profit or money is the single most important value.The complexity of the global economy is such that no existing theories can explain it There are many variables that change constantly and create unexpected effects, and the theories and mathematic model that explain complexity can’t be proved empirically. Ohmae does not defend the suppression of the state, but with what I consider good judgment, thinks governments should not try to do things for business, but should allow business to do things for itself.However, he does not emphasize the fact that governments should create the political framework that guarantee the human rights, freedom, and education for people to be able to be competitive in a fair world with a consensus on the big questions of life, including democracy, sustainable growth and basic moral and/or human values in the performance o f the companies. It would be as though the free Market can increase the value of those companies that comply with those â€Å"general framework conditions†, and not only profit determines the value and/or performance of corporations.This may sound like â€Å"wishful thinking†, but I believe the market can better guarantee the sustainability, efficiency, freedom and prosperity of humanity than government. The difficulty, of course, is how to reach that â€Å"general political framework†. World leaders need to search for it and, in my opinion, this will be the single most important issue for world sustainability and prosperity. It has to be the next big revolution. The Humane Political Revolution.

Indoor and outdoor environments and services Essay

1.1.Describe the factors to take into account when planning healthy and safe indoor and outdoor environments and services. It is important to take into account the health and safe requirements of all pupils before planning or starting any activity, ensuring that the environment is free of hazards and the children can play and learn safely. There are many factors to take into consideration, when planning and preparing the setting for healthy and safe indoor and outdoor activities. The main factors fall into the following categories: †¢The individual needs, age and abilities of the pupils When setting up the environment, should be taken into consideration the age and the abilities of each individual child, particularly to those with special educational needs and children with EAL. Staff-to-pupil ratios should be adequate to the number and the individual needs of the children. †¢Specific risks to individuals It should be considered if there are specific risks to individuals. For example if there are members of staff, who are pregnant; children or members of staff with sensory impairments or any other physical impairment. In cases of such impairments, the environment should be made suitable to their needs and they should be provided with the necessary assistance when and where needed. †¢Organisation All equipment and materials should be stored in places, where they would not obstruct the fire exits. Drawers, cupboards and boxes should be clearly labelled, so it is clear where different equipment is stored and pupils and staff are able to find them easily. Rubbish bins should be emptied regularly, making sure they are not left overfilled. Water tubs should be labelled if there are with drinking or not drinking water. Cleaning and other hazardous chemicals should be stored safely and locked. First aid boxes should be refilled regularly and use by dates checked regularly. †¢Furniture The furniture should be the appropriate size for the age of the children, so they could sit comfortably and not having to spend time in uncomfortable position. Furniture should be arranged suitably for easy access and not over  crowded in one area. Space should be used wisely. †¢Light, noise and temperature There should be sufficient light for children to work without discomfort. Harsh lighting for long time should be avoided and day light should be used as much as possible. Noise levels should be considered and if there are any temporary causes for noise (maintenance work or other), children should be relocated to a suitable place, where they can work in quiet environment. The temperature of the rooms should be monitored to make sure it is not too cold or too hot. Fresh air should be provided by opening of windows and doors, making sure that this doesn’t create a safety risk. †¢Desired outcome for children The place of the activities should be planned in consideration of the desired outcome. Outdoor environment should be considered whenever possible if the type of the activity and the weather allows it. †¢Duty of care Usage of equipment should be monitored constantly and children should be given instructions of how to use it. Equipment should be stored safely and should be checked and maintained regularly. Any damaged equipment should be removed, repaired or made unreachable if its condition creates a risk of hazard. †¢Adequate space, according to the number of children and adults The size of the premises and the outdoor space should be planned according to the number of pupils. If the outdoor space for example is not enough to be used by all children at once, rotation plan could be made for usage by different classes in different time frame. †¢Accessible materials and equipment All materials and equipment should be accessible by the children. For this it should be taken into consideration the height of the children and their abilities (ex. Drawers should be able to be open without effort by the children). For younger children, who cannot read yet, labels should include pictures or be from transparent material, so children can find them easily. †¢Secure boundaries Making sure children are not able to go out of the school and outside people are not able to enter the school from anywhere, but through the specified doors and in specified times. Visitors should be wearing badges or be accompanied by a member of staff and signed in and out accordingly. Fences and security doors should be checked regularly. The area around the fences should be checked for any litter and cleaned. †¢Cleanliness and tidiness Carpets should be hovered regularly; other flooring should be cleaned regularly with suitable disinfectants. All areas should be clean and tidy at all times. Any cases of broken glass or any other hazardous matter should be reported and cleaned immediately. Appropriate signs should be put in place, for example when the floor is wet in process of cleaning. Example from my experience: In the play area for the Nursery and Reception classes in our school there were clear boundaries where the children can cycle to avoid bumping into other children, as well as for learning the road regulations. Suitable soft surface is in place where there is climbing equipment. Shaded area provides with outdoor space even when is raining. Etc.

Challenges of Youths in Our Contemporary World

Youth does not want to give up in the face of difficulties†¦ Youth believes in a better world and is determined to do something to help bring it about†. ROLE OF THE YOUTH IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD The youth has great strength, vigour, good health etc. These features should be channeled towards the propagation of the gospel. Let the children come to me, do not hinder them, for such belongs the kingdom of God (Lk. 18:16). In the church, the youths have the responsibility of evangelizing. It is their duty to witness Christ to their peers and to the remotest areas where Christ has not been preached. Anthony Aja, quoting the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II wrote: â€Å"The Church needs your energies, your enthusiasm; your youthful ideas in order to make the Gospel of life penetrate the fabric of the society†. â€Å"Besides, the Pope re-emphasized the part that youth can play in the call to evangelize the world as he addressed them in these words. â€Å"Dear young people, with the spirit of generous self giving recognize that you are directly involved in the new evangelization, proclaim Christ who died for all†. Where are our Youths today? Out there in search of worldly pleasure or working for the Lord. (Ref. to the past). To be good evangelizer, witnessing must be accompanied by good example, being like Christ in all ramification. The bible recorded many dynamic youths worthy of emulation. Two of such youths will be considered in this text. They are Joseph and David. Joseph had an encounter with God. He reverenced God. The fear of God was in his heart. Portipher’s household prospered because of the presence of Joseph. How about you? He hated sin. He successfully resisted the temptation from his master’s wife. To the sin-laden wife of his master Portipha, he asked, â€Å"how can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God†? (Gen. 39:9). To escape the wrath that might befall him as a result of this great sin, he ran and fled from this great evil, sin of fornication. Godless youth would take advantage of this immoral opportunity and yield to the temptation. It takes a heart that has been washed by the Blood of The Lamb, a youth who has experienced the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, a sanctified person and Holy Ghost filled to overcome such temptation. For the bible says â€Å"for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world†. Titus 2:11-12. David the son of Jesse, the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, rose and worked marvels for god right from his youth. He killed a lion, a bear and conquered the veteran warrior Goliath. He overcame the evil spirits that tormented Saul by his anointed fingers on the musical instruments. He was able to do all these exploits for God because of his personal knowledge of God and the power of the Holy Ghost that was upon him. Through the youngest of Jesse’ sons, his fear of the lord and his close relationship with God, made him to do the chosen one of God. †Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and the spirit of the Lord came mighty upon David from that day forward (1Samuel 16:13). Above all learn from Jesus Christ, who from childhood went about doing the father’ business, â€Å"I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other citizens also, for I was sent for this purpose? Make yourself available for noble use. Challenges Facing the Youth Today The general state of youth reveals spirituals, social and psychological crises and confusion. They are being affected by the effects and influence of the society, peer groups, parental neglect and the evil one. Many of our youths blindly follow the dictates of the secularization of Western culture. The effects of secularism on most people have even made them argue that churches should accepts the society’s new directions. To them, if the society accept the society’s new directions. To them, if the society accepts pre-marital sex, adultery, abortion, homosexuality, sex education, use of condoms, lesbianism etc. hey cannot see why the church has to keep calling them sins. The youth sees the youth state as a period of fun and freedom. However, they forget to recognize that this stage is important and transitory – a stage between childhood and adulthood. Mistakes youth make at his stage in life could be detrimental bearing with it a lifetime consequences. For example, Youths who take to armed robbery, prostitution, drug trafficking, political thruggery, and a ll manner of violent practices carry over such nefarious activities from their youthful stage into adulthood. At adulthood they become a problem to themselves, the society and invariably their children who may take after them. What a wasted life! In fact, they are unable to build a worthwhile foundation on which to rest their future. Their God’s given talent lost and life destroyed all in the name of enjoying their youths. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he admonished Timothy in these words: Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue Righteous, faith, love and peace, Along with those who call on the Lord Out of a pure heart† 2Tim:22 The youthful stage when properly managed can lead to disaster. All youths should heed to Paul’s admonition to timothy. Flee from all evil desires and run after righteous. Many of our youths are compromising with worldly ideals. Compromise with the world brings corruption. It destroys the child of God’s testimony and makes his light grow dim. Learn from David and Joseph, the way to upright living. The youth is being influenced and challenged today in the following areas: 1. INFLUENCE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY Modern technology had led to the invention of personal computer, the satellite, Digital television, the internet, mobile phone (GSM). These devices had in no small measure made the world a global village. However, the challenges facing our youths (Christian youth) is how to use them without abusing them. The truth is that these devices rather then being used for the advancement of knowledge which is capable of making the world a better place have become powerful tools in the hands of Satan for the perversion of morals. For example, the computer has both simplified and speeded up the operation in many fields of human endeavor – data storage, medicine, architecture, music and broadcasting industry. These are interactive computer software for learning of virtually any subject. The mobile telephone has made communication easy. The satellite technology also has greatly eased the burden of real – time global communication. The internet is a great source of information, Books; encyclopedias on any subject, theses, revise, online news, libraries are now available on the internet. Various school activities which were manually carried out in the past, such as purchasing of admission forms, payment of school fees, access to course outlines, result etc are now done online. Sources of information and different educational operations are now available on the internet. However, one must not lose sight of the evil associated with these devices (internet, GSM and computer). Many (including children, youth and even older people) are introduced to do world of deceit, indecency, immorality crime, sexual perversions, violence and many other vices through the use of these inventions of modern technology. The computer and the internet have more damaging influence on the youth. Youths spend long hours watching digital videos (DVD) or playing violent, even bloody and demonic computer games. Some youths spend hours or the whole night browsing forbidden site on the internet thereby getting exposed to inappropriate materials, such as pornographic and erotica because some youth get initiated into Satanism, Spiritism and other esoteric region. The TV and internet have taking over the place of the bible and prayers in a good number of homes. Youth treasure their wide exploration of the internet in place of reading their books and other intellectual activities. This a leading to a dramatic decline in the academic performance of the youth and a high rate of unproductively of the youth in all spheres of life. Wise parents should rise up to this challenge, and set up corrective measures to arrest this trend of self – destruction of the youth. 2. THE FILM INDUSTRY Many youths spend long hours watching the television denying themselves of meaningful activities that will promote heathy living and advancement in life. The danger of the film industry today is that it present a distorted African culture which negages godly virtues. For example, pre-marital sex is against God an abominable thing in African culture, but the film industry today presents it as the norm and what must follow or be part of a relationship. Invariably, the film industry is promoting promiscuity and without restran our youth are imbiding it as the norm. Similarly, traditional idol worship and allegiance to the devil which have been overtaken by Christainity is gradually being brought to light and encourage by the film producers. What about movies dominated with violent operations?. This negates God peaceful co-existence among men. Parents must therefore rise up to control what their children watch on the television. 3. NEGLECING OF HARD WORK Many youths want to go the easy way of life. No work but wants to be rich. They wish for success in life without paying the price of diligence. You need to see the coutless number of youths at the cyber cafe, browsing the internet looking for innocent preys to devour of thir hard earn money. Some Pentecostal pastors are not left out in the craze for prosperity through miracle galore at the expense of diligent labour. 4. SEARCH FOR GREENER PASTURE Many youths run the risk of searching for illegal means to go out of this country for better life. Experiences of those who attempted leaving this country reveal the agony many had to go though traveling through waste land to cross over to their â€Å"promised land†. In the process many had lost their lives and their sense of value of life. Those who made it to their dreamed land are out their doing menial jobs and worst still are out into crimes of various degrees. 5. Domestic Problems Many youth are confronted with Domestic problems ranging from hostility from parents, strife between their fathers and mothers, parents inability to provide the basic necessities of life. Youths from such homes run away from home, get involved in all forms of crimes such as 419, armed robbery, thuggery, prostitution or hired assassions. Parents should wake up to their responsibilities and make sustainable plans for their children. 6. INDECENT DRESSING AMONG YOUTHS We have been wonderfully made by God. Praise the Lord! Let us trace our dressing to the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they realized that they are naked. They sewed fig leaves together to make themselves aprons (Gen3:7). This covered only a part of their bodies. This is fact was not proper clothing and so the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them. This implies that the lord God covered their nakedness. Therefore, any clothing that does not cover the body fully is an indecent cloth. Let us also consider the demoniac in St. Luke’s gospel Chapter 8 ;26-35). The demon possessed man was naked. The bible described him as â€Å"a man from the city who had demon; for a long time he had worn no clothes, and lived not in a house but among tombs’. With encounter with Christ Jesus, he was delivered from the legion of evil spirit, he was clothed and he was in his right mind† (Luke 8:35). This implies that only people who are not in their right mind would go about without clothes not big enough to cover their nakedness. The modern day christains especially youths are without estrain imbiding and embracing worldly principles, values, culture and customs without making refence to the word of God. The bible says: â€Å"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is inworld, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father, but is of the world†. I John2:15. Unholy attitudes or worldliness has become the culture of the church. Some church members tell you what you wear does not matte, after all religion is in the heart. However, they forget that there is a link between the state of man’s heart and the outward appearance. In fact, one’s outlook is greatly influenced by the condition of the heart. It is not uncommon today to find different kinds of immodest and indecent dressed worn by the majority of young people and some older people in the society, even in the church of God. These ladies wear transparent and body hugged clothes under the guise of fashion and civilization. In fact, you see girls of cheap and easy virtue wearing provocative or seductive apparels that partially expose sensitive reas of their bodies such as breast, navels, abdomen and thighs, such youth are not left out in their heavy make-ups. Their make-ups are so excessive and outrageous that the girls are not less than masquerades and cannot but be mistaken for prostitutes. Why would a Christain woman or lady imitate Jezbel? â€Å"When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it and she painted her eyes, and adorned he r head and looked out of the window† 2King9:30. Some ladies dress in such way that they stimulate lustful desires in men. The harlot dresses shamefully only to advertise, comete and seduce the opposite sex. They wear revealing clothes which create in men some immoral desires. Mini-skirts are symbolic of those ladies who want to seduce men. Every mini-skirt is a fuel that sets the mind of a man to imagine the most debased thoughts. On the other hand, ladies who are seductively dressed are more likely to be harassed by men. In the actual sense, a lady who is immodestly dressed is simply adverstising herself, telling the male folk that she is available. No wonder, today that the rate at which women are raped is exceedingly alarming. The men folk are not left out of this craze for fashion. They fry their hair (jerry curls or perm0, weave their hair, wear earring, leave their shirits unbuttoned, exposing their beareded chest, have funny styles of hair cut, apply make up just to prove themselves as â€Å"senior guys†. 7. Sexual Immorality/ Fornication Many youths do not see sextual immorality/formation as sin. They see it as a way of expressing their love to a person of the opposite sex. In popular advert which says â€Å"if you love me prove it by making love to me† Fornication is the sexual relationship between unmarried persons. God condemns fornication; Do you not know that your body is a temple of he Holy spirit, who is in you whom you have received from god? You are not your own, you were received with a price. Therefore, honour god with your body (1cor 6:19-20) Anyone who destroy the temple of the Holy spirit which you are will face wrath of God. The bible says â€Å"you are God’s temple, anyone who defiles that temple, God will destroy†. Some youth who engage in fornication (pre-marital sex) tell you they are in search of happiness, pre-marital sex has brought shame, disgrace and to many, unfulfilled destiny and untimely death. According to Ibid: Pre-marital sex has many adverse effects surrounding it. By so doing expose themselves to many risks such as: pregnancy, abortion, death, death, veneral disease, fear, shame, disrespect, sterility, uncompleted career are grievous sins against God, your creator. These are what we risk ourselves for, Just a mere pleasure which does not last. Similarly, punch Newspaper had on one of its publication pointed out that †Pregnancy is just one of the ways one can reap on unpleasant harvest from fornication†¦ It is better to avoid pre-marital sex†. 8. Wild Ambition Youths, no doubt are very ambitious. Being ambitious itself should be commended. But when the ambition becomes obnoxious, wrong signals are elayed. It is not uncommon today to find youhs engage in all manner of nefarious activities that are opposed to Christain virtues in a bid to acquire great wealth, fame and success. They are usually recruited as political thugs, fake drug peddlers, armed robbers, hostage takers, murderers, assassins while others become cultists, prostitutes and so on. Some become involved in dubious and undefiled business. The bible tells us to flee from all appearance of evil. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any paise, think on these thing (1 Cor10:31. Phil 4:8) Do not get involved in any activity that is contrary to the tenents of God. Anything contrary leads to hellfire. 9. Peer Group Influence Many Youth have been led astray by those they regard as friends. The influences of peers can bring about a positive or a negative change in one’s life. But today, such influences have been found to destroy the lives of those who keep had company. Thomas Martin as reported by Stan Ilo had this to say â€Å"What can be more dangerous to youth than bad company; what more fatal to all moral rectitude and feeling than influence of bad example. Bad company ruins good moral. It will be highly recommended youths can be involved in authentic friendship. John Chidi once classified friendship into 3: 1. Friendship based on unity 2. Friendship based on Sexual pleasure 3. Good griendship Youth should be encouraged to get involved in good friendship I =n which a man and a woman can be close friends without any sexual intercourse whatsoever. 0 Foul Language, noisy Music, Obscene Dance, pornography Music is an ancient means with which God’s people adored, exalted His Holy name and praised his majesty. This is still God’s expectation from us today. However, Christain music of today has assumed a new dimension from what obtains in the bible. Most Christain music today are emotional, sensual and noisy. The musical instrument soun d than the wordings as obtained in worldly music. Such songs do not give any inspiration, and it lacks modesty and moderation. So also is the obscene dance that accompanies the music. Flee from such music and from every apprearance of evil. 11. UNEMPLOYMENT There is a high rate of employment in this country. Many youths who had managed to go through thick and thin to obtain a university degree or other degrees are out there on the streets roaming about in search of anything to do for living. His has been the concern of both youths and their parents. Many parents have lost inetrest in investing into education of their children. This has increased the number of youths without any formal education or vovational training. One sees them in high dense areas/cities milling around motor parks, marj=ket places, in hide outs, practically doing nothing meaningful. Their daily existence depend on how much they can steal, extort from people or just waste away. Some engage in menial jobs that can hardly take care of them, while others become preys in the hand of evil men who take advantage of them by providing debase jpbs such as drug trafficking, prostitution. The self employed are faced with problems of generating power for tjose whose jobs require electricity. The question is, for how long then can we watch the leaders of tomorrow waste away. We all must rise up to this challenge and fight corruption, injustice that have premeated into the whims and caprices of this nation. 12. Marriage Many youths today are faced with the problem of getting a wife or a husband. This could be attributed to a number of factors such as parental influence or control, self, sin and the devil. Youths becomes so obsessed with their inability to be married that they now abadom God. To every man there is a wife and to every woman there is a man. Therefore wait on the Lord, and He will provide. THE WAY FORWARD In handling the problem of our youth and the difficulties confronting them in this perverse generation, parents, churches, society and the youth themselves have specific roles they must perform to bring sanity to our world. Let us reflet on the role of the youth themselves. The youth who desires life and the fruits of happy life must desire God and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Seek first the kingdom of God and all its righteous and all other things will be added unto you (Matt. 6:33). To the youth who had turn away from the Lord, I say â€Å"come back with a repentant heart and the Lord will receive and have you back as his own. Repentance involves: a) Admitting your weakness, being sorry for your weakness b) Renouncing your weakness The Lord tell us in Issaiah, â€Å"come now let us reason together, says the Lord through your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall become loke wool† (Is. 1:18) Go for sacramental reconciliation. Having regained your relationship with God, He wants you to live a spotless life even in this era of godlessness. You are to stay unpolluted and unperturbed in the constantly changing world where you dwell. The unchanging God will substain you, for he has said. :For I am the Lord, I change not† (Malachi 3:6). This implies that God’s children have no excuse to allow themselves to be swayed by the rapidly changing world around them. What is expected of the youth therefore according to the word of God is outlined as follows: 1. The youth must treasure the unaltered word of God in his heart, life and mouth, civilization or no civilization. 2. He must constantly and diligently with prayer guard his soul so that he is not overtaken bythe whirlwind of globalization and modernization. . Must be resolved to live a holy life. This involves daring to be different with a resolution not to look back. 4. Depend on the grace of God. Paul tells the Ephesians, â€Å"for it is by Grace you have been saved through Faith and this is not from your selves, it is a gift of God (Eph 2:8) In the sane vein, Jesus tells us in Jn15:16 not to rely on our own strength but yo abide on the Vine 5. Invite the Holy spirit, the sanctifying power of God into your life. It is the spirit that gives life. In all thid fullness, live in the spirit. So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires swhich is contrary to the spirit and the spirit which is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that do not do what you want† (Gal5:16-17) 6. Associate with thos who love and fear God. Meditate on the passage â€Å"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and Idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will live with them and walk amongthem, and I will be their God, and they will be my people† 7. Plunge into unlimited opportunities: The Lord urges us to plunge ourselves into unlimited opportunities that he has set us. Like Joshua, He was to be strong, courageous and to observe the word of God. Joshua did as God commanded and he prospered. Today God is saying to us that he has given us great opportunities to succeed in life and have all our needs met. However, many go through life dejected, defeated, defrauded, dominated and at the end doomed. you are a child of God. For success to come your way, start now. Do not be idle. You can still go back to school and get education; you can re-write your papers and improve on them. Are you unemployed, apply to place no matter how little, or you can create a job yourself. You need not suffer, the sky is the limit. Finally, do not stay away from sacraments (Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation). Heaven is real. What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffer the loss of soul. Challenges of Youths in Our Contemporary World Youth does not want to give up in the face of difficulties†¦ Youth believes in a better world and is determined to do something to help bring it about†. ROLE OF THE YOUTH IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD The youth has great strength, vigour, good health etc. These features should be channeled towards the propagation of the gospel. Let the children come to me, do not hinder them, for such belongs the kingdom of God (Lk. 18:16). In the church, the youths have the responsibility of evangelizing. It is their duty to witness Christ to their peers and to the remotest areas where Christ has not been preached. Anthony Aja, quoting the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II wrote: â€Å"The Church needs your energies, your enthusiasm; your youthful ideas in order to make the Gospel of life penetrate the fabric of the society†. â€Å"Besides, the Pope re-emphasized the part that youth can play in the call to evangelize the world as he addressed them in these words. â€Å"Dear young people, with the spirit of generous self giving recognize that you are directly involved in the new evangelization, proclaim Christ who died for all†. Where are our Youths today? Out there in search of worldly pleasure or working for the Lord. (Ref. to the past). To be good evangelizer, witnessing must be accompanied by good example, being like Christ in all ramification. The bible recorded many dynamic youths worthy of emulation. Two of such youths will be considered in this text. They are Joseph and David. Joseph had an encounter with God. He reverenced God. The fear of God was in his heart. Portipher’s household prospered because of the presence of Joseph. How about you? He hated sin. He successfully resisted the temptation from his master’s wife. To the sin-laden wife of his master Portipha, he asked, â€Å"how can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God†? (Gen. 39:9). To escape the wrath that might befall him as a result of this great sin, he ran and fled from this great evil, sin of fornication. Godless youth would take advantage of this immoral opportunity and yield to the temptation. It takes a heart that has been washed by the Blood of The Lamb, a youth who has experienced the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, a sanctified person and Holy Ghost filled to overcome such temptation. For the bible says â€Å"for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world†. Titus 2:11-12. David the son of Jesse, the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, rose and worked marvels for god right from his youth. He killed a lion, a bear and conquered the veteran warrior Goliath. He overcame the evil spirits that tormented Saul by his anointed fingers on the musical instruments. He was able to do all these exploits for God because of his personal knowledge of God and the power of the Holy Ghost that was upon him. Through the youngest of Jesse’ sons, his fear of the lord and his close relationship with God, made him to do the chosen one of God. †Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and the spirit of the Lord came mighty upon David from that day forward (1Samuel 16:13). Above all learn from Jesus Christ, who from childhood went about doing the father’ business, â€Å"I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other citizens also, for I was sent for this purpose? Make yourself available for noble use. Challenges Facing the Youth Today The general state of youth reveals spirituals, social and psychological crises and confusion. They are being affected by the effects and influence of the society, peer groups, parental neglect and the evil one. Many of our youths blindly follow the dictates of the secularization of Western culture. The effects of secularism on most people have even made them argue that churches should accepts the society’s new directions. To them, if the society accept the society’s new directions. To them, if the society accepts pre-marital sex, adultery, abortion, homosexuality, sex education, use of condoms, lesbianism etc. hey cannot see why the church has to keep calling them sins. The youth sees the youth state as a period of fun and freedom. However, they forget to recognize that this stage is important and transitory – a stage between childhood and adulthood. Mistakes youth make at his stage in life could be detrimental bearing with it a lifetime consequences. For example, Youths who take to armed robbery, prostitution, drug trafficking, political thruggery, and a ll manner of violent practices carry over such nefarious activities from their youthful stage into adulthood. At adulthood they become a problem to themselves, the society and invariably their children who may take after them. What a wasted life! In fact, they are unable to build a worthwhile foundation on which to rest their future. Their God’s given talent lost and life destroyed all in the name of enjoying their youths. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he admonished Timothy in these words: Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue Righteous, faith, love and peace, Along with those who call on the Lord Out of a pure heart† 2Tim:22 The youthful stage when properly managed can lead to disaster. All youths should heed to Paul’s admonition to timothy. Flee from all evil desires and run after righteous. Many of our youths are compromising with worldly ideals. Compromise with the world brings corruption. It destroys the child of God’s testimony and makes his light grow dim. Learn from David and Joseph, the way to upright living. The youth is being influenced and challenged today in the following areas: 1. INFLUENCE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY Modern technology had led to the invention of personal computer, the satellite, Digital television, the internet, mobile phone (GSM). These devices had in no small measure made the world a global village. However, the challenges facing our youths (Christian youth) is how to use them without abusing them. The truth is that these devices rather then being used for the advancement of knowledge which is capable of making the world a better place have become powerful tools in the hands of Satan for the perversion of morals. For example, the computer has both simplified and speeded up the operation in many fields of human endeavor – data storage, medicine, architecture, music and broadcasting industry. These are interactive computer software for learning of virtually any subject. The mobile telephone has made communication easy. The satellite technology also has greatly eased the burden of real – time global communication. The internet is a great source of information, Books; encyclopedias on any subject, theses, revise, online news, libraries are now available on the internet. Various school activities which were manually carried out in the past, such as purchasing of admission forms, payment of school fees, access to course outlines, result etc are now done online. Sources of information and different educational operations are now available on the internet. However, one must not lose sight of the evil associated with these devices (internet, GSM and computer). Many (including children, youth and even older people) are introduced to do world of deceit, indecency, immorality crime, sexual perversions, violence and many other vices through the use of these inventions of modern technology. The computer and the internet have more damaging influence on the youth. Youths spend long hours watching digital videos (DVD) or playing violent, even bloody and demonic computer games. Some youths spend hours or the whole night browsing forbidden site on the internet thereby getting exposed to inappropriate materials, such as pornographic and erotica because some youth get initiated into Satanism, Spiritism and other esoteric region. The TV and internet have taking over the place of the bible and prayers in a good number of homes. Youth treasure their wide exploration of the internet in place of reading their books and other intellectual activities. This a leading to a dramatic decline in the academic performance of the youth and a high rate of unproductively of the youth in all spheres of life. Wise parents should rise up to this challenge, and set up corrective measures to arrest this trend of self – destruction of the youth. 2. THE FILM INDUSTRY Many youths spend long hours watching the television denying themselves of meaningful activities that will promote heathy living and advancement in life. The danger of the film industry today is that it present a distorted African culture which negages godly virtues. For example, pre-marital sex is against God an abominable thing in African culture, but the film industry today presents it as the norm and what must follow or be part of a relationship. Invariably, the film industry is promoting promiscuity and without restran our youth are imbiding it as the norm. Similarly, traditional idol worship and allegiance to the devil which have been overtaken by Christainity is gradually being brought to light and encourage by the film producers. What about movies dominated with violent operations?. This negates God peaceful co-existence among men. Parents must therefore rise up to control what their children watch on the television. 3. NEGLECING OF HARD WORK Many youths want to go the easy way of life. No work but wants to be rich. They wish for success in life without paying the price of diligence. You need to see the coutless number of youths at the cyber cafe, browsing the internet looking for innocent preys to devour of thir hard earn money. Some Pentecostal pastors are not left out in the craze for prosperity through miracle galore at the expense of diligent labour. 4. SEARCH FOR GREENER PASTURE Many youths run the risk of searching for illegal means to go out of this country for better life. Experiences of those who attempted leaving this country reveal the agony many had to go though traveling through waste land to cross over to their â€Å"promised land†. In the process many had lost their lives and their sense of value of life. Those who made it to their dreamed land are out their doing menial jobs and worst still are out into crimes of various degrees. 5. Domestic Problems Many youth are confronted with Domestic problems ranging from hostility from parents, strife between their fathers and mothers, parents inability to provide the basic necessities of life. Youths from such homes run away from home, get involved in all forms of crimes such as 419, armed robbery, thuggery, prostitution or hired assassions. Parents should wake up to their responsibilities and make sustainable plans for their children. 6. INDECENT DRESSING AMONG YOUTHS We have been wonderfully made by God. Praise the Lord! Let us trace our dressing to the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they realized that they are naked. They sewed fig leaves together to make themselves aprons (Gen3:7). This covered only a part of their bodies. This is fact was not proper clothing and so the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them. This implies that the lord God covered their nakedness. Therefore, any clothing that does not cover the body fully is an indecent cloth. Let us also consider the demoniac in St. Luke’s gospel Chapter 8 ;26-35). The demon possessed man was naked. The bible described him as â€Å"a man from the city who had demon; for a long time he had worn no clothes, and lived not in a house but among tombs’. With encounter with Christ Jesus, he was delivered from the legion of evil spirit, he was clothed and he was in his right mind† (Luke 8:35). This implies that only people who are not in their right mind would go about without clothes not big enough to cover their nakedness. The modern day christains especially youths are without estrain imbiding and embracing worldly principles, values, culture and customs without making refence to the word of God. The bible says: â€Å"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is inworld, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father, but is of the world†. I John2:15. Unholy attitudes or worldliness has become the culture of the church. Some church members tell you what you wear does not matte, after all religion is in the heart. However, they forget that there is a link between the state of man’s heart and the outward appearance. In fact, one’s outlook is greatly influenced by the condition of the heart. It is not uncommon today to find different kinds of immodest and indecent dressed worn by the majority of young people and some older people in the society, even in the church of God. These ladies wear transparent and body hugged clothes under the guise of fashion and civilization. In fact, you see girls of cheap and easy virtue wearing provocative or seductive apparels that partially expose sensitive reas of their bodies such as breast, navels, abdomen and thighs, such youth are not left out in their heavy make-ups. Their make-ups are so excessive and outrageous that the girls are not less than masquerades and cannot but be mistaken for prostitutes. Why would a Christain woman or lady imitate Jezbel? â€Å"When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it and she painted her eyes, and adorned he r head and looked out of the window† 2King9:30. Some ladies dress in such way that they stimulate lustful desires in men. The harlot dresses shamefully only to advertise, comete and seduce the opposite sex. They wear revealing clothes which create in men some immoral desires. Mini-skirts are symbolic of those ladies who want to seduce men. Every mini-skirt is a fuel that sets the mind of a man to imagine the most debased thoughts. On the other hand, ladies who are seductively dressed are more likely to be harassed by men. In the actual sense, a lady who is immodestly dressed is simply adverstising herself, telling the male folk that she is available. No wonder, today that the rate at which women are raped is exceedingly alarming. The men folk are not left out of this craze for fashion. They fry their hair (jerry curls or perm0, weave their hair, wear earring, leave their shirits unbuttoned, exposing their beareded chest, have funny styles of hair cut, apply make up just to prove themselves as â€Å"senior guys†. 7. Sexual Immorality/ Fornication Many youths do not see sextual immorality/formation as sin. They see it as a way of expressing their love to a person of the opposite sex. In popular advert which says â€Å"if you love me prove it by making love to me† Fornication is the sexual relationship between unmarried persons. God condemns fornication; Do you not know that your body is a temple of he Holy spirit, who is in you whom you have received from god? You are not your own, you were received with a price. Therefore, honour god with your body (1cor 6:19-20) Anyone who destroy the temple of the Holy spirit which you are will face wrath of God. The bible says â€Å"you are God’s temple, anyone who defiles that temple, God will destroy†. Some youth who engage in fornication (pre-marital sex) tell you they are in search of happiness, pre-marital sex has brought shame, disgrace and to many, unfulfilled destiny and untimely death. According to Ibid: Pre-marital sex has many adverse effects surrounding it. By so doing expose themselves to many risks such as: pregnancy, abortion, death, death, veneral disease, fear, shame, disrespect, sterility, uncompleted career are grievous sins against God, your creator. These are what we risk ourselves for, Just a mere pleasure which does not last. Similarly, punch Newspaper had on one of its publication pointed out that †Pregnancy is just one of the ways one can reap on unpleasant harvest from fornication†¦ It is better to avoid pre-marital sex†. 8. Wild Ambition Youths, no doubt are very ambitious. Being ambitious itself should be commended. But when the ambition becomes obnoxious, wrong signals are elayed. It is not uncommon today to find youhs engage in all manner of nefarious activities that are opposed to Christain virtues in a bid to acquire great wealth, fame and success. They are usually recruited as political thugs, fake drug peddlers, armed robbers, hostage takers, murderers, assassins while others become cultists, prostitutes and so on. Some become involved in dubious and undefiled business. The bible tells us to flee from all appearance of evil. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any paise, think on these thing (1 Cor10:31. Phil 4:8) Do not get involved in any activity that is contrary to the tenents of God. Anything contrary leads to hellfire. 9. Peer Group Influence Many Youth have been led astray by those they regard as friends. The influences of peers can bring about a positive or a negative change in one’s life. But today, such influences have been found to destroy the lives of those who keep had company. Thomas Martin as reported by Stan Ilo had this to say â€Å"What can be more dangerous to youth than bad company; what more fatal to all moral rectitude and feeling than influence of bad example. Bad company ruins good moral. It will be highly recommended youths can be involved in authentic friendship. John Chidi once classified friendship into 3: 1. Friendship based on unity 2. Friendship based on Sexual pleasure 3. Good griendship Youth should be encouraged to get involved in good friendship I =n which a man and a woman can be close friends without any sexual intercourse whatsoever. 0 Foul Language, noisy Music, Obscene Dance, pornography Music is an ancient means with which God’s people adored, exalted His Holy name and praised his majesty. This is still God’s expectation from us today. However, Christain music of today has assumed a new dimension from what obtains in the bible. Most Christain music today are emotional, sensual and noisy. The musical instrument soun d than the wordings as obtained in worldly music. Such songs do not give any inspiration, and it lacks modesty and moderation. So also is the obscene dance that accompanies the music. Flee from such music and from every apprearance of evil. 11. UNEMPLOYMENT There is a high rate of employment in this country. Many youths who had managed to go through thick and thin to obtain a university degree or other degrees are out there on the streets roaming about in search of anything to do for living. His has been the concern of both youths and their parents. Many parents have lost inetrest in investing into education of their children. This has increased the number of youths without any formal education or vovational training. One sees them in high dense areas/cities milling around motor parks, marj=ket places, in hide outs, practically doing nothing meaningful. Their daily existence depend on how much they can steal, extort from people or just waste away. Some engage in menial jobs that can hardly take care of them, while others become preys in the hand of evil men who take advantage of them by providing debase jpbs such as drug trafficking, prostitution. The self employed are faced with problems of generating power for tjose whose jobs require electricity. The question is, for how long then can we watch the leaders of tomorrow waste away. We all must rise up to this challenge and fight corruption, injustice that have premeated into the whims and caprices of this nation. 12. Marriage Many youths today are faced with the problem of getting a wife or a husband. This could be attributed to a number of factors such as parental influence or control, self, sin and the devil. Youths becomes so obsessed with their inability to be married that they now abadom God. To every man there is a wife and to every woman there is a man. Therefore wait on the Lord, and He will provide. THE WAY FORWARD In handling the problem of our youth and the difficulties confronting them in this perverse generation, parents, churches, society and the youth themselves have specific roles they must perform to bring sanity to our world. Let us reflet on the role of the youth themselves. The youth who desires life and the fruits of happy life must desire God and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Seek first the kingdom of God and all its righteous and all other things will be added unto you (Matt. 6:33). To the youth who had turn away from the Lord, I say â€Å"come back with a repentant heart and the Lord will receive and have you back as his own. Repentance involves: a) Admitting your weakness, being sorry for your weakness b) Renouncing your weakness The Lord tell us in Issaiah, â€Å"come now let us reason together, says the Lord through your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall become loke wool† (Is. 1:18) Go for sacramental reconciliation. Having regained your relationship with God, He wants you to live a spotless life even in this era of godlessness. You are to stay unpolluted and unperturbed in the constantly changing world where you dwell. The unchanging God will substain you, for he has said. :For I am the Lord, I change not† (Malachi 3:6). This implies that God’s children have no excuse to allow themselves to be swayed by the rapidly changing world around them. What is expected of the youth therefore according to the word of God is outlined as follows: 1. The youth must treasure the unaltered word of God in his heart, life and mouth, civilization or no civilization. 2. He must constantly and diligently with prayer guard his soul so that he is not overtaken bythe whirlwind of globalization and modernization. . Must be resolved to live a holy life. This involves daring to be different with a resolution not to look back. 4. Depend on the grace of God. Paul tells the Ephesians, â€Å"for it is by Grace you have been saved through Faith and this is not from your selves, it is a gift of God (Eph 2:8) In the sane vein, Jesus tells us in Jn15:16 not to rely on our own strength but yo abide on the Vine 5. Invite the Holy spirit, the sanctifying power of God into your life. It is the spirit that gives life. In all thid fullness, live in the spirit. So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires swhich is contrary to the spirit and the spirit which is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that do not do what you want† (Gal5:16-17) 6. Associate with thos who love and fear God. Meditate on the passage â€Å"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and Idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will live with them and walk amongthem, and I will be their God, and they will be my people† 7. Plunge into unlimited opportunities: The Lord urges us to plunge ourselves into unlimited opportunities that he has set us. Like Joshua, He was to be strong, courageous and to observe the word of God. Joshua did as God commanded and he prospered. Today God is saying to us that he has given us great opportunities to succeed in life and have all our needs met. However, many go through life dejected, defeated, defrauded, dominated and at the end doomed. you are a child of God. For success to come your way, start now. Do not be idle. You can still go back to school and get education; you can re-write your papers and improve on them. Are you unemployed, apply to place no matter how little, or you can create a job yourself. You need not suffer, the sky is the limit. Finally, do not stay away from sacraments (Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation). Heaven is real. What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffer the loss of soul.

Restoration and Recovery Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Restoration and Recovery Plan - Essay Example In this paper an attempt is made to understand the Restoration and recovery plan employed by an organization in case of any of an attack or failure of its Information System and also to investigate how the organization manages the scenarios that involve alteration, deletion or destruction of data. The organization chosen for the study of the subject is a Ceramic manufacturing company with roughly 1300 employees. Information System: The organization has deployed an in-house web based ERP system that's essentially serves to integrate its Accounts, HR, Payroll, Inventory & Stores, Commercial Department, Sales, and Fixed Asset wings. The ERP application is deployed on Oracle Application Server with Apache web server. The company has twenty nodal offices spread across the city , all nodal offices are connected in a ring topology through fiber as well as through ISDN lines in order to maintain a 24x7 availability . The nature of work is essentially online transactional processing but owing to the integration of Inventory, it also has data warehousing application. All the twenty sites are centrally managed. A centralized Oracle 10g database hosts the data .The database is ported on two IBM p-series 570 H servers . . The operating system is IBM's AIX -5 L versions 5.3. The storage used is IBM's Fast T-700 storage. High Availability Set-up : The two IBM AIX servers are clustered through IBM's High Availability Cluster Multi Processing (HACMP) version 5.3 . The cluster is operating in cascade mode. In case one node fails due to failure or any kind of attack than the other node detects such a collapse and takes over the entire work load and consequently within four minutes, the business operations are restored. HACMP has emerged as one of the most successful high availability software that provides data protection in case of server failover through multi-connects between the servers to a shared storage through clustering software ("The Benefits", n.d.) Data Protection : The data is stored in IBM's Fast T 700 storage . Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) 1+0 is implemented to optimize the storage for fault tolerance. It provides disk mirroring that duplicates the data between the two disks. So that if one disk gets corrupt or develops any fault than the lost data can be retrieved through its mirrored copy. Such a mirrored configuration also optimizes the performance through striping the data across the mirrored disks. ("RAID 10 overview", n.d.). Data Backups : The data backups constitute the most important part of the IT policy of a company. The data-backups ensure recovery of essential data whenever there is any kind of data loss by way of any file corruption, data stealing or manual transactional error. There are many options available to back-up and recover the data .Almost all the companies employ two procedures to backup the data , hot backup and cold backup .Both these techniques come in handy to retrieve the data whenever the

An exploratory, descriptive study to assess the effectiveness of Error Dissertation

An exploratory, descriptive study to assess the effectiveness of Error reporting on Nursing Errors in Operating Rooms - Dissertation Example The following are a few of these considerations: 1. Nurses’ scope of practice, and adverse outcome of patients There has been considerable attention devoted to nurses’ errors in the operating room; the significance of reporting mechanisms has been underscored as an important instrument in developing error prevention measures in operating room procedures, and health care in general. Espin (2007) examined the implications of such errors as encountered in individual practice. Empirical studies have established that nurses’ preferences in reporting errors were generally confined to the perceived scope of their practice; where reports went beyond these boundaries, the reports were rationalized in the context of the patient’s unfavourable outcome. Through survey and qualitative analysis, it was determined that nurses’ perceived scope of practice was a major factor in their reporting preferences, and the seriousness of the outcome to the patient was only s econdary. The findings support the observation that nurses tend to be selective in their reporting; these have negative implications, according to Espin, as many errors will likely remain unreported where they do no fall within the nurses’ scope of practice, or where the negative repercussion to the patient is not perceived as compelling. 2. Nature of the error reduced by error reporting Partly due to the normal course of modernization in health care and partly due to the need to meet global standards, similar efforts to improve nurses’ error reporting have been pursued in different countries. In Korea, a study sought to develop and evaluate an error reporting promoting program (ERPP) with the aim of reducing the incidence rate of nursing errors in operating rooms (Kim, et al., 2007). This quasi-experimental study registered a drop in incidence rates from 28.4% to 15.7% for the experimental group upon whom ERPP was administered, representing a significant decrease in t he areas of â€Å"compliance of aseptic technique†, â€Å"management of document†, and â€Å"environmental management,† but has little effect in â€Å"habit-related†, â€Å"knowledge-based† and â€Å"multidimensional† nursing activities. The ERPP was thus adjudged effective in reducing incidences of certain types of nursing errors in the operating room. 3. Organizational and management factors A serious inquiry into aspects of errors committed by health professionals must necessarily seek the underlying human factors that give rise to errors, and that compromise the reporting thereof. It is premised on the principle that humans are so intrinsically predisposed to error that it is inherently biologic (D’Addessi, Bonglovanni, Volpe, Pinto and Bassi, 2009). However, surgery stands apart in that surgical error is commonly presumed to be caused by the lack of skill or ability, and the result of negligent actions. After all, in many instanc es, technical operative errors, whether committed by nurses or other OR personnel present, tend to cause surgical morbidity and affect adversely the patient’s outcome (Cuschieri, 2005). Additionally, however, the operating theatre is comprised of a unique and complex set of team dynamics –

American Neo Conservatism and the World Order Essay

American Neo Conservatism and the World Order - Essay Example American Neo Conservatism and the World Order Backed by an American nuclear arsenal and war machine, Bush tossed the words "freedom" and "democracy" about, making them sound like cheap and meaningless words. Taking advantage of the fact that Americans were distracted with the aftermath of September 11, Bush addressed the world saying, "Since America's emergence as a world power roughly a century ago, we have made many errors, but we have been the greatest force for good among the nations of the earth. A diminution of American power or influence bodes ill for our country, our friends, and our principles." Later, the question would be asked whether or not the terrorists behind the events of September 11 had awakened a sleeping giant,1 or whether the giant had in fact been waiting in the wings waiting for his cue to come on stage. When George Bush made his announcement to Americans that they would respond to the events of 9/11 with an armed assault against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, he did not share with his fellow Americans that already talk had been going on in the White House of a plan to invade Iraq. In November, 2001, ". . . Bush asked his defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, to revise the U.S. war plan for Iraq and publicly called for the return of UN arms inspectors to the country.† While a response of moving militarily against Afghanistan as the threshold of operations for the terrorists who had attacked the United States on September 11, 2001 went unquestioned by most Americans.; neo conservative plans of pre-emptive defense tactics against Iraq left many Americans scratching their heads in contemplation of the rhetoric coming out of the White House. It was the notion of a "pre-emptive" strike against a perceived threat to America that caused many, amongst them Democrats, who had pr eviously supported the administration in its response to the 9/11 terrorists in Afghanistan to now jump off the band wagon and put enough distance between themselves and the Bush administration so as to regain perspective of what actions were going on that were clearly being driven the neo conservatives who gained momentum following the events of 9/11. Amongst those who attempted to distance themselves from the Bush administration during the talk of pre-emptive invasion of Iraq period, were world leaders, some of whom seemed taken aback by Bush's pre-emptive rhetoric. "Our closest allies have spoken out against an invasion of Iraq. Gerhard Schroder, leading a usually complaisant Germany but locked in a tough re-election fight, has gone so far as to label this possibility an "'adventure,'" sparking a protest from our ambassador (Galston 2002, 1)." Bush administration officials were accused of ignoring and disregarding the thoughts of those world leaders with whom the United States had close ties (1). The idea of a long term military engagement in the Middle East gave rise to concerns that America was embarking on yet another disastrous course of military occupation and conflict, just as they had during the Viet Nam era; provoking comment from former secretary of state, Henry Kissinger (1). Kissinger weighed in saying, "Regime chang e as a goal for military intervention challenges the