Political and Economic Scenarios for the GCC by Catham House

The article ‘Political and Economic Scenarios for the GCC’ presents a brief synopsis of negotiations that were conducted at an intensive course convened at Chatham House in the last month of the spring in 2012. Part of Chatham House’s plan towards outlook tendencies in the GCC, the occasion assembled together a cluster of political objectors from diverse engagements, administrative and NGO councils, economists, commerce members, and scholars.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on ‘Political and Economic Scenarios for the GCC’ by Catham House specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are several most noteworthy key issues that arose at the meeting. These issues integrated the long-lasting exertions to expand the GCC economies in the other direction from oil; moreover, these efforts are being threatened by existing tendencies in communal expenses. These efforts have a need for an ever-escal ating oil cost in order to stabilize the financial plan and are mostly providing subsidies for elevated wages and financial backing rather than prolific performance. In due course, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council require to be converted into less dependent on oil and overseas work force. According to the authors of the article, the necessity of these improvements diverges from state to state; however, each eventually has to face the similar confrontations. Economic incorporation exertions have to aim their attention on searching for collective resolutions. On the course of the following ten years, administration expenditure arrangements and the construction of the employment market will want to change, even despite the fact that the insistence of improvement differs among the GCC states. Financial variations capacity ultimately has to become the chief forces of political deviations. In most of the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the main part of residents seeks for an evolutionary improvement. Furthermore, a diversity of applicants articulated an aspiration to subsidize concepts for their nation’s expansion and acknowledged that the administrations were occasionally too rapid to perceive criticism as a menace deprived of escalating its productive prospective. â€Å"This meeting was held under the Chatham House Rule and the views expressed are those of the participants. This document is intended to serve as an aide-mà ©moire to those who took part and to provide a general summary of discussions for those who did not† (Political and economic scenarios, 2012, p. 2). Basing on the information represented in the report, the improvements are perceived as unavoidable; however, the applicants pronounced worries towards this course of events.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Current economic replies to the Arab arousals were mainly short-termist responsive strategies, concentrating on public-segment salary rambles, occupation formation, and sponsorships. These paces appeared to be departed against several of the optimistic longer-term performance that the administrations were implementing to turn the economies into more maintainable. As a result, from the analytical point of view, the GCC countries will require becoming less reliant on oil and extraneous work force. The insistence of such improvements differs; nonetheless, every state is believed to face the same challenges in the end. Economic assimilation exertions are recommended to center on the discovery of communal resolutions rather than merely providing the countries that were finishing their oil with substitute allowances. Moreover, the ambitions for party-political contribution differ from state to state due to the alterations in economic constructions, party-political principles, and history. In the majority of the Gulf Cooperation Council c ountries, the preponderance of inhabitants wants an evolutionary reorganization; a diversity of contestants uttered an aspiration towards contributing their thoughts for their state’s expansion. The Gulf Cooperation Council continues to be in an administratively perilous area, with the prospective for inconveniences to arise from Iran, Iraq and Yemen. References Political and economic scenarios for the GCC. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/public/Research/Middle%20East/0512gcc_summarytwo.pdf This report on ‘Political and Economic Scenarios for the GCC’ by Catham House was written and submitted by user Terrell Huber to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Practice Creative Writing With These Prompts

Practice Creative Writing With These Prompts You need to write a story for your creative writing class? Would you like it to be a horror story, a suspense, a romance or a sci-fi one? Whatever genre you choose, here are some creative writing prompts for you: Your Biggest Fan This one is straight out of the book Misery by Stephen King where a deranged fan kidnaps and tortures her favorite writer. How can you put a twist on a creepy, invasive fan that will make peoples skin crawl? The Reader Takes Part in the Action Why not write a book where the narrator slowly falls in love with the reader? How would you describe that? Haunted House Is there a creepy old house in your neighborhood that nobody wants to walk past? Are there steep stairs leading up to it like in Psycho? Maybe its a mystery who lives there as nobody is ever seen going in or out, yet theres always a candle in the window at night? What finally brings you to an encounter with the house? A dare from your friends? Did your cat escape and run into the scary house and you have to find it? What do you see when you enter? Vampires, Monsters and Zombies Then there are the traditional monster and zombie stories where bloodthirsty supernatural beings invade a town and start a killing spree. Where are you when this happens? How do you escape? What scenes of horror do you witness as you run for your life? Alternative Dreams The kids usually dream of becoming ninjas, astronauts, cowboys. Instead, they grow up to become bankers, accountants. Imagine the alternative reality, where a little boy wanted to be a lawyer whereas had to become an FBI agent. How would the story evolve? Ghosts These can be some of the scariest stories. Someone has died, but their spirit wont leave. How do you come into contact with this ghost? How do things develop? In the beginning, you merely sense something strange, but as time goes on, the ghost becomes more and more invasive in your life until you find yourself possessed by it! How do you fight the ghost? With a priest? Why is it tormenting you? How can you put it to rest? What is its story? Another Kind of Death In this universe, the dead dont just become limp corpses. They function just like regular bodies, just without a soul. How do they interact with those alive? Why not break the clichà © and make zombies good this time? The Forgotten You awake and start getting ready for work, you go downstairs and no one in your house knows who you are and your pictures have vanished. What do you do first? How do you make your loved ones remember you? Buried Alive As in The Raven where Poes fiancà ©e is buried alive slowly, how could you write this theme to evoke the terror of feeling the earth cover you while youre still alive? Does your victim escape? How do they do it? Who put them there in the first place and why? Accident Sometimes there doesnt have to be a villain for the story to be terrifying. What if you were in an accident, a car crash, or are hanging from a cliff? How do you overcome the situation and make it out alive? Bring on Some Sci-Fi You have invented an A.I system that integrates with a human body to automatically provide adjustments that will allow you to evolve and better your life. You are the first person to test new technology out. What adjustments do you think will be made? A great idea is always vital for a successful story. Pick one of the above or think of one yourself and go ahead, start creating! Got some incredible prompts youd like to share with others? Write them in the comments!

Barbarians and Roman Civilisation

Barbarians and Roman Civilisation The debate surrounding the extent to which the Barbarians facilitated the disappearance of Roman civilisation in the years 376AD to 496AD is one that has been contested throughout history. The arguments can be divided into two major schools of thought. Firstly, Henri Pirenne’s, ‘ Pirenne Thesis’ [1] , which postulates the Barbarians did not facilitate for the disappearance of Roman civilisation and culture, with Roman society continuing after the breakdown of central authority. Pirenne asserts the Barbarian’s sought to benefit from the established Roman civilisation, and thus strove to preserve the Roman way of life. Conversely, the eminent Bryan Ward-Perkins -archaeologist and professor at Oxford University- hypothesises in his magnum opus , ‘ The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization’ the argument: Germanic people instigated the ‘end of civilisation’ for almost one thousand years, characterised by â€Å"social, econom ic and technological regression.† [2] I believe, it’s undeniable to determine that numerous areas of the former Western Empire suffered detrimental changes to their quality of life at the hands of the Barbarian tribes. Nevertheless, evidence shows an abundance of continuity across the former Western Empire following the Germanic incursions, with society progressing in Barbarians cities such as Marseille [3] . Therefore, when assessing the extent to which the Barbarians facilitated for the disappearance of Roman Civilisation; one must determine on a case-by-case basis with no overarching answer conclusively possible. Although, it appears for the majority of the former Western Empire that society progressed, characteristically Roman, but slowly transformed into a Germanic-Romano society, reinforced prominent primary and contemporary sources. One example of the â€Å"supposed regression† that Ward-Perkins uses to develop the idea of the fall of Roman civilisation is the collapse of literary sophistication [4] which characterised the Empire. Ward-Perkins argues the literary record of the ‘Dark Ages’ was not as comprehensive and sophisticated as the period of Roman authority that preceded it. When assessing whether Romanic literary culture survived, or in fact developed, the most utilitarian surviving material is the primary source of eight court charters from Lombardy and Merovingian France. These documents provide an unrivalled primary source for evaluating if Romanic literary culture survived. The Merovingian documents illuminate that of 138 subscribers 73.2% managed to sign the document themselves. [5] With only 37 not being able to sign and therefore assumed ‘illiterate’ we can see an exceptionally high literacy rate. The documents also highlight the demographics of the signatories allowing us to see indisputably, 53 out of the literate 101 were traditional laymen. [6] Of course, this statistic cannot be conc lusive of the entire former Western Empire, but is an indicator that decades after the sacking and formal Germanic occupation a culture of literacy did not irrefutably fall, and in places such as Merovingian France it undeniably developed. Subsequently, this primary source supports Henri Pirenne, who asserted, â€Å"There was an extensive and mostly literate Merovingian lay culture [under Clovis I.]† [7] However, as much as these primary documents aid Pirenne’s argument, in equal regard, they retract, supporting the argument that one cannot provide an overarching answer, assisting Ward-Perkins’ overall regression claims. The first reason why the source is disputable in its substance is those called to sign attendance were innately from the higher echelons of society, even at upper lay level [8] , where literacy was more common than across the general population spectrum. Analysing the equivalent primary documents of Lombard Italy, the number is nowhere near a s impressive, considering that of 988 signatories only 326 [9] could sign their name. Despite representing 633 of the signatures, only 14% of laymen managed to sign with 554 instead having to use the stamp. The value of this Pro-Pirenne source is retracted further when considering that Lombard women were excluded from signing, allowing us to assume immediately that 50% of the population was inherently illiterate. Subsequently, this primary source provides a clear level of understanding into the nature of post-Roman literacy. Nevertheless, it must be ascertained that the documents can’t be treated overly conclusive due to their incomplete nature, and as they only show a localised picture.   Moreover, the documents suggest arguably the most conclusive argument, pockets of Romanic civilisation in the field of literacy continued to excel, whereas others regressed following the fall of Rome. It must be acknowledged since only a modicum of documents survived they cannot be wholly representative of the population, coupled with the fact, not everyone would have been called to sign a during their life. These people were the lowest on the social hierarchy; as a feudal society and due to the nature of the time it’s overwhelmingly likely that the majority of the population would remain illiterate. Overall, this primary source appears to be mostly useful as it mirrors the trends of many other facets of ‘Roman life’ that can be proved more conclusively with France flourishing, culturally and economically whereas other regions, especially in Italy [10] . There is evidence, in line with the ‘Pirenne Thesis’ suggesting society did not back track, seen in Merovingian France, with Gregory of Tours’ ‘ Historia Francorum ,’ [11] allowing us to see literary sophistication surviving 108 years after the fall of Rome. Yet, concurrently supporting Ward-Perkins as there is evident disparity across the Empire, from writ ten sophistication, down to technical regression, with the reduction of documents written on Papyrus paper; seen by the fact that 7 th century Italy only has eight surviving Papyrus documents, only one originating from Rome. [12] Therefore, allowing us to see that even though the upper classes are still literate they’re producing less material of the prowess that characterised the empire. Similarly, for the subordinate classes the lack of evidence makes it impossible to formulate a broad conclusion for large areas of the former Western Empire. On the surviving information, available the evidence would suggest the ‘Pirenne Thesis’ as the most convincing argument when analysing literacy in the former Western Empire, as it appears broadly, a literary culture survived. Many contemporary historians promote the view of the Barbarian as, lacking refinement being â€Å"primitive, ignorant, brutal, rapacious, destructive and cruel.† [13] Emphasising the idea, Roman civilisation was extinguished suddenly and brutally: â€Å"Roman civilization did not pass peacefully. It was assassinated.† [14] Which I do not agree with; rather I align with Pirenne who affirms the Barbarians found it advantageous to embrace the culture. [15] The Primary source, Sidonius Apollinaris promotes in his letters [16] the ‘civilised Barbarian’, the Visigoth King, Theodoric II. Apollinaris presents Theodoric with a lengthy description describing him as a man of prestige and celestial reverence, with the masculine grandeur avowing â€Å"If there is a miss through either’s error, your vision will mostly be at fault, and not the archer’s skill.† Yet still possess a fair complexion â€Å"often flush, but from modesty, and not from anger.† From Apollinaris’ description, we see Theodoric as the ideal ‘Tertullian’ [17] nobleman, an embodiment of Western Culture; which Theodoric II unequivocally strove to fit, a blend between the philosophically methodical and the compassionate. [18] We can see that Apollinaris’ epistle is a valuable source for analysing whether the Barbarians continued Roman ideals, due to contextual factors. Firstly, Theodoric strove to preserve Roman civilization like his father, as they saw Frankish culture as subordinate to Roman due to the ‘admirable’ ideals Roman culture presented. Their determination to preserve roman culture can be seen at the Battle of Chà ¢lonswhere they fought alongside the Romans to force Attila out of North-Eastern France. Despite being the (illegitimate) grandson of Alaric I, under Theodoric I, Frankish-Barbarian culture became interconnected with the Romans. As they were pivotal to Roman victory upon Theodoric’s II succession he was engulfed into the higher strata of Romanic civilisation having gained acclamation defending Romanic culture against rival Barbarian empires. Therefore, when evaluating the source, we can see from Theodoric’s territories, despite the loss of a centralised government in 476AD, the region remained Roman in nearly every sense of the word, only through decades of gradual attrition long after the fall of Rome that the region itself stopped identifying as ‘Roman’, evolving into a Gallo-Romano society. Theodoric produced a myriad of geometric and stonework motifs [19] in Carcassonnea promoting continuity between Rome and the reign of Theodoric II, showing Roman civilisation surviving. Despite Apollinaris’ sheer idealisation of Theodoric, we can see that the description isn’t just propaganda comparable with Tacitus’ ‘ Germania’ [20] , but, rather an astute analysis of Theodoric’s character. We can see this as Apollinaris outlines Theodoric wanting to represent a Roman man but falling short, he embraced Christianity to preserve Roman civilisation; however, it was apparent his prayers were â€Å"mo re in habit than in convicted assiduity†. Subsequently, it’s undeniable to determine that despite the sources amplification, it’s credible in its material; a criticism suggesting Theodoric wasn’t a convicted Christian would send him into a bout of rage. However, the suggestion he was almost so civilised as for him to be ‘Roman’ should be taken lightly as despite his appreciation of culture and art, he obtained the throne by the murdering elder brother Thorismund [21] . Gibbon stated: â€Å"he justified this atrocious deed by the design which the heir-apparent formed of violating his alliance with the empire.† [22] Therefore, regardless of the good nature to Theodoric’s crime, defending the Empire, he violated the principles of being ‘Roman’. In Theodoric’s Visigoth kingdom, it’s clear to see Romano culture surviving, only after gradual attrition, evolving. Therefore, we see both Pirenne and Ward-Perkin s coming through; Pirenne could clearly assert that culture here did survive before transforming into a Gothic kingdom. This source validates the argument of Ward-Perkins, it’s clear despite the attempts made by Theodoric to maintain a level of Roman culture; it was incompatible with the average Barbarian who had little interesting in preserving Romanness dating back to the tribe of Theodoric’s grandfather sacking Rome in 410AD. Theodoric’s Roman ideals were not shared by the upper echelons of the Frank society, seen by the fact he was assassinated only a few years after taking the throne by brother Euric. It’s possible to see the shift (or, perceived shift) in civilisation from Roman control to Barbarian through the primary source, the Bishop of Chaves, Hydatius. Hydatius’ ‘The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana ‘ [23] provides the only extensive account of Spanish history through the fifth century. Hydati us states that post-Roman Gallaecia was, â€Å"A wretched place to live, the inhabitants: cold, inhospitable and brutishà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Despite the mineral wealth, the place had a vile reputation for brigandage and ruinous tribal warfare.† [24] Hydatius allows us to see the transition from peaceful times the emergence of a Germanic kingdom, following 411AD and, Vandal and Suevi invasions there’s a drop in the variety of sources used by the Churchman. Hydatius was forced to live within an isolated Roman community constantly threatened by the barbarian presence [25] , subsequently Germanising the region facilitating for a cultural revolution. The complexity of the Chronicle is replaced by uncertainty; Hydatius makes no secret of the fact that the Barbarians that facilitated for the loss of sophistication in his work. Following the death of John of Jerusalem in 417AD, all Hydatius could ascertain was that an â€Å"elderly man† took over the bishopric, despite it b eing well known outside Northern Spain that Praylius had been occupying the role for several years. Due to the Barbarian occupation, we see clear gaps in the information the source presents. Hydatius knows after the expulsion of Nestorius from Constantinople, Flavian became the Patriarch (447-449); but gives no indication that he knew of either man who occupied the role from 431-447AD, Maximian and Proclus [26] . Subsequently, we see an undeniable decline under Germanic occupation regressing from fluid streams of communication with Flavius Aetius to uncertainty; reinforcing the argument that Barbarian’s facilitated the disappearance of Roman civilisation in the years 376AD to 496AD. However, akin to many characteristics of the period, the answer appears to be somewhere in the middle, which becomes apparent due to Hydatius’ source limitations. Hydatius is intrinsically anti-German due to their forceful occupation of his land and therefore he demonises them at every op portunity. It’s perspicuous that the Chronicle was never intended for anyone outside Spaniards, potentially even Galicia. [27] Despite being a one-of-a-kind account of Barbarian’s in Spain, Hydatius is prone to exaggerating the occupations impacts. The barbarian entry in 409AD was undoubtable an event which made an impact, but not a resounding one, with chroniclers such as Count Marcellinus passing over it with silence, but to Hydatius it was an event of equal significance to the Sack of Rome. Delusion expected of a man who â€Å"fully expected the world to end within fifteen years† [28] . One of the reasons why Hydatius’ source is not conclusive of Germanic Spain is due the contrast between Hydatius’ meagre knowledge of the world, compared with the other letters and sources coming out of Spain synchronously. We can see that during the period of 468-483AD, when the times were more tumultuous, encompassing the fall of Rome we can see that communica tion between the Rome and Mà ©rida was frequent and fast. This consequently, suggests the rest of Spain was not so cut off from civilisation and the Romanic world. There are many communiquà ©s addressed to Zeno, the Bishop of Mà ©rida from Pope Simplicius, with one reading â€Å"We have learned from the report of many† [29] , about Zeno’s excellent administration. Therefore, it can be deduced that many travellers reported the ecclesiastical conditions in Southern Spain, Simplicius bears no hint of anticipating any difficulties in sending confidential letters outlining his ambitions to a distant land that Hydatius had marked as ‘Barbaric.’ Correspondingly, the metropolitan bishop, and the Pope years prior to Hydatius, referred to North-Western Spain as the edge of the world and â€Å"an extreme part of the earth† [30] , it is subsequently no surprise that Cape Finisterre was believed to the furthest west point on Earth. Therefore, the hypothesis that the Barbarians alone were responsible for the lack of communication is not a conclusive one, despite it being true that the reach of the sources decreased; there was a reason why for centuries the Greeks referred to the land as â€Å"mountainous, cold and hard to reach.† Subsequently, supporting the argument that despite what Hydatius said appearing mostly true, when considering the entire Western Empire, the account is microcosmic. Reinforcing the idea that in certain areas, life carried on as normal, whereas in other places, such as Galicia, the status-quo Romanic culture was replaced by the new Germanic one. For the majority of people in Spanish lands communication does not seem to be affected, referenced by the dozens of surviving letters between Tarragona and Rome (463-465AD) with, in the many qualms raised, communication never even being implied. When assessing whether Roman Civilisation ‘disappeared’ or not, one of the most compelling arguments fro m both Ward-Perkins and Pirenne is centred on the post-Roman economy. Henri Pirenne’s ‘Thesis’ has spearheaded the argument suggesting continuity with the Roman economic model. The ‘Thesis’ establishes that Mediterranean trade in 600AD was no different to that of 400AD taking the stance that the Germanic invasions did not destroy the unity that the ancient Mediterranean world had enjoyed [31] . This perception of continuity has stemmed debate, especially considering Pirenne’s Thesis is heavily reliant upon written evidence [32] ,   Looking at the archaeology along with the written sources is pivotal to comprehending the post-Roman economy and the role the barbarian invasions played; thus, Ward-Perkins’ provides a convincing argument. Extensive settlements such as Marseille are communities that had significant populations supported by excellent archaeological records, enabling the most rounded view on the extent to which Barbarian s facilitated the disappearance of Roman Civilisation. As preluded, one such case study mentioned by both Ward-Perkins and Pirenne is Marseille, a site which has been extensively excavated enabling for detailed accounts of Late Antique Marseille to be presented. Ward-Perkins incorporates the evidence of professor Simon Loseby, accredited for the most vigorous excavation and analysis of Marseille into his work, Ward-Perkins believes, ‘Marseille may have been particularly well-placed to ride, even to turn back, a tide of events whichà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was pushing ahead the process of urban and economic decline. [33] ‘ This conclusion is possible due to examination of both written and archaeological evidence; pinpointing the fact that Marseille continued as a trading centre centuries after 476AD through examination of the ceramic material available there. [34]    It appears Marseille was able to continue as a part of the pan-Mediterranean trading network until at leas t the end of the sixth century.   It’s also noted that Marseille had its own mint, capable of producing copper and gold coinage, suggesting that Marseille had an economic hegemony on the surrounding area [35] .   Thus, Marseille’s image is not simply of a city that endured Barbarian rule, but rather one that progressed.   This view is emphasised in written sources too, seen from the Bishop of Tours, presenting a thriving cosmopolitan city, stimulated by the perpetual flow of merchants, diplomats and churchmen [36] . Conclusively, Marseille undoubtedly avoided economic decline under the rule of the barbarians and from the contextual evidence available the Roman way of life appear does not appear to vanish from the city; collateral to, neighbours Arles. However, Marseille is an isolated case study.   In this instance, the barbarians appear to have had a very small role in the end of the Roman world, Marseille is not representative of the sit uation many found themselves in after the barbarian invasions.   What it shows through archaeology was that the invasions were not universally detrimental as in some areas, Barbarians sought to use Roman institutions for profit, promoting continuity between the Romans and Barbarians. This is where the differentiation between Ward-Perkins and Pirenne comes in. Across the former Empire, evidence suggests a general decline in standards of living. Ward-Perkins actively pursues the idea that the period following 476AD was one of a ‘dramatic move away from sophistication toward much greater simplicity’. [37] He reinforces this stance by through an examination of pottery and coinage, seen through the existence of luxury, but a substantial middle and lower goods market. [38]    Ward-Perkins also establishes a pattern of reduced pottery and coinage production, across the former Empire in from 476 until the fourteenth century [39] .   Where the ‘Pirenn e Thesis’ falls short compared to Ward-Perkins is the fact that Ward-Perkins recognises cities such as London and Marseille flourished following the collapse of Imperial power, whilst other economic centres collapsed. Wherever the Barbarians didn’t see profit, they laid siege destroying the societies civilisation, seen from the economic damage left to industries such as farmland, and the loss of citizens either through capture or violence.   Evidence of the Barbarian trail of destruction can be seen from the sack of Mainz all the way to Toulouse and into Spain.   It may be unfair to criticise Pirenne exceedingly, as Ward-Perkins had the best part of seventy years’ extra research available following Pirenne’s posthumously published ‘Thesis’. Considering the information Pirenne had in the 1920s he provides a detailed, accurate analysis of Mediterranean trade and Roman Civilisation. But, when we add the years of development, with w idespread archaeological analysis, predominantly a post-World War II development; in the Mediterranean and Central/Western European we see a new light. Thus, we are able to come to the conclusion that whilst areas of the former Western Empire fell into a state of economic devastation, other areas improved, rising to new heights under Barbarian occupation. In conclusion, whilst the Barbarians catalysed the ending of the most vast and complex institution in the ancient world, the notion they conclusively marked the end of civilisation in the west for a thousand years is a claim that does not stand true conclusively.   There is undoubtable evidence to suggest that after the occupation of the Empire by the barbarian peoples, the systems implemented by the Romans were still in place, and that both the administrative [40] and day to day status quo remained largely unchanged for over two hundred years. Archaeological and literary evidence suggests, after the Barbarian invasions i ndividual provinces and communities continued to carry out daily life in much the same way that they had done in the later days of the Empire the early seventh century. Following the Barbarians penetration of the empire it’s undeniable that certain tribes sought to ruthlessly destroy, as can see be in Pesaro and Fano in Italy which had their walls destroyed and internal structures burnt to the ground. [41] Milan too, where the Milanese women and children were enslaved and the men all killed [42] . But, there were clear examples of the preservation of Roman culture as we can see through case studies such as Marseille, and Barbarian kingdoms originally characterised by their Roman way of life. Leading to the assertion that the extent to which Roman civilisation survived depended on where you happened to live. Predominantly, Romanic culture appears to continue for decades after the first crossing of the Danube by the Barbarians, the period of Germanic rule ushered â€Å"a time of narrowing horizons, strengthening local roots, and consolidating old loyalties.† [43] Bibliography

Detecting Cry1Ab gene in Mon0810 Transgenic Maize by PCR Lab Report

Detecting Cry1Ab gene in Mon0810 Transgenic Maize by PCR - Lab Report Example The idea is to check for the gene size of Cry1Ab in order to distinguish it from the rest of the other gene strands. Cry1Ab is a gene from an incorporated plant pesticide thus its genetic sequence is known. A comparison of the known and the established one from the photograph helps to determine its presence in the transgenic maize. If its size is seen to match with the known then it is present, if there is no matching band of close size then Cry1Ab is not present in the maize. Basically, PCR is an easier method for detection of genes as their amplification and comparison with the known size of the DNA strand becomes captured. GAMARRA,LUIS FERNANDO RIMACHI, DELGADO,JORGE ALCAÃŒ NTARA, VILLASANTE,YENY AQUINO, & ORTIZ,RODOMIRO. (2011). Detecting adventitious transgenic events in a maize center of diversity. Electronic Journal of Biotechnology. Electronic Journal of Biotechnology. http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-34582011000400009. WALSH, MARIA C., BUZOIANU, STEFAN G., GARDINER, GILLIAN E., REA, MARY C., GELENCSÉR, EVA, Jà NOSI, ANNA, EPSTEIN, MICHELLE M., ROSS, R. PAUL, & LAWLOR, PEADAR G. (n.d.). Fate of Transgenic DNA from Orally Administered Bt MON810 Maize and Effects on Immune Response and Growth in Pigs. Public Library of Science.

Education and Transportation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Education and Transportation - Research Paper Example On the way to the Middle East, the Ottoman led Turkey’s Empire conquered Qatar and maintained strong control of strategic cities for several centuries. By 1821, this virgin and valuable land attracted the interests of the Britain who invaded its coastal lands and destroyed the Portuguese structures on the claim that it was a haven for piracy (Al-Amoodi and Kasim 145). Since their entry into the country, the British has dominated and transformed leading sectors of the economy. They have also influenced Qatar’s original culture, language, and general economic activities. One of the areas that have heavily been influenced by the British culture is education. Qatar has many schools and learning institutions that cater for local and foreign academic demands. Its education systems are jointly controlled by the Supreme Education Council and the Ministry of Education. However, the bulk of regulation and control of the academic systems are left to the Supreme Education Council. This is regulatory body has tried to make Qatar’s educations system world-class. This has been realized through according learning institutions more authority to independently exercise full control over their academic affairs. Private and international schools are very popular in major cities of the country. Notably, very few locals attend these institutions on the account that they are unaffordable to majority of low and medium income Qataris (Trani and Holsworth 71). The popular and recommended curriculums are American, French, International, and the British Education Syste m. Given that dominance of the Britain in Qatar, its political systems have referred and recommended the British Education System for the local and international interests. The British academic modules and programs have been applied in Qatar. This has impacted on the general academic standards of the country. This is because they have heavily borrowed from the British education

Statement of purpose Essay Example for Free

Statement of purpose Essay Civil Engineering is vital to the modern world as it has been since the beginning of human history. The scientific, mathematical and team-working challenges present in modern engineering have always fascinated me and from the beginning of my secondary education, I have realized that I will always crave and enjoy such challenges. My desire to command projects from drawings and numbers on a sheet of paper to awe-inspiring physical structures has been present ever since I took part in a school engineering project. It consisted of three teams of five students whose task was to design and build a mini-sculpture of a transport bridge which would later be tested and scrutinized by the task leaders. My communication and leadership abilities were obvious from this project and I have been focused on improving them ever since. My desire and interest for engineering was further escalated as I watched day-by-day the construction of 30 St Mary Axe all the way to completion. My wonder that such a beautiful and complicated building could be constructed within the UK simply inspired me. My ambition for the future is to become a fully qualified Civil Engineer and to work my way up in a large construction company to become a Project Manager. I have read many case studies of people who have achieved this and I am working hard in order to gain the skills and knowledge these successful engineers have. I am currently studying Advanced Higher Mathematics and Higher Business Management because I believe these subjects can provide me with the essential skills and knowledge vital to a successful engineer. I very much enjoy mathematics aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" it being my most accomplished subject. I have taken part in the Mathematics Challenge every year of my secondary education and have found each yearaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s puzzle more exciting than the last. Completion of this yearaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s challenge is therefore one of my targets for the coming year. In addition to this, I have also joined the Stirling High School Senior Mathematics Team and am eagerly awaiting the scheduled competitions against our neighbouring schools in the Central Region. In my sixth year at school I have taken part in the Young Enterprise program and have managed to obtain the position of Finance Director, I have accomplished this through convincing the other members of my mathematical talent and interest. I often have long discussions with the Managing Director about the companyaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s next moves and provide him with the financial data that I have collected. I have also taken the initiative to set up a chess club in my school where I teach the junior members and some disabled students how to play chess, and for the students already able, I show them tricks and techniques in order to develop their skills as a player. I find this very rewarding and exciting as I can apply my communication and teaching skills to a hobby. I have managed to build a relationship with the Large Property Developer aâ‚ ¬? Carronvale Homesaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. I have informed them of my desire to be a civil engineer and so once a week I am granted access to talk to the Project Manager at a site near my home who gives me updates and insights into what is going on around the site that day. I have found our interactions to be invaluable as they have provided me with an insight into what a day in the life of a Project Manager is like and has further escalated my ambition to be a civil engineer. In addition to my school related commitments, I am currently working part time as a sales assistant at Homebase while I complete my studies. I enjoy working during very busy hours so I can challenge myself and further improve my communication skills whilst sustaining an acceptable level of service under enormous pressure. Working within this environment has drastically improved my ability to work as an individual and as part of a small team and I hope to further improve these skills in the future. My main hobby is playing the bagpipes both as a solo competitor and as part of a world championship winning pipe band. My father has the leading role as Pipe Major in the band but I am often relied upon to lead the 30-strong team in his absence. This allows me to test my communication and leadership skills simultaneously. I have trained since I was very young and have shown absolute commitment to my hobby for almost ten years. I am absolutely committed to becoming a successful engineer and will work endlessly in order to achieve my goals. I feel that university will be one of the most exciting and interesting times of my life and eagerly await the experiences which university life will provide for me. I believe I am more than capable of achieving my aspirations through a series of short-term goals aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" perhaps the most significant of which is gaining entrance into university, which will provide me with the challenges and experiences any ambitious engineer should crave.

Freedom: Digital and Literal Essay -- The Internet

The internet has become an integral part of our lives, linking people overseas, transmitting ideas, and propelling innovation. In order to continue the innovations and links, governments and service providers should not regulate, restrict, or censor the internet. The internet, as it stands today, serves as a medium for our entertainment, communication, and commercial needs. It is something many of us have come to take for granted. The original intended purpose of the first â€Å"internet,† however, goes back to the days of the Cold War where the ever looming threat of a nuclear missile attack prompted the U.S., as well as many other countries, to build a robust, fault-tolerant, and widely distributed computer network. By 1970, ARPANET had been created from research funded by the Department of Defense. ARPANET linked research facilities in the East and West coasts in a way that was unprecedented in terms of speed and cost. The internet was not commercialized until the last decade of the 20th century, after which it gained widespread popularity and was subsequently incorporated into many aspects of our lives. How different groups approach these problems are sometimes as different as night and day. All of these approaches, however, center around regulation, which is itself composed of issues such as anti-piracy laws, net neutrality, and freedom of speech. The most recent of these issues concerns many pieces of â€Å"anti-piracy† legislation that have appeared before the United States’ Congress and before the European Union’s Parliament. In 2010, Congress attempted to quietly pass the Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act, which would allow the suspension of websites that have been determined to be "dedicated to infringing acti... ...ter Bomb’." Wired. (2012): 1. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Segal, David. "Stop the Internet Blacklist." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 Nov. 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Steigman, Daria. "Is Internet Access a Human Right?" Steigman Communications, LLC. 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Suderman, Peter. "Internet Cop." Reason. 01 Mar. 2011: 20. eLibrary. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Tait, Robert. "Censorship Fears Rise as Iran Blocks Access to Top Websites." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 03 Dec. 2006. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Tassi, Paul. "You Will Never Kill Piracy, and Piracy Will Never Kill You." Forbes. Forbes, 03 Feb 2012. Web. 13 Apr 2012. Wagner, Adam. "Is Internet Access a Human Right?" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 01 Nov. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Wyden, Ron. "Press Releases." Wyden Places Hold on Protect IP Act. 26 May 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Freedom: Digital and Literal Essay -- The Internet The internet has become an integral part of our lives, linking people overseas, transmitting ideas, and propelling innovation. In order to continue the innovations and links, governments and service providers should not regulate, restrict, or censor the internet. The internet, as it stands today, serves as a medium for our entertainment, communication, and commercial needs. It is something many of us have come to take for granted. The original intended purpose of the first â€Å"internet,† however, goes back to the days of the Cold War where the ever looming threat of a nuclear missile attack prompted the U.S., as well as many other countries, to build a robust, fault-tolerant, and widely distributed computer network. By 1970, ARPANET had been created from research funded by the Department of Defense. ARPANET linked research facilities in the East and West coasts in a way that was unprecedented in terms of speed and cost. The internet was not commercialized until the last decade of the 20th century, after which it gained widespread popularity and was subsequently incorporated into many aspects of our lives. How different groups approach these problems are sometimes as different as night and day. All of these approaches, however, center around regulation, which is itself composed of issues such as anti-piracy laws, net neutrality, and freedom of speech. The most recent of these issues concerns many pieces of â€Å"anti-piracy† legislation that have appeared before the United States’ Congress and before the European Union’s Parliament. In 2010, Congress attempted to quietly pass the Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act, which would allow the suspension of websites that have been determined to be "dedicated to infringing acti... ...ter Bomb’." Wired. (2012): 1. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Segal, David. "Stop the Internet Blacklist." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 Nov. 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Steigman, Daria. "Is Internet Access a Human Right?" Steigman Communications, LLC. 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Suderman, Peter. "Internet Cop." Reason. 01 Mar. 2011: 20. eLibrary. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Tait, Robert. "Censorship Fears Rise as Iran Blocks Access to Top Websites." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 03 Dec. 2006. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Tassi, Paul. "You Will Never Kill Piracy, and Piracy Will Never Kill You." Forbes. Forbes, 03 Feb 2012. Web. 13 Apr 2012. Wagner, Adam. "Is Internet Access a Human Right?" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 01 Nov. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. Wyden, Ron. "Press Releases." Wyden Places Hold on Protect IP Act. 26 May 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2012.

Agricultural Revolution of the 10th Century

This paper will look at the Agrarian revolution that occurred in 10th century and the resulting effects on the political, social, cultural and economic conditions in Europe.Agricultural revolution in Europe was a period where there was witness of sustained changes in the way people carried out their farming activities. It had to do with increased output of products and general changes in the methods of carrying out agricultural activities on farmland.  10th century Europe fell under the â€Å"Middle ages, an era when agricultural methods of production were mostly peasantry in nature. Most of the populations during the 10th century Europe were serfs who were employed by other people to work on their farmlands† (Chris, par. 2).There was no clear sub-division of land and the main tool farming was the ox drawn plow and the system of farming was the two field system. This was a system of farming where one field was cultivated while leaving the other one fallow so as to reclaim th e soil’s nutrients. Population growth during these ages was very low. This can be attributed to the poor methods of farming which led to low yields hence food insecurity.Agricultural revolution came about with the systematic changes in the methods of production. One major indicator of the revolution was through the consolidation of common land that led to introduction of individual ownership of those properties.Thus rights of ownership were created through the abolition of the open field system of cultivation. The plow as the main tool of cultivation underwent redesigning, and also, the two-field crop rotation was changed to a three- field, and hence these served as contributors to the increased food production that occurred.The Agricultural revolution that occurred at this time brought great impacts to the socio-economic conditions of Europe as a whole. One impact was increase in population, mostly in the towns. Individual ownership of land led to many people selling off the ir lands.The consequences were that there was increase in the number of people without land, but who were working as laborers for the big landowners. Others migrated to towns and thus contributed to rapid population growth.Furthermore adoption of better methods of farming led to increased food production and hence surplus production. This surplus production was then traded for other goods that were lacking. This served as the beginning of exchange of goods and services and also development of trading systems.The agricultural revolution also served as the main cause of change from feudalism to capitalism. Introduction of wage labour whereby landlords entered agreements with workers served as the springboard on which market economy fundamentals were established and power over the land which was appropriated by those who controlled it.Developments that resulted from the agricultural revolutions in terms of new towns, migrations and changes in land ownership necessitated changes in the political and cultural system of the people.There were changes from â€Å"feudalism as the most dominant form of political organization to formation of the nation-state† (Adriaan, par. 4). Development of ideas of sovereignty led to establishment of monarchies in countries like France and England which were seen as the reflection of civilization.â€Å"Moreover changes in the cultural mentality of the people were witnessed with the spread of renaissance ideas, diffusion of old ideas and the rise of secular attitudes in art, education and politics.† (par. 6).ConclusionThe agricultural revolution was a crucial event as far as mankind is concerned.   Interactions over time throughout man’s history that have brought about inventions and development of man’s civilization cannot be said to be complete without reference to the Agrarian revolution.Works CitedAdriaan Verhulst. â€Å".Medieval Socio-economic Historiography in Western Europe: Towards an Integrated Approach.† Journal of Medieval History. June 1998. Mechelsesteenweg. Antwerp. Belgium. 12 Nov. 2008< http://www.sciencedirect.com/science>Chris, Butler. â€Å"The agricultural revolution in medieval Europe.† The Flow of History.2007:  12 Nov. 2008 < http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/west>

The impasse situation

People want these concerns met (neither excessively nor minimally) but to the appropriate extent. Three standards can be used in measuring the extent to which others are treating these concerns. They are to determine whether the approach to these concerns is fair, is honest and is consistent with current circumstances. According to Webster’s dictionary, an impasse is a point in especially labor negotiations at which reaching an agreement is impossible because neither party is willing to compromise or change position.The impasse situation I would like to analyze is one where the technical and business teams are working on an initiative. The technical team is taking the lead role. The business team is not cooperative because they believe that the technical team always takes the glory on these types of projects. This conflict has now become an impasse because the business team is not forthcoming with the information that is needed to move the project forward. The concern I would address at such an impasse is that of Status.It appears that the business team believes that their relative standing is being treated as inferior to others. To meet this concern, as leader of the technical team, I would give full recognition to the business team. This recognition is well deserved because the business team is close to the operations and has a full understanding of the business requirements. I would introduce the business partners by status and designation and recognize their previous contributions at projects of this nature. I would even go as far as saying that these initiatives could not get done without the business partners.All memos and status reports would be co-signed by the technical and the technical team leaders to show contribution from both teams. By doing this I would be able to overcome any adversarial behavior due to this misconception. Instead, this would encourage co-operative behavior and creative solutions to the problem as well as trust between bo th teams. References Fisher R. , Shapiro D. , 2005. Beyond reason: using emotions as you negotiate. New York: Viking. pp. 15-21. impasse. (n. d. ). Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law. Retrieved August 07, 2007, from Dictionary. com website: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/impasse

Mastaba, the Original Pyramids

Mastaba, the Original Pyramids A mastaba is a large rectangular structure that was used as a type of tomb, often for royalty, in Ancient Egypt. Mastabas were relatively low (especially when compared to pyramids), rectangular, flat-roofed, roughly bench shaped burial structures that were created and utilized for the pre-Dynastic pharaohs or nobility of Ancient Egypt. They had distinct sloping sides and were typically made of mud bricks or stones. The mastabas themselves served as visible monuments for the prominent Egyptian nobility that they housed, although the actual burial chambers for the mummified corpses were underground and were not visible to the public from the outside of the structure. Step Pyramid Technically, mastabas preceded the original pyramid. In fact, pyramids developed directly from mastabas, as the first pyramid was actually a type of step pyramid, which was constructed by stacking one mastaba directly on top of a slightly larger one. This process was repeated several times in order to create the initial pyramid. The original step pyramid was designed by Imhotepin the third millennium BC. The sloping sides of traditional pyramids were adopted directly from mastabas, although the flat roof typical of mastabas was replaced by a pointed roof in pyramids. The common flat-sided, pointed pyramid also developed directly from the mastabas. Such pyramids were created by modifying the step pyramid by filling in the uneven sides of the pyramids with stones and lime in order to create the flat, even outward appearance. This eliminated the stair-like appearance of step pyramids. Thus, the progression of pyramids went from the mastabas to the step pyramids to the bent pyramids (which was an in-between form of the step pyramid and the triangular shaped pyramids), and then finally the triangle shaped pyramids, like those seen at Giza. Usage Eventually, during the Old Kingdom in Egypt, Egyptian royalty such as kings stopped being buried in mastabas, and began being buried in more modern, and more aesthetically pleasing, pyramids. Egyptians of non-royal background continued to be buried in mastabas. From the Encyclopedia Britannica: â€Å"Old Kingdom mastabas were used chiefly for non-royal burials. In nonroyal tombs, a chapel was provided that included a formal tablet or stela on which the deceased was shown seated at a table of offerings. The earliest examples are simple and architecturally undemanding; later a suitable room, the tomb-chapel, was provided for the stela (now incorporated in a false door) in the tomb superstructure. Storage chambers were stocked with food and equipment, and walls were often decorated with scenes showing the deceased’s expected daily activities. What had earlier been a niche on the side grew into a chapel with an offering table and a false door through which the spirit of the deceased could leave and enter the burial chamber.†

Different Views On Slavery Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Different Views On Slavery - Research Paper Example The assignment "Different Views On Slavery" presents a review of the situation in the United States America regarding slavery including the views on slavery of several significant figures in the United States politics. Slavery was a very common sort of business that was widely prevailing in the western as well as eastern culture. It was not simply getting the work out of people but also treating them brutally and cruelly, rather not regarding them as a part of the society. They only considered as one’s property that can also be traded with other parties in an open market. No matter if that slave is actually willing to work or not, he was ruthlessly forced to do all the tasks that have been assigned to him. Explaining this all concept of slavery, in a nutshell, can be termed as crafting a sense of inferiority in a certain group of people and making them feel that they are nothing but an instrument of great people. This concept was initiated in the early centuries in which people were purchased by giving some amount of money and then taken on remand for almost all of their lives. They were further traded with other people charging more money depending upon the slaves' skills, capabilities, personality looks etc. the captured slaves have no rights in the society and in all cases were considered inferior. In older times, this slavery was recognized by most parts of the world and was considered lawful. However, it was purely un- ethical to treat humans and things and under grading certain cast. Slavery in United States of America It was the initial colonial era that endorsed slavery. In the late seventies and stretching to late eighties, slavery was widely accepted by reputed and well established communities of the western as well as eastern world. Most importantly, it was very dominating and prominent in major areas of the United States of America. Slavery in the united states was termed as major legal institution and was regarded lawful and ethical. The roots of such act and laws popped up when united states successfully managed to get the independence from Great Britian in the year 1776. After a certain period of time, few people took the initiative to step against the tide. Few people rebelled against this evil practice of the Northern part of the country and endorsed the basic human and society rights of individuals. But on the other hand South was in complete favor of slavery. All this prevailing situation gave a courage to the slave society to raise their voices for themselves and halt this evil practice in the upcoming future. As a result, a chaos situation triumph in the whole country that later on, at the extreme, lead to the Civil War in the United States. Views On Slavery The topic of slavery became the limelight of a number of historians, philosophers, scholars and scientists. They were found highly interesting in researching and writing on this hot issue that w as in the air at those times. A great number of scholars took slavery as a part of their research for the reason that it was fitting really well into their officially authorized focus on the fresh scientific history (Smith, 1980). In addition, Thomas Jefferson also highlights the issue of slavery. His work on this topic can be termed as mix and even contradictory to his own points. His work on slavery completely represents his point that he was highly against this cruelty, ruthlessness and brutal treatment of the human element. He condemned this act widely through his columns, papers etc. He was the one man army which stood firm against the entire Virginia Assembly to enforce the law of Manumission in 1769 (Ford, 2008). Stanley Elkins' Slavery Stanley Elkins is a renowned personality that has great lists of works as far as the topic of slavery is concerned. His work was highly influential and striking at that point in time as it was the age when slavery was at the height of its prev ailing period. He made two most important arguments in regard to slavery 1. The American natives or some who were also known as the abolitionist had an idea to cut off the total efficiency and efficacy by means of insisting on the consistency of the roots of ideology, wholesomeness and steadiness.

System Modelling Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

System Modelling - Assignment Example The represented logical structures abstract the inputs, outputs and data flows in the system. In other words the process and representations in the system are models. Keywords: Web-based, management, JavaScript, Remote, Information Technology Sequence Diagram to add a book into the library database: Collaboration Diagram to add a new book to the library Alternative solutions In library management, the software application solutions available are numerous. For instance, one can build a virtual library, use the manual system, use a cloud application for the library management etc. Another additional option is to purchase an information system off the shelf. This means that it is not a tailor made solution; therefore it may pose incompatibility problems. All these systems require careful evaluation and assessment, in order to come up with the most cost effective option that also caters for the organisational needs (Lesley, 2006). The process of system analysis and design should cover th e business, or operational aspect of the organisation. This is in order to guarantee that the system makes â€Å"business sense†. The definition for business sense is a system that balances the organisational needs and the user requirements. This ensures that the end solution does not implement the business requirements and leave the user functionality (Hickie, Greasley & Bocij, 2008). Proposed system description Based on the requirements of the organisation, the system desired should introduce the concepts of automatic record keeping and digitize the library processes. The system will provide the functionality to add new books, update book details and manage non-book items. In addition, the system shall display referral links to electronic book sites and also provide purchase links. Further, the system proposed will also act as an information collaboration platform. This will coordinate the communication between the staff/management and the library members (Boehm, & Petty 19 99). Alternative solution one: Virtual Library The virtual library solution provides a fully functional system that manages issuing, sale and reading of electronic books. It can be accessed via the internet by users. However, the users need to register with the library for accounts and also pay a small subscription fee. The virtual library has the advantage of cost. It is cheap to implement it as a solution and it has minimal infrastructural needs. Berndt (2002) explains that the main disadvantage of the virtual library is that it cannot hold any physical objects given that it runs on the system. The Swansea Docklands society needs a physical access and the online system is intended to bring efficiency and convenience. To publicise their library internet marketing may work, but the virtual library will not be the desired product. Alternative solution two: Cloud Application Boehm, & Petty (1999) points that cloud computing is among the most recent technology developments in the IT wo rld that has revolutionised communication, data storage and. This technology squarely fits the needs of a museum and library management system. End users are able to access cloud based library manageme