What It Takes To Be A Leader †English Essay

What It Takes To Be A Leader – English Essay Free Online Research Papers What It Takes To Be A Leader English Essay In the late nineties, I was the vice president of Afternoon Helpers, a district program in Switzerland, whose purpose was to improve the educational performance of students in the primary and secondary school districts. My high school philosophy teacher, the president and founder of the program, had asked me to join the group since she was aware of my successful participation in other volunteer activities. After one year, she appointed me vice president, a position that I viewed as a challenge. I immediately loved the experience, once I had defined the problem: the volunteers were frequently doing homework, instead of spending time getting the children to accomplish their tasks. The method solved only an immediate problem; it did not promote productive work habits that would last a lifetime. Working with teachers and students from different disciplines, I investigated the problems of educational design and soon realized that my own constructive concepts would greatly benefit the program. I began confidently expressing my ideas in the debriefing meetings. We cannot change what we do until we change how we think, and we cannot change how we think until we change who we are. I felt compelled to state this idea during one meeting. Perhaps the cold, rainy atmosphere outside affected the acceptance level of attendees inside, because the deafening silence that followed indicated their disapproval of my attitude and my words. I was convinced that there was an impending need for the program to be updated, but I was not factoring in my age in relation to the other members. Still, I persisted. I continued to explore the educational process. â€Å"Reframing! That is the point.† I then encouraged the group to improve continuously, to change our paradigm, and to think out-of-the-box. My challenging dream was to analyze what we were doing for the students and to respond more creatively to the overwhelming problem, the students’ lack of interest in academic achievement. We should teach students to improve their vocabulary by using context to understand new words, instead of memorizing lists; we could match them with pen pals who shared particular interests, thereby successfully improving their writing skills; and we could correlate scientific theories with real innovations, such as CD, to show them the important role that science plays in their lives. Constructive action would promote classroom interest. As I continued speaking, the mood of my audience changed; tension dissipated as they heard my sincere pleas for constructive changes that would make a difference in local educational opportunities. I observed shared glances that were thoughtful, touching, and even approving. My teacher, more than anyone, nodded her agreement. When it was her turn to speak, she used the wording that we had prepared together. I took a deep breath, feeling relaxed and completely fulfilled. Only then did I understand why I had been appointed vice president at such a young age; my teacher was convinced that I had the leadership potential to effect change and reframe the general habits of the volunteer staff Research Papers on What It Takes To Be A Leader - English EssayStandardized TestingEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part OneAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is ArtRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

Sci/256 Week 2 Discussion Question

Identify a natural ecosystem in which you live or one near to where you live? How does this ecosystem support you? At what trophic level are you? Why? An ecosystem (2011), according to Merriam Webster Learners Dictionary, is everything that exists in a particular environment. An ecosystem includes living things, such as plants and animals, and things that are not living, such as rocks, soil, sunlight, and water. One such example of a natural ecosystem is the George Mitchell Nature Preserve in Creekside Village in the Woodlands, TX. Thewoodlandstx. com (2011) website illustrates that the George Mitchell Nature Preserve is part of the Montgomery County Spring Creek Greenway, which will connect and protect up to 12,000 acres of forest on both sides of Spring Creek. The Mitchell Preserve covers nearly 1,700 acres, and opened on October 19th, 2007. The natural ecosystem of this nature preserve can support humans in many ways. For example, the Spring Creek watershed currently contains tens of thousands of acres of bottomland hardwood forest and various edible plants. It also provides homes to wildlife, creates recreation opportunities such as hiking and biking trails, reducing flooding, and improving air quality (Montgomery County Precinct 3, 2011). Not to mention, the preserve increases real estate values and community pride, reduces pollution, and lowers air temperature. Second, wildlife in the nature preserve offers many to take the chance to bird watch. The forests along Spring Creek provide a crucial stopover point for migratory songbirds, where they can rest and refuel after crossing the Gulf of Mexico on their annual spring migration from Central and South America (Montgomery County Precinct 3, 2011). Many species of fish live in the lake year-round including catfish, crappie, and bass. White bass migrate through during springtime, and all are available for fishing. Last, the preserve offers an exceptional educational benefit. Several elementary, middle, and high schools have taken field trips learning about Spring Creek, the preserve, nature, and the benefits it has to offer to the public. A trophic level (2011) according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is a step in the nutritive series, or food chain, in the ecosystem. We as humans eat plants and animals, also considered omnivores. This in terms puts us at the third trophic level. However, several humans who are vegan would be considered second trophic level consumers because they eat only produce. Though it may sound simple, the food chains and food webs are often complex and difficult to analyze. The ecosystem is natural and living. As humans, we are as very much a part of the ecosystem as plants and animals, along with other organisms and bacteria. Although we expend plants and animals as third trophic level consumers and depend on them for survival, we must also take into consideration that the first, second, and fourth trophic level consumers also rely on the ecosystem for survival as well. Thus meaning ecosystems are essential for all life on earth. References Ecosystem. ( 2011). In Merriam Webster Learners Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www. learnersdictionary. com/search/ecosystem Montgomery County Precinct 3. (2011). Spring Creek Greenway. Retrieved from http://www. springcreekgreenway. org/the_creek. htm Thewoodlandstx. com. (2011). The Woodlands TX. Retrieved from http://www. thewoodlandstx. com/parks/george-mitchell-nature-preserve. php Trophic Level. ( 2011). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/606492/trophic-level

Islamic Finance Law Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Islamic Finance Law - Dissertation Example The paper would therefore be analysing the role of Islamic finance in the fast transforming environment of global economy with the view that it has brought in more radical but ethical paradigms within financial system of contemporary times. Historical background The Ottoman Empire in the pre WWI era has perhaps been the most prominent exponent of using tenets of Islamic finance in their trade and business transactions. The close trade relationship with their European counterparts, Islamic finance was closely aligned with that of European financial system. The system worked on the basis of sharing of profit and loss (Chachi, 2005). But post WWI and WWII brought into focus the divergent ideologies of two financial system into sharp focus. While the western economy and financial system was based on interest bearing instruments, Islamic finance was rigidly guided by the religious tenets of Islam which forbids transactions based on interests or gains made through unethical means (Ahmad, 1 972)). In the contemporary times, Islamic finance has seen unprecedented growth primarily because of its fundamental principles based on Shariah guidelines (Anwar, 2008; Sundararajan & Errico, 2002). Principles of Islamic law and financial transactions under it Islamic finance is based on Islamic law that conforms to the Shariah guidelines of ethical practices in personal and business arena. Thus, Shariah can broadly be referred as Islamic law that defines the duties of man and the way they should be carried out (Vogel & Hayes, 1998; Hasanuzzaman, 1997). Shariah is part of Quran, the religious scripture of Muslims and is written in Arabic language. The interpretation of Shariah scholars therefore, may differ but the fundamental principle of ethics remains same. But Hadith, qiyas, idjma and fatwas are also key sources which inspire the ethical and moral considerations within the business transactions in Islamic finance (El-Gamal, 2006; Shahrukh, 1997; Pryor, 1985). Shariah principles are based on equity and prohibit financial transactions and activities that incorporate gharar (uncertainty), maiser (gambling) and riba (interest income) (Thomas, 2005; Nienhaus, 1986; Hasanuzzaman, 1994). The shariah compliance is vital element of Islamic finance products. Interestingly in the current times of highly sensitive global market, Islamic finance offers huge incentives in terms of ethically delivered financial instruments in myriad areas of finance (Venardos, 2005; Cooper, 1997; Ariff, 1988). It has made forays into banking, market risks and credit, insurance, liquidity management etc. and is fast emerging as credible alternative investment forum. Main Sharia compliant transaction structure and how they are used in practice All Islamic financial institutions are distinct in their constitution of board that comprises of financial experts and shariah scholars who evaluate the validity of financial instruments as per shariah principles. It uses various financial structure s that conform to shariah but at the same time, adequately meet the needs of people in the contemporary times (Hasanuzzaman, 1971; Saeed, 1995). Some of those financial methodologies can be defined as under: Zakah: It is vital instrument that promotes social justice by ensuring that people who own more than nisab (basic need) must make donation of 2.5% of their yearly assets. The social funds are used to meet the needs of the poor. Murabaha:

Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Islam - Essay Example Before the Prophet Mohammad was sent by Allah as the last messenger, the 7th century in Mecca comprised of tribal nomadic Arab people who lived in deserts, in tents or in mud/sand houses. They were socially related to each tribe as in blood relations and they were divided in small families called clans. Politically, the Arabs in the 7th century has no proper written laws, they just use to choose a Sheikh through consensus and then they used to accept all the decisions their Sheikh made for them and they strictly had to follow the customs and traditions of their tribes1. Their religion during those days was Polo theism as they were somewhere in their minds aware of the existence of Allah but they had deviated from the right path and were creating deities with Allah. Quran refers to them as â€Å"Jahilyah Arab†2. The concept of Polo theism during the 7th century was that the Arab nomads thought that the deities they had created had some kind of a link between them and the Allah they had lost. The deities they had created were substances like rain, fire, trees and so on. These Arabs thought that rain and trees brought about farming and agricultural surplus for them; they were their Gods as these substances had very strong/powerful benefits for them3. At this time, the Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) was also in Mecca and he was greatly worried about the social moral order of the Arabs and he used to meditate and contemplate in the Cave Hira about the social and political issues. He also worked for the restoration of justice in the society. During this time, that is, the 610 A.D. the Prophet (P.B.U.H) had just turned 40 years old and Allah sent him the first revelation through Angel Gabriel, which asked the Prophet to read in the Name of Allah. Then the Second revelation was received, Surah Al-Ikhlas, which brought guidance towards social reforms in Arabia. It stated that the social moral order should be based on Allah’s laws and not

The Unique relationship between God & Mankind in Genesis Essay

The relationship between God and his creations humans can be said to be a very complex relationship. Genesis shows us many examples of God's interaction with humans and human's interaction with each other. From the creation of Adam and Eve and all the events that follow afterwards, I shall show what the relationship tells us about the nature of God and mankind. When you read chapter one of Genesis you have the feeling that God is perfect. God holds all power and control. God turns chaos into order. "God said 'Let there be light.' And there was light, And God saw the light, that it was good" (Gen 1. 3). God's word is action, God's word is law in the universe. When God creates something, he ends it with God seeing that's its good. This is in effect giving support to the perfect nature that is God and the creations God has made. "God does not play dice" (Armstrong 9), God has order and a purpose for what he makes. An important aspect to God is seen while he is creating the world. He separates water from land. Light from Darkens, Day and Night, Male and Female. This shows that boundaries are important to God. We see examples where God put boundaries on mankind with their language by mixing the language up so confuse man and killing off the evil from the good. With the creation of man and woman God forms them out of his image. ?And God created the human in his image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them? (Gen 1.27). Alter says ?him as in the Hebrew is grammatically but not anatomically masculine?. So in interpretation the first human had no gender. Then on the third line ?male and female he created them? implies the creation of gender. The importance of this is that the first form of ?man? had n... ...ed a part to him. First we see God as omnipotent then we see God asking where Adam and Eve are hiding (Not being omnipotent). With the creation of mankind God loses some part of his Godliness and he gains some humanity. God has a little human in himself and we have a little God in us. But the main point still is the same, God is the authority over man and will remain this way. I also feel that the God in the bible is truly no different than the Gods of Greece for example. The God of ancient Greece acted just like humans, the only difference was that they were immortal. The God of the bible seems to act just like humans, shows love, anger, regret, learns from mistakes and so forth. So in the end God shows flaws and learns from mistakes. God is like humans, maybe this is why we don?t understand God sometimes because we can?t understand other people and their actions.

Modern Audience Essay

â€Å"It is impossible for a modern audience to feel comfortable with the Taming of The Shrew† with close reference to Shakespeare’s presentation of Katharina, comic conventions and having the above question in mind, write about your response to the ending of the play†¦ In my opinion, The Taming of The Shrew tells the story of an abusive marriage and I would agree with the view that it is impossible for a modern audience to feel comfortable with the play, especially the conclusion of the story. Shakespeare’s presentation of Katharina at the end of the play seems to me to be one of a broken person; she is almost robotic in her obedience and without spirit, except for when singing the praises of wifely submission. â€Å"Thy husband is thy Lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign† is a prime example of the disturbing brainwashing Petruchio has carried out on her. This humbled ‘Kate’ is a far cry from the feisty Katharina we are first greeted by in Act 2, where she exchanges a vicious battle of words with Petruchio; â€Å"Asses are made to bear and so are you†. This phrase in itself shows that she is fearless, and defies her society’s conventions, cursing at strangers; a sad contrast to the plays ending, where she has totally conformed to what’s expected of her. The ending of the play also contains very little comedy, with the exception of the argument as to who is the real Vincentio, and the fight between Kate and the Widow. This is because the Taming of the shrew defies most Shakespearian comedy conventions, as the marriage takes place midway the play, rather than at then end as was traditional. I believe that this adds to the discomfort of the modern audience, as after the supposed ‘happy ending’ we are faced with the harsh reality of Petruchio’s treatment of Kate. Shakespeare presents Katharina as completely changed by the end of the play. At first she is wild and seemingly untameable; we see her tie up her sister and argue violently with both Petruchio and her father. â€Å"So may you lose you arms, if you strike me, you are no gentleman, and if no gentleman, why then no arms† Here, Shakespeare presents Katharina as highly skilled with word manipulation, generating humour with her insulting play on words with â€Å"arms† as she brands Petruchio simply a commoner if he would strike her. This is in stark contrast to the ending of the play where she seems to have no free will. She is practically enslaved to Petruchio, agreeing with his every thought and whim. An example of this is Act 4, Scene 5, Petruchio and Kate see Vincentio and Petruchio refers to him as a â€Å"fair and lovely maid†, instructing Kate to â€Å"embrace her for her beauty’s sake†. Shakespeare’s use of a command word clearly shows Petruchio’s power and utter control in their relationship. Vincentio is obviously a man, but despite this, and despite a warning from Hortensio that this pretence will anger Vincentio, â€Å"a will make the man mad, to make a woman of him†, Kate does indeed embrace him for his beauty’s sake; â€Å"Young budding virgin, fair fresh and sweet†. This elaborate language with its piling up of adjectives is an example of hyperbole used for comic effect. It is perhaps also, on a less humorous note, an instance of what many feminists would see as the darker side of The Taming of the Shrew, and the destruction of Katherina’s personality; this is a strong interpretation as she could be seen to be using this elaborate language due to her desperation to please Petruchio or her fear of punishment. Petruchio further exerts his power over Kate by then changing his mind and accusing Kate of madness. â€Å"I hope thou art not mad, this is a man† she readily agrees, ignoring the fact that Petruchio has undermined and humiliated her, and begs for his pardon over her stupidity. This scene is a prime example of the change Petruchio has caused from Katharina to Kate. She is not the character we met in Act 2, and this transformation could be said to be uncomfortable for a modern audience to watch. It is unpleasant to see one human being so completely at the hands of another, and whether this total obedience is due to love, fear or desperation is down to the audience to decide. I think this adds a more disquieting edge to the play as Shakespeare seems to condone Petruchio’s taming, or what most modern audiences would see as abuse. However, some critics, for instance Lucy Bailey, director for the RSC, have stated that the play is a curiously misunderstood love story, not the abusive tale of misogyny some modern audiences would see it as; Bailey says that Petruchio and Kate’s attraction is instant, and that what follows after their first meeting is simply fore-play. Nonetheless, this interpretation is hard to digest in the face of the cruelty Petruchio inflicts on Kate, why would a man in love treat the object of his affections like one of his farm animals? This treatment is particularly shown during Act 4 where Petruchio begins his ‘taming’, he attempts to train Kate as one would train a dog. EXAMPLE. Evaluate language. Other critics have explained this treatment by saying that Petruchio is driven mad by grief after the death of his father he â€Å"takes out his disaffection and anger on other people almost as an experiment.† (Director David Farr) The best example of Shakespeare’s changing presentation of Katharina to Kate can be seen in the final scene, in her speech. She has not spoken for several pages, but then, on Petruchio’s command, launches into the longest speech in the entire play, expelling the virtues of being a good wife. The first reason that most modern audiences would find this scene uncomfortable to watch is the way that Petruchio instructs Kate to â€Å"Tell these headstrong women what duty they do owe to their Lords and husbands†. This phrase itself could be seen to be problematic for modern audiences to digest. In the 21st century, men and women are equal, so the way that Petruchio refers to men as â€Å"Lords†, implies a power and control over women that is uncomfortable for most modern audiences to hear. Shakespeare cleverly prioritises the word Lord over Husband in this line emphasising the debt Petruchio feels women owe their husbands, like peasants owe their Lords. In this statement, Petruchio also uses headstrong as an insult, whereas in modern Britain, although it can have negative connotations, headstrong is often a positive personality attribute, implying one knows ones own mind. The ending of The Taming of the Shrew contains very little comic elements, making it all the more uncomfortable. There is the scene in which Vincentio encounters the pedant impersonating himself . The audience has not seen Kate as impassioned during her speech since she was Katharina; we see some of her old spark when she refers to Bianca and The Widow as â€Å"froward and unable worms†. However, this insult could be seen as a sad reflection of how Petruchio has twisted her feisty nature to suit his own needs. Most modern spectators would see the entire speech as incredibly anti-feminist, and I believe that due to this it is impossible for most modern audiences to feel comfortable with The Taming of The Shrew. Kate suggests women should â€Å"kneel for peace† and â€Å"place your hands below your husband’s foot†. These phrases evoke feelings of servitude and to most modern audiences are difficult to hear. Kate’s ‘realisation’ that women are weak, their â€Å"lances nothing but straws† contrasts to her physical violence at the start of the play where she attacks Petruchio. â€Å"That I’ll try (she strikes him)†. Shakespeare uses regal imagery in this speech to show the total infatuation and obedience Kate feels towards Petruchio. She refers to husbands and ‘Lords’, ‘Sovereigns’, ‘Heads’ and ‘Princes’, and these words show the power Petruchio has over Kate and the power she believes all husbands should have over their wives: one of absolute control, akin to the monarch. Shakespeare’s effective listing of these nouns emphasises Kate’s uncanny passion towards Petruchio and wifely obedience. Similes are also widely used in Kate’s final speech; for example, â€Å"to dart a scornful glance† at ones husband â€Å"blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads†. Kate now believes that obedience is beauty, and for most modern audiences who live in a society where independence is valued and celebrated, it is impossible to feel comfortable with these ideas.

Henry George and Andrew Carnegie Free Essay Example, 1500 words

Henry George believed that poverty is being caused because the rich people are becoming richer every passing day. He gives an example of labor and rich people altogether to prove his point in the book that he had written. A rich individual can possibly inherit monetary goods from his lineage which can be easily served in terms of a good and healthy life whereas a poor individual would not inherit anything and would be serving as a laborer. In the same context, he believes that if this laborer stops working then the rich individual cannot survive at all (Henry 43). In totality, Henry tries to prove that the wealthy do not deserve being rich as they are not contributing enough to the people who are poor. Henry George believed that poverty is being caused because the rich people are becoming richer every passing day. He gives an example of labor and rich people altogether to prove his point in the book that he had written. A rich individual can possibly inherit monetary goods from his lineage which can be easily served in terms of a good and healthy life whereas a poor individual would not inherit anything and would be serving as a laborer. We will write a custom essay sample on Henry George and Andrew Carnegie or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page He emphasizes that in order to eliminate inequality from the world it is necessary that strict measures are taken in accordance with the distribution of wealth. He states that we must make land common property (Henry 180). By this, he means that a general value tax should be imposed on land and not on the production/texture of the land. He indirectly believed that wealth should be distributed in such a way that everyone benefits from it. On the other hand, Andrew Carnegie was also an important character in history who had his own views regarding wealth and inequality.