Analysis Paper Hills Like White Elephants

Victor Aguirre ENGL 1102 (T/R 9:30a. m. ) February 1, 2013 Short Story Analysis Paper Topic: Hills like White Elephants Meaningful Hills Hills are seen as just abstract objects in a distance, some may be seen as beautiful and they are hard to get around when you don’t have the best way to overcome them. In the short story an American man and a girl named Jig are sitting in a rail station waiting for the train to Madrid. While they are waiting, they have an intense, ongoing discussion over whether or not Jig will get an abortion.The hills are viewed as a symbol of how big obstacles can set minor setback in life, but you have to find a way around to move on. In the story, Jig looked at the hills and said, â€Å"They look like white elephants. † To Jig the case was very rare to encounter such animal. The hills on the other hand represent big obstacles that we must climb, but they are not enormous mountains. This represents the fact that the girl's baby is a key obstacle in her life, but it is not the end of her life and she will make it through.The only problem is that the American is trying to convince her to go thru with the operation, thus causing certain conflict between the couple. Even though Jig knows she will be ok if she allows the baby to live, the Americans negativity affects her mood and thoughts on their relationship. Hills are also perspectives to look out from, but also block the view for those who reside in the valley. This represents how in the story Jig looks at the hills and sees opportunity, yet at the same time the American looks at the hills and sees nothing, his vision of a positive and happy future is congested by the enormous obstacle of the child.The happiness that the baby will transfer to the couple would make everything feel perfectly fine to Jig. The fact that the American sees this as a negative effect on their lives really hurts Jig. Nevertheless she wants to make things work with him, and she will try to until their j ourney comes to a stop. Like the wilderness the hills are stunning, natural and completely stationery. In other words, they have always been in the same place, and they will always be that way, that's just the way it is.This shows how settling down would be a necessity with a baby. It also shows that being pregnant is no small thing. A baby is a huge responsibility and is not something you take very lightly. Regardless of the girl's decision, it is not something that the girl will ever be able forget about. A baby is a life form which can’t be brought back to life once it’s gone and neither can you get rid of it, just because you don’t want it. All the traveling is getting to her and she wants to stay still for some time and have a family.In which she can enjoy spending time with and live a happy life with. In the story there was a part when Jig looks at the scenery and says, â€Å"And we could have all this. † (Pg. 175) Referring to on a deeper level, hi lls represent a test, new life, and opportunity. While Jig sits down and looks at the hills, seeing a chance and is considering the possibility of new life, a newborn child in her life. The opportunity of settling down and getting to a new stage in her life where she can feel proud of herself and take care of one of her own.Nothing is easy in life, and for Jig to accept the responsibility of the operation could be a pricey choice in the long run. Throughout the short story many examples where shown of how the hills resemble the view point of Jig and the American. The American is eagerly trying to convince Jig to pursue the possibility of going through with the surgery. While only thinking about his happiness and not whether Jig feels ok with it. The American tries to make his words sound mellow and convincing but Jig sees past them and realizes that the right choice is within her.Regardless of what the American wants, she is the only one who has to endure the real pain of the situat ion, nevertheless her surroundings let her visualize how they could help her with her decision. Therefore the hills help her realize how many things in life are just obstacles but can be easily overcome with by finding a resolution that will benefit everyone. Works Citied Page Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. Rpt. In Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 2nd ed. Ed. Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008. 400-403. Print

Film and Classicism

Film scholars have long divided films into three stylistic categories: Realism, Classicism, and Formalism. The purpose of style-the way in which motion picture form molds content-depends on how the filmmaker approaches the narrative formation of the story he has decided to tell, the goal of a classicist is to tell a story in the best way possible. When I see films I like to escape my own reality so I’m choosing to write about Classicism. From the realism and formalism stand point, the classical style falls somewhere in between and is the more dominant way of telling the story, meaning this is what most film styles are, so it reaches a larger audience. Although classicism falls in between the genres of realism and formalism, most classicism films will lean more towards either realism or formalism (Giannetti, 2008). Realism, unlike classicism, is all about showing the truth. A realist will try to carry on the illusion that their film is an impartial reflection of the real world. Realism is about everyday people in everyday situations, for instance a documentary or your sister’s wedding filmed by your uncle Ted. The director wants the audience to feel like the events have actually happened and get inside the characters mind. Classicism, on the other hand, is fictional but it reminds you of the world we know, it’s all about idyllic storytelling. The narrative classical is typically based on a conflict between a central character who creates a problem and the adversary who resists it. Most films in this form begin with wanting to know how the lead character is going to get what he/she wants in the face of substantial opposition. The characters in classicism cinema are appealing and romanticized and audiences are encouraged to identify with the characters’ values and goals (Giannetti, 2008). The characters in the classical movie are played by actors and actresses instead of unknown people. (Giannetti, 2008) And at the other end of the scale we have formalism. Formalistic film makers sometimes do not even have characters and avoid a story all together. They have no desire to show reality. Formalism wants to show their own image of the world, sometimes to the extreme where it’s just abstract images and music to create an emotional and psychological experience. Classicism on the other hand, has images that are determined by the relevance of the story rather than the desire for authenticity, as is realism, or a desire for formal beauty, as formalism desires. Film critic, Herman G. Weinberg, describes the connection between the story and film flawlessly when he states, â€Å"The way a story is told is part of that story. You can tell the same story badly or well; you can also tell it well enough or magnificently. It depends on who is telling the story† (Giannetti, 2008, p. 8). Classism style rarely calls attention to itself, as realism and formalism styles do. (Giannetti, 2008) Yet, classicism is the leading style in films, it focuses on the story the film is trying to portray to the audience. Creating a realistic world and telling the story through an hidden lens to entertain an audience is the main reason I like this type of film. I want to get lost in the characters and feel like I’m taking part in the story.

Financial Statement Analysis Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Statement Analysis Report - Assignment Example The preparation of financial statement analysis requires financial ratios, accounting data from financial statements. The ratio assists in measuring strengths and weaknesses of the firm and allows trends and comparisons with other firms within the industry to be identified. It also covers the areas of liquidity, operating profits, financing and stockholders' return on investments (Collier, Grai, Haslitt, McGowan, 2004). In the condition given, Track Events Ltd. is owned by a local independent ticket agent who sells tickets for sporting events, and that is why he needs to analyse his financial accounts in order to determine boost in sales and to make sure that his business is not suffering from insolvency. Total revenue from commissions and profitability has varied widely over the last year. Revenue from commissions peaked over ?1,073,000 in 2010 and dropped to ?1,053,000 in 2011. This may be due to decrease in the demand for the tickets being sold. Assessing the profitability of Trac k Events Ltd. is very significant in order to determine future business plans. These profitability ratios indicate the increase in the profitability of current operations of the business. Operating profit margin helps to provide useful information for investors when examining the trend for determination of the company’s quality. It has risen from 9% in 2010 to 28% in 2011. This shows that the company’s management has succeeded in generating income from the business operations. This increase is due to revenues from commissions increasing faster than the expenses of the business. Furthermore, the net profit margin which shows the earning capacity of business has gradually increased over the year from 5% to 29%. This is a clear indication of the company being considered as more stable and profitable, after payment of all taxes and expenses. Possible reasons of this are the reduction in operating expenses and increase in sales. Return on Total Assets is a measure of net pr ofit earned against the use of total assets. It has increased considerably from 2% to 14% over the year. This means that Track Events Ltd. is able to make use of its assets efficiently thereby increasing its profits. Decrease in the staff costs as a percentage of commissions earned from 62.5% to 48.7% informs that the company is able to keep more fraction of the commission after paying its staff costs as less staff costs per pound of commission earned is being paid. This drastic fall in salaries may either be due to reduction in salaries or laying off workers thereby increased productivity and reduced costs. Besides this, the evaluation in 2011 relative to the previous year concludes that the liquidity has increased, with the current ratio increasing over the year. This indicates that the position of the firm has improved and the firm is liquid enough to repay its debts. This significant increase may have been due to the increase in current assets by conversion of non-current assets into current assets, by borrowing or ploughing back profits. In addition, the decrease in current liabilities by paying off debts may also have caused this increase. The interest coverage of Track Events Ltd. has increased from 4% to 10%. This notifies that the debt burden of the company is lower and bankruptcy or default is less likely to be possible. This is due to the fact that this year Track Events made huge profits due to a radical increase in its incomes and a reduction in its expenses. Moreover, the

KIEU paragraph Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

KIEU paragraph - Essay Example There are a number of characteristics of Kim that have enabled Kieu to think about him in a special manner. The author has made Kim quiet loyal throughout the tale because it rather took a stance of devotion. The devotion of Kim is evident in the case that despite living away from Kieu for more than years, he continuously loved her the most. Throughout the story, Kim has been projected to be stuck to the vows both of them have taken (Lexuan). This is evident from the quote, â€Å"Our innermost sentiments fine as silk threads†¦ Will unite us forever - this we pledge (Adams Stanza 09). These words rather allow the readers to understand the intensity of love and bond of Kim and Kieu. Readers will also find Kim to be romantic. The romanticism being noted in this context is not just limited to the fact that he loved Kieu but also he loved his country the most (Lexuan). Being a learnt man, he knew that he will never lose the hope of finding Kieu. At the end of the tale, it becomes quiet evident that his hope towards finding Kieu was not wasted. Overall the story has provided a clear yet an in-depth hold of the essence of

Allocation of Costs Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Allocation of Costs - Coursework Example For the pharmacy, the allocation is arrived at using the formula: (200/80,000) x $100,000. The other departments’ share of the $100,000 maintenance supply_costs is: $ 79,800/80,000) x $ 100,000 (Finkler et al., 2013). Table 3 (Appendix section) shows the allocation of the maintenance_department administration_costs (Finkler et al., 2013). The costs are allocated using the volume of repairs output of Pharmacy department_and resources. The pharmacy department formula is: (3/800)x$15,000. The formula for the other departments’ share of the maintenance_department’s administration_costs was generated using the formula: (797/800)x15,000=$14,977.00 (Epstein, 2011). Table 5 (appendix section) shows the allocation of the maintenance_department costs (Finkler et al., 2013). The costs are allocated based on the square_feet factor. For example, the maintenance_department’s labor_cost allocated to the pharmacy department was computed using: (2,000/100,000)*192,000.00=

Supply chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Supply chain management - Essay Example ght together a wide range of best practices with downstream and upstream partners, collaborative practices, innovations in demand forecasting, and integrated business planning, as well as research based operation techniques (Green, 2013). Unilever’s supply chain management can be termed to be a collaborative one. The collaborative supply chain management is effective in the management activities ranging from supplier selection, environmental scanning, monitoring, and auditing and supplier development (partnerships) (Brammer et al. 2012). Both supply and demand repository stages depend on forecasting as the main source of data that determines by the products in demand and availability from the stores. The production stage adopts push technique that is based on aggregate customer demand forecasts to reduce the uncertainty of stock-outs, safety, and effective resource use and cost minimization (Brammer et al. 2012). Consequently, distribution relies on pull technique for all replenishments required by its distributors through the use of customer relationship management. On the other hand, inventory optimization techniques are adopted in the planning and scheduling to determine the quantity and the time frame for production (Nardone & Monahan, 2007). Unilever believes that partnerships in its supply chain management are essential practices because it is a powerful technique to deliver customer experience and value proposition (Unilever, 2012). The main partners include Barry Callebult a main partner in cocoa, Givaudan, The Dow Chemical Company, Metsa Board Corporation, WRI, LEAF, ALPLA, CCL Label, SAP & Accenture and Linfox Logistics. These partners help in business development, world class business support, capacity development, sustainability and business innovation in Unilever (Unilever, 2012). Unilever also aimed to increase its transparency of essential commodity supply chains that is aimed at helping terminate tropica deforestation through its partnership

EGBC report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

EGBC report - Essay Example Researches and extensive studies have shown a direct linkage between energy and population growth. Due to this reason, Egyptian government and other officials have decided to look for different ways which can reduce the GHG emission and power consumption. For the accomplishment of this goal, developing energy efficient building is the first step in identifying the alternative methods of efficient energy. There have been many proposals forwarded for improved performance but manpower and interest is absent here. Many people are experiencing this dilemma however some other people are looking for alternative systems in order to deal with this issue and increase awareness to other people about its importance. In subsequent paragraphs, there are some initiatives taken for the bridging the gap between code compliance and code design. In 2009, a major step was taken by Egyptian government in establishing Egyptian Green Building Council-EGBC. There are many international and national personalities who have become member of this council; they include NGO officers, government officials, ministers, labour leaders, contractors and prominent businessman. The objective of developing this council is to satisfy environmental conservations and energy efficiency by providing opportunities to investors to adopt BEECs and other existing codes. The purpose of focusing on new constructions is that by focusing on it, EGBC can utilize its leverage as an organization to persuade and educate builders, engineers, owners and contractors about the advantages of establishing green constructions on people, community and most significantly, to the nation. In this way, green construction can be a required objective for buildings, construction work and other projects as energy efficiency codes would be tools, material and road map to attai n that desired objective. The imperative motivation is to eradicate the clichà ©d perspectives related to the green

Criminology Mini-Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Criminology Mini-Project - Essay Example This was ambitious thinking. Practically speaking there is no professional group or industry that has ever sufficiently regulated itself; not the legal or the medical field, not the scientists or academicians, not the clergy, and definitely not the media (USA International Business Publications, 2009). When the more blatant exploitations have been revealed and corrected, primary recognition should perhaps be partitioned among the media that widely broadcasted the condition, governmental workers who perform frequently questionable therapeutic actions, consumerist who used force or pressure, and affiliates of the industry itself who possessed the guts to confront their social responsibilities (Abraham & Lawton-Smith, 2003). Particularly, a few drug companies, for various rationales, have faced up to such responsibilities somewhat critically (Abraham & Lawton-Smith, 2003). The literature will illustrate that a limited number of companies, especially SmithKline, Syntex, UpJohn, and Merck Sharp & Dohme in the United States and, recently, Switzerland’s Ciba-Geigy, have infrequently been found culpable of making unproven claims or of dismissing the dangers of their products (Silverman et al., 1992). The most unforgettable statement came from a Syntex representative who once disclo sed, â€Å"We have found that we can tell the truth and still make a decent profit† (Silverman & Lee, 1982: 150). Nevertheless, by the end of the 1980s the state of affairs had altered dramatically. Increasingly, it was the international businesses which had found out that they may tell the truth and still generate profit (Chetley, 1990). Rather, it was the domestic or local companies, many with tremendous political power and influence, that were deceiving, swindling, and jeopardising the lives of other people (Chetley, 1990). For many in poor countries, this was a troubling finding.

Critically evaluate the claim that Britain is now a classless society Essay

Critically evaluate the claim that Britain is now a classless society - Essay Example The unique fair answer to claim of Dr. Goebbels that England and remains the country of "two nations", would be a recognition, that in practice there are three of them. But feature of English class distinctions is not in their injustice, but in their anachronism. They do not quite precisely coincide with the borders of economic distinctions. It is accepted to classify a modern society according to three parameters: the upper class that is bourgeoisie, middle class, that is petty bourgeoisie, and working class, that is proletariat (Abercrombie, 2001). England remains the one of last countries clinging external forms of feudalism. New titles are kept and are constantly established; the chamber of lords, basically consisting of hereditary peers, possesses real powers. At the same time in England there is no real aristocracy. Racial distinctions, on which the aristocracy is based, were erased already by the end of the Middle Ages, and the well-known medieval families practically have already disappeared (Abercrombie, 2001). It is interesting to note that the sharp line, not financial, but cultural, runs inside of middle class, separating those who aspires to a secular way of life, from the others. To standard measures everyone among the capitalist and living for the week salary can be in a crowd ranked as petty bourgeoisie. That is the farmer, the responsible official, the lawyer, the priest, the bank-worker, the enterprising contractor and the fisherman are enlisted in the same class. Anybody, who pays even least attention to class distinctions, will place the officer with the revenue in 1 000 pounds above on a public ladder, than shop-assistance with the revenue in 2 000 pounds. The similar distinctions exist even among the upper classes: It appears that more honour is given to the titled person, than to the untitled one, but richer. In practice the people of middle class are

How does Japan benefit from the export of its media products Essay

How does Japan benefit from the export of its media products - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that animation industry in Japan is gaining due spotlight within the country and as well as from overseas. The use of modern technologies in making animation films has attracted producers and directors from all over the globe to import Japanese animation film features. Media industries from the western countries have shown interests in making 3 dimensional (3D) movies. 3D movies have proved to offer viewers a lifetime experience in watching movies. In 2010, a survey conducted by the Japanese government found out that 127.08 million people are residing in and around Japan. Among them, 65.7 million belong to the labor force. Furthermore, the unemployment rate surveyed in the same year showed that it has the lowest unemployed people among the G7 nations. The aging population of Japan has been a concern for the government. 22.9 percent of the total population is beyond 65 years of age. Thus, the survey shows that though Japan has the lowest une mployment rate, the aging population might hurt the production of successful animation films, leading to low exports and revenue. Though Japan is considered to have the latest technological equipment, most of the country’s infrastructure has been destroyed by the natural calamities, such as earthquakes in 2011. It has been estimated that India may overtake Japan as the third biggest economy in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The recent earthquake in 2011 has affected the animation industry which accumulates approximately USD 2.5 billion each year. Thus, it has been noted that the American animators have grown interests in working with Japanese animation companies which are generally viewed as the leader in this industry. Moreover, the contribution from different sectors is evident for making the animation industry the best in the world. The animation industry of Japan exports its media products throughout the world. Data provided by the member companies th at combine the Association of Japanese Animation shows that income from exporting media products was nearly 16.2 billion Yen. Furthermore, big anime companies that are not a member of the association, generate profits of around 1 billion Yen to about 4 billion Yen through overseas sales. Thus, the country’s estimated revenue through media products can be almost 18 to 20 billion Yen.

The Keepers of the House Essay Example for Free

The Keepers of the House Essay There is an interesting part of history that goes unnoticed. The treatment of blacks in the South during the time of slavery plays an intricate part of America’s history, which gets frequently overlooked. The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau sheds light on this time period, following a family, living in rural Alabama in the 1960’s. Grau explains this family: â€Å"All in all the Howland’s thrived. They farmed and hunted; they made whiskey and rum and took it to market down the Providence River to Mobile (Grau 12). The story follows three generations of the Howland family living in a community that ultimately turns on them. Grau takes inspiration from the time period along with having multiple themes to craft an interesting and impactful Pulitzer Prize novel. The Howland’s were a family that lived in the same area for many years. William Howland, the fifth, lost his wife, leaving him to take care of his young daughter Abigail and a son William who dies shortly after. Abigail then marries a man who leaves her with her own daughter Abigail. William’s daughter dies and leaves him with a granddaughter to take care of. Soon after, William hires an African American, Margaret, woman as a housekeeper. Abigail talks of the lasting affects William and Margaret left on her: â€Å"I am caught and tangled around by their doings. It is as if their lives left a weaving of indivisible threads in the air of this house, of this town, of this county. And I stumbled and fell into them† (Grau 6). Around town, she became know as his mistress and mother of his other children. In secret, they marry for the children’s sake. Later, after the children grew up, they were sent up north so they could live as normal white citizens. Abigail later marries a man named John Tolliver who aligns with the Klu Klux Klan during his run for governor. Robert, the eldest of the Howland brothers was outraged by this and released an article hurting Tolliver’s cam paign. Tolliver and Abigail end their marriage near after. Back where the Howland’s live, the town is still outraged about the marriage between William Howland and the African American homemaker Margaret. Even though both of them had died, the town gathered and lit the barn on fire and killed many of their livestock. Grau writes, â€Å"The Howland they wanted was dead. His Negro wife was dead. Their children disappeared. And so they were wrecking the only thing that was left of him, of them. First the barn and then the house† (Grau 285). The novel comes full circle when Abigail gets revenge on the town’s people and ruins the entire local economy along with the town. It seems as though Shirley Ann Grau took inspiration from the history of this time period along with what it may have been like growing up at that time in that place to set a scene of exactly what this time period may have looked and felt like. Showing what the Howland family went through, along with the way they were treated set a scene for not only a family struggle but a national struggle as well. The way she describes the scenery, puts you there in at time. Grau writes, â€Å"November evenings are quiet and still and dry. The frost-stripped trees and the bleached grasses glisten and shine in the small light (Grau 1). As well as the scenery, Grau uses her deep characters in the story to highlight how people were affect by this issue. Abigail is the main character narrating this story. Grau tells the happenings of this time through her eyes as well as through the actions of William Howland, Margaret, John Tolliver and Robert Howland. Each of these characters makes an impact on this story, as well as the main character Abigail. For example, Abigail’s husband John Tolliver shapes her character into a tough skinned woman. He treats her unfairly as a wife but she learns from that and takes it with her. Grau writes, â€Å"I knew what John meant: I was the perfect wife for a candidate. He had chosen and trained me well (Grau 257). This marriage helps toughen up Abigail for the future as she fights for her family. There are two main themes taken from this novel: racism and family. Racism is a clear theme throughout this novel given the time period and scenario that takes place with a secret African American maid, wife and mother. Racism is shown through the scenario when Tolliver bashes blacks during his campaign for governor. Tolliver talks about African Americans in vulgar and horrible ways. When talking about William and Margaret’s children he says, â€Å"He couldn’t let his children be bastards, even if their mother was a Negro† (Grau 271). This is just one example of the way African Americans are talked about at this time. Also, the area where the Howland’s live, do not take the news of William marrying Margaret lightly just because she is African American. Family is another theme portrayed in this novel. The Howland’s go through trials and tribulations that test their family as a whole. For example, like stated before, the town completely turns on the Howland’s when they find that William and Margaret had married. Abigail takes a stand for her family and fights back. She stands up for her family and the house they have lived in for so many years. Grau shows just how much Abigail cares for her family and home. She writes, â€Å"Child, I thought you don’t even know, its possible to love a house and land that much (Grau 274). These two themes play a role in teaching readers about the time period and the struggles it caused. The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau sheds light on an issue sometimes forgotten about in society today: the treatment of African Americans in the 1960’s. Using things like history from this time and family themes, Grau establishes that this issue was serious and did exist. Abigail Howland ultimately stands up for what she believes in and protects her family but also puts a small dent in this civil rights movement. As her journey comes to an end she says, â€Å"I stood on that cold windy grass and saw what I had done. I saw that it wasn’t bravery or hate. It was, like my grandfather said, necessity. And that’s pretty poor comfort but at times its all you’ve got† (Grau 290). Abigail’s narration of her family’s story along with the use of strong and deep characters, shape for a wonderful Pulitzer Prize novel.

Methods of Value Engineering

Methods of Value Engineering CHAPTER1: INTRODUCTION In future the proactive and effective manage of cost, contracts, communication and claims – the four Cs- will consistently become more important to developers and facilitators involved in physical structures and properties. The Quantity surveyor should understand the challenges and opportunities presented by the needs of client in relation to cost, contracts, communication and claims and perhaps focus their development on the important links between the functions. Changes and developments in the industry and market will also influence the way in which these functions are managed. For those professionals who deliver these services to the industry, the focus should be on client satisfaction and a positive experience for all concerned. Establishing a link in effectively managing the process to ensure success should be the primary aim of the manager. This should be done in close partnership with all functionaries, engaged in the process. Planning, controlling and co-ordinating budgets and cost plans, as well as communicative results will limit claims and facilitate the process of contract management. The contract should also facilitate partnerships and the system should be aimed at satisfying needs, seeking opportunity and perusing growth. CHAPTER 2: AIMS OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The main objective of this paper is to study the subject of value engineering (now know as value management) from QS (ME) perspective. Based on the parameters; cost, contracts, communication and claims the value engineering study is done and the challenges faced by the quantity surveyor is also discussed. The objective of the study can be summarized as follows. To study the subject of value engineering and its methodology. To study the value engineering importance in cost management and the quantity surveyors role. To study how the selection of contracts can add value to the project and the quantity surveyors contribution to that process. To study the quantity surveyors communication strategies to achieve the expected value and clients objectives. To study how the knowledge of quantity surveyor can add value (in terms of money, time and effort) during disputes. CHAPTER 3: VALUE ENGINEERING THEORY METHODOLOGY 3.1: Methodology Value engineering methodology evolved in the 1940s when the transition was made from the search for an alternative to the search for means of fulfilling the functions of an alternative. Shortly afterwards it was observed that function-oriented alterations in working methods often result in improving quality along with eliminating unnecessary cost (Palmer et al., 1996). Since its introduction, the methodology has been well developed to be applied in construction industry, as it enables realization of life cycle cost and cost effectiveness of projects (Omigbodun, 2001). VE in the construction industry is mainly an organized effort to challenge the design and construction plans of projects to provide the required facility at the lowest overall costs, consistent with requirements for performance, reliability and maintainability (DellIsola, 1988). Delays in construction projects may be due to lack of meticulously devised plans (Ghorbani and Shokri, 2005) and consequently budget deficit (M irmoham madsadeghi and Aghdami Thani, 2005). Through all-pervasive utilization of the VE methodology such obstructions may be avoided. This judgement is made on the grounds that VE can improve plans and designs along with thriftiness in budget expenditures. Researches (e.g. Mirmoham madsadeghi and Aghdami Thani, 2005) show that this negligence is often due to limited access to experts and lack of knowledge about the method and its benefits (Table 1). One may realize that these two factors may predispose VE teams towards other obstruction factors (Mirmoham madsadeghi and Aghdami Thani, 2005). This obstacle may be surmounted with recourse to artificial intelligence (AI) models. Case-based reasoning (CBR) from AI may be utilized to enhance efficiency of VE study through outlining a model of the expert knowledge for a VE workshop. The inherent analogical nature of a CBR model would facilitate access to more comprehensive and systematically classified information during a VE workshop. Inasmuch as VE in the construction industry encompasses a cognitive process, such a reasoning method could be indispensable and could affirm promising results. Furthermore, classified background knowledge of the knowledge base may enhance the creativity of the VE study team, and transform their creativity to capability from an instinctive behaviour of mind. 3.2: Value Engineering Theory VE may be defined as a creative, organized approach whose objective is to optimize cost and/or performance of a facility or system (DellIsola, 1988). The focal points of the notion are function analysis and creativity. Through defining functions and classifying them, it spots functions with more potential of increasing value. Thereafter with the creative approach alternative ideas would be recommended to replace original design. An established framework for fulfilling assigned tasks of the methodology has been defined as the VE job plan. The job plan is defined through special phases ranging from five to eight in various versions, all following the same concept (Assaf et al., 2000). A typical version, comprising five phases, is selected in this study (Philips, 2003): (1) Information phase: information acquisition, function analysis and selecting areas with poor value for detailed study. (2) Creative phase: generating ideas as an alternative to meet the requirements of an understudied function. (3) Analytical phase: evaluation of ideas and selecting the best practical ideas. (4) Development phase: developing prominent ideas and selection of the best idea. (5) Presentation phase: recommending a VE change and improvement proposal in a most challenging format. Teamwork is an essential phenomenon in the VE job plan, resulting in crossing organizational lines (DellIsola, 1988). The ideal groups for VE should embrace different disciplines (Phillips, 2003): Design groups comprising project engineers, designers, draftsmen and mainly engineers who are responsible for construction. Operators groups comprising supervisors and construction engineers. Experts in costs groups with e.g. cost evaluators and accountants. Development groups comprising construction experts, commercial and financial experts. Organizer groups such as trouble-shooters or construction managers. CHAPTER 4: MANAGEMENT OF COST 4.1: Aims Goals of cost management The basic goals of cost management and pricing of a project or product relate to the link between price and intrinsic value, affordability in relation to needs or investment, and managing the procurement process. The cost managers should therefore understand that they need to work with clients from the very inception of a project, even earlier and then through out the process to ensure the best results. This does not mean that a cost planner or cost manager is a cost cutter, far from it a cost manager should take responsibility ( with designers, client and other roll players) to ensure the interest of the client, community and environment are served ( Ferry and Brandon, 1991:5). Grover Cleveland (cited in Nel, 1992:43) stated the following about the property investment: No investment on earth is so safe, so sure, so certain to enrich its owner. However, one also has to take best value into account as well as to put available funds to best use. This includes gearing, cost design or design to cost, cost planning, cost control, architecture, location environment etc. Sound investment has proven its value, been a safe guard against ill fortune, produced income, provided security and shown itself to be away of producing wealth( Nel, 1992:43). Utilizing funds to best effect will improve these benefits even further. The cost manager needs to understand that the type of construction required for a building will also influenced the performance of the building over time, including the functional performances of the users environment (mole, cited in Venmore- Rowland, Brandon and Mole, 1991:307). The cost managers should be continuously involved from the design to the co-ordination and auditing, to ensure best cost results, specifically in commercial property, where investment is required to yield the best financial returns. Other areas of cost management that need attention are cash flow, the timing of payments, interest rates and the availability of funds at specific times. These aspects also influence the total financial outlay and eventual returns on a property investment. Kenley (2003:3) stresses the potential value of improved and strategic cash flow to enhance the profitability of the construction industry, with the further potential to offer reduced costs to the client and improved contractor performance. Cash flow forecast and management should therefore be part of the cost managers service to ensure that the developers receive the full benefits of pro-active attention. The cost managers (Quantity Surveyors) involved must go beyond a re- active service. It should also include a service that takes the following aspects of value into account. Physical: a quality building Psychological; a pleasant looking building which is good to live in, places of the soul Real quality: cost effective but with specifications that fit the purpose. Durability: taking life cycle costs and whole life cycle costs into account. Design: design to cost, cost design and appearance. Affordability: budget and returns are important. Timelessness: short term fashions as opposed to design that will withstand the pressures of current whims. The cost manager, while communicating alternatives and options to the designers and the client should remember the role of relative quality, affordability, returns, as well as the latters link to design and specification. 4.2: Quantity Surveying and cost management methods and tools Although cost management may be seen as an obvious and simple process, in reality it is not. All aspects associated with a project have a direct impact on costing and how it is managed (knipe et al., 2002: 257). The quantity surveyor is ideally placed to manage this complex process. If the methods are followed correctly and the tools used effectively, cost management may produce exceptional results. 4.2.1: Cost Design This process is based on design aimed at satisfying the parameters dictated by cost, cost of acquisition, operation and management. The process may also be described as cost design where such design is defined as designing a project in economic terms, taking into account the cost and cost benefits of each element of the project in an effort to balance the interrelationship of all cost elements and the reason for its existence ( Knipe, 2002:276; Verster and Berry 2005:20-40). 4.2.2: Value Management Value management is a systematic approach and process earlier referred to as value engineering, to ensure delivery of a function or product at the lowest cost without detriment to quality, performance or reliability (Ashworth, 2004: 409-421; Green 1992). Value management is a continuous process that should occur throughout the project but is most effective when implemented right from the inception of the project. More over, it should also include the following aspects: Orientation: Understanding the issues Information: Identification of functions, needs, budgets, project constraints and timing. Speculation: The creative development of ideas and alternatives Analysis and evaluation: Elimination and filtering of ideas. Development: Examination in detail Selection: The final proposal Conclusion: Presenting the findings to the client. Value management is one of the effective tools available to quantity surveyors who are in a position to play an important role in ensuring that the client and designers actually consider all value and cost related aspects of construction, design specification and development options. 4.2.3: Cost Planning Cost planning is used to ensure that the developer knows in the early stages of a project what the anticipated final cost of the total development may be, including the cost of land, legal issues, demolitions, buildings, professionals, furniture, connections, tax, financing and management. Building cost is only of the items, but the quantity surveyor should include all costs in the cost plan of the final cost. The cost planner should have a clear understanding of cost and budget targets to enable him to adjust the developer about possible future over-runs and pro- actively to provide alternative solutions (Ferry and Brandon, 1991:9). One of the most effective tools that the quantity surveyor uses to assist with the planning and design process is the elemental cost plan. The theory behind the analysis of building costs per element is that the total cost is a sum of the cost of individual so- called elements such as walls, roofs, foundations, etc ( Morton and Jaggar, 1995:41-43). 4.2.4: Cost Control Linked to auditing, cost control is an activity that is aimed not only at reactive reporting of decision results, but also at accounting for the decisions and visions of the client and advising the client how best to achieve desired outcomes (Knipe et al., 2002:257). Cost control happens through out the deployment process, from the briefing stage to completion. 4.2.5: Cost Checking This process is necessary to ensure that the client is always informed about the actual performance of the building in cost terms in relation to the budget or cost plan. The actual cost of each element or section of the building as the detailed designs are developed is checked against the cost target or cost plan, or specific elements in the cost plan( Seeley, 1983:14). 4.2.6: Cost Analysis Cost analysis supports the quantity surveyors service to the client and can provide the quantity surveyor with useful cost information and data. The forms of cost analysis are identified by Ashworth (2002:69), namely; Identification of major cost items Analysis of the annual user cost of building ownership Identification of those groups of items(elements) of cost importance 4.2.7: Cost benefits analysis The aim of cost benefit analysis is to establish the real benefit of expenditure not only in financial terms, but also in terms of time and energy expended by human resources, and the social benefits (Ferry and Brandon, 1991:12-13). 4.2.8Life cycle costing The life cycle costing also known as cost-in- use describes the modelling techniques aimed at coping with the mixture of capital and running cost of buildings and effect on ownership of a building. The quantity surveyor must be very sensitive to the influence of all cost factors so that the client receives advice that is practical, applicable, timely and effectively 4.2.9: Cost reporting The Quantity surveyor must ensure that continuous, accurate cost information, analysis, cost results and cost influences are reported to the client and design team. 4.3: Conclusion Using the above tools, techniques or methods and implementing them effectively will result in a better product at a better price with lower maintenance cost and an increased return potential over a long period of time. Money is the most limited resource and the challenge is to utilize it optimally. Though the quantity surveyor is ideally positioned continuously to play an active role, he should also be more involved in strategic decisions to empower clients even more. CHAPTER 5: CONTRACTS AND THE QUANTITY SURVEYOR 5.1: Aims and goals of construction contract A contract is a document that spells out the rights and obligations of parties and the administration of this interaction while protecting the parties against the risks that emanate from various relationships, action s and production. Many alternative ways to procure contracts exist, but experience has shown that a partnership approach as opposed to a two -sided procurement method is preferable. The secret of success may be in the organization of rights, obligations and administration, in such a manner that mutual support by the parties and effective professional service to the contracting parties are important factors to be included in the contract. Although the legal systems in countries are very specific to each country, there are important aspects that need to form part of any construction contract in any country ensure harmony, the parties understanding o f duties and the effective administration of obligations: Objectives: Offer acceptance and performance Preparation: Documents Design responsibility Agents Site representation Regulations Works risk Indemnities Insurances Securities, guarantees etc Execution: Preparation Access to the works Access to the works Setting out of the works Assignment Nominated and selected sub contractors Direct contractors Completion: Practical, works and final completion Defects liability periods Sectional completion Revision of dates Penalties Payments: Interim payments to the contractor Adjustments Recoveries Final accounts Cancellation: By the employer or the contractor and the rights related to Default and disaster Disputes: Litigation, arbitration, adjudication and mediation. The above headings taken from an agreement show the general terms that should be included in a construction contract, but one needs to remember that many project- specific variables also need to be included in the agreement. The contract documents, apart from drawings and specification, should also include the following: Preliminaries the management of the contract Trade preambles basic standard specifications Bills of Quantities depending on the method of procurement used, but compiled in accordance with an acceptable and agreed standard. Guarantees. 5.2: Procurement options Although the quantity surveyors service is traditionally linked to the production of bills of quantities, the profession has evolved to play a pro-active role in any procurement alternative and contractor selection process. Once the quantity surveyors service, in relation to pre-contract cost advice , is concluded, the very important next service phase of procurement advice and action should be addressed. Basically, procurement can be divided into two main alternatives, these are: Price-in-advance methods Cost-reimbursement methods Various other procurement methods for diverse needs and reasons are used, such as cost plus, construction management, design and manage, and measured term contract. The primary considerations for contractor selection or procurement, however, are the following: the influence of cost, time and design as well as the clients needs and budgets. For this reason, the quantity surveyor may promote the multi-procurement method to enable the client to control the effects of time and cost, continuing to allow space for sustained design, development, effective professional service and contractor involvement. The method relives on producing procurement documents timely, on a provisional basis, based on provisional design information. This enables the procurement of a main contractor who will manage many other selected or nominated sub -contractors who will be procured during the development of the building, as detailed information becomes available. The secret of this method is that mutual unders tanding and a very close working relationship between all role players must exist. The quantity surveyor performs a very important task in the execution of the project. 5.3: Conclusion The proper selection of an appropriate procurement method and the introduction of effective contract terms that will enable the contracting parties to focus on the work at hand should derive from pro-active, knowledge -based advice to the client, taking all aspects and circumstances of the proposed project into account Contracts, ensuring a partnership approach and imposing order on the rights and the obligation in proper manner, generally cover all risks and ensure effective contributions by the client, contractor and professionals. CHAPTER 6: THE MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNICATION 6.1: The goals of a communication strategy 6.1.1: Contract communication Contract terms should be communicated to parties and people involved so that they have no or little doubt about the meaning of words or terms. For this reason, the following aids are used by courts to interpret contracts: Avoidance of absurdity Upholding the contract or clause as opposed to ineffectual or void interpretations Equitable interpretations The intention s of the parties The recitals are subordinate to the operative part of the contract The grammatical meaning of the words used The contract will be interpreted as a whole in respect of the purpose and scope The technical meaning of words The written contract itself as opposed to verbal explanations It is clearly understood that the contract guides the official communication related to rights, obligations and administration of the contract and by all the parties involved. It is therefore important that the quantity surveyor should understand all issues related to contract communications. 6.1.2: General communication In the information era, however, the strategic resource is information, knowledge and creativity. There is only one way a corporation can gain access to these valuable commodities through people its most important resource (Naisbitt and Aburdene in Puth, 1994: 25) The above quotation illustrates how important it is to work with people, not only informally but also formally by means of contract documents, and in the process communicate well with them. People are the most important resource and thus the most important aspect and source of success. 6.2: Communication using management and leadership methods While contract communication is generally used as a formal and official communication method to ensure that the rights and obligations of parties are protected and enforced, management and leadership communication, as an approach or method, are very important elements in ensuring results. 6.2.1: Management communication Management communication is the number one problem in business today. While technology has advanced in leaps and bounds, managers and academics understanding of the substance of the process. Communication is seen as the life-blood of organizational management; therefore, the manager and professional must have an adequate knowledge of the nature and role of communication although it is difficult to do well or understand the influence of communication (Ewing in Puth, 1994: 3). The effective communicator should have a well-founded understanding of substantive transformation as a basic approach. Management is inherently a problem-solving job ( Whetten and Cameron in Puth, 1974: 109), indicating the importance of communication while obvious criteria for solving problems are expertise, knowledge, skills and experience , using sound management principles to transmit function -and- outcome expectations. 6.2.2: Leadership communication Leadership is based on communication. Leaders communicate not only information, but also attitudes and assumptions (Emshoff and Denlinger in Puth, 1994: 146). Since professionals often find themselves in leadership positions where clients and other parties rely on their expertise and skills, the professional must also be able to communicate and be concerned with: Coping with change Understanding competition and markets Be able to inspire followers Be a good example and influence people to achieve goals Emshoff and Denlinger in Puth (1994: 147) suggest that many corporations today are over-managed and under-led. Professional leadership is needed and should be the concern of all professionals. Autry and Mitchell (1998: 214) suggest that a wise leader should embrace the paradox of: By not forcing, he leadsBy not dominating, he leadsBy not leading, he leads Leadership asks for communication with subordinates, partners, professionals and other functionaries. Leadership is expected of any professional because of his position, knowledge and pro-active service. The lessons to be learned from the above are that communication is not forceful, not dominating, but accommodating. 6.3: Conclusion Colin Bower warns against a specific form of leadership, in his words: Leadership is never a neutral value – far from it, it polarizes and divides he continues the cult of leadership is not more than the most thinly and inept disguised cloak of tyranny. He argues that we do need leaders in battles and expeditions, but because of these times, it should not mean that they are always needed and that leaders fudge issues and paper over cracks by substituting evangelical qualities for good organization, agreed objectives and rational propositions. He concludes with an idealistic picture of competent individuals acting as his or her own leader (Bower, 2005: 2). It remains clear that leadership could be all of the above, but that effective communication and partnerships with individuals may lead to success. CHAPTER 7: MANAGEMENT OF CLAIMS AND DISPUTES 7.1: The goals of claims and dispute resolution The goals o f claim and dispute resolution are firstly to establish the right of any party to submit a claim, and secondly to enable the other party to consider the claim in terms of its validity, contractual terms and possible outcome. Lodging or considering a claim do es not mean that a dispute exists, but should the rejection of a claim occur, a different interpretation of a claim exist, a difference of opinion obtain, one has to note that a dispute may then be lodged. Dispute resolution should then assist the parties in resolving such an impasse in a cost effective, satisfactory and timely manner. 7.2 The methods used to resolve disputes For the purpose of this paper, the methods to be discussed are cancellation, adjudication, mediation and arbitration. 7.2.1 Conciliation In an effort to resolve a dispute, satisfactory results are never guaranteed, not even in a court of law. It is therefore perhaps important to use inexpensive ways and methods to try and resolve a dispute. Results have shown that conciliation does have a remarkable measure of success in regard to solving differences before they can become disputes. The parties decide who the conciliator will be. The conciliator should, however, be a person with good communication skills and knowledge. The objective is to bring the parties together in a forum to investigate their contentions and assist the parties to formulate their own settlement, by indicating the consequences. Improved communication should be ensured through joint and separate meetings. The conciliator may also be requested to formulate an own opinion. In the end, parties are still left with the option to continue with litigation or arbitration. Conciliation, however, has the following foci and advantages: Control the parties control the process Consensus the parties aim at the best commercial solution Continuity the relationship will continue Confidentiality- no harmful public exposure The following diagram illustrates the difference between litigation and all ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) processes: The quantity surveyor, with good communication skills is ideally positioned to play an important role in respect of conciliation because disputes usually revolve around payments, valuations, certificates and penalties. 7.2.2: Adjudication Adjudication is an accelerated form of dispute resolution in which a neutral, impartial and independent third party deals with the dispute as an expert and not as an arbitrator, and whose determination is binding unless and until invalidated or overturned b y an arbitration award. The adjudicator shall not give advice to the parties or their representatives concerning any aspect of the Agreement in respect of which he has been appointed other than in accordance with stated Rules[Joint Building Contracts Committee (JBCC) 2005 4.1 Adjudication rules, cl. 1.1, 3.2] The procedure may be as follows: Either party shall submit full details of a dispute arising in terms of the agreement, together with copies of all relevant documents The other party may submit a written response The adjudicator shall: act as an expert and not as an arbitrator adopt the most cost and time -effective procedure The adjudicator may also: convene and conduct a hearing determine the payments and costs of the dispute on the basis of the submitted documents only meet with the parties decide on his own jurisdiction make use of specialist knowledge open up documents related to the dispute refuse admission to any persons other than the parties It is important to note that a n adjudication award is not binding on the parties, but is most definitely a process that will limit the costly processes of arbitration and litigation. Quantity surveyors and cost engineers are ideally positioned to play a very active role in adjudication. 7.2.3: Mediation

Challenges and Opportunities of the Ethiopian Coffee Sector

Challenges and Opportunities of the Ethiopian Coffee Sector Coffee farmers all over the world face different challenges related to the availability, cost and quality of labor, land, water, inputs, access to reasonable production credit, and proper technical advice in response to diseases and pests. Ethiopia has a reputation of high quality coffee due to its branded varieties of coffee. But, most of the coffee farmers in Ethiopia are not capable of getting the benefits connected with production and marketing of a finest quality product. There is production, processing, storage and functioning of domestic and international market related constraints for this fact (ODI, 2009). Regardless of huge potential for collective production of coffee in Ethiopia, the average yield per hectare remains very low at 0.72 metric ton per hectare. Abu and Tedy (2013) revealed three major factors for the basis of low coffee production. First, there is a direct and increasing competition of Khat (Cata edulis), a plant with mild narcotic effects, with coffee for farmlands in different areas of the country particularly in the Hararge region. Khat is chosen by many farmers because it is more profitable and brings a consistent income during the year. Second, the farm management system of coffee and the agronomic practices in Ethiopia are traditional. In addition to this, coffee producing farmers do not get adequate extension services. Lastly, there is no specialized institution that offers extension support for production of coffee in the country. According to Taye (2010), in Ethiopia, there are several attributed factors for the low level of average production and income of coffee by the world standard. These includes insufficient credit and distribution of input devices for coffee growing farmers, principal use of conservative husbandry and processing as well as unimproved local coffee landrace practices, which in turn extremely hinders the national production and productivity of coffee produced by small-scale farmers in the country. Harvesting, post-harvest storage and processing is important in order to assure the quality of coffee. Non-selective picking practice is common by smallholder farms which contributes to poor quality coffee regardless of whether it is wet or dry processed. In addition, sorting and grading of coffee berries before further processing is a practice that is long forgotten among most smallholders because of low net earnings, high cost of labor and lack of incentives for high quality coffees. Most of the coffee growing farmers in Ethiopia have traditional and temporary storages which have its own negative effect to maximize the quality of coffee, with implications for price, profit and income (ODI, 2009). The conventional coffee value chain in Ethiopia involves a large number of intermediaries and is largely state-controlled. Licenses are required for every function in the market chain (Petit, 2007). The Ethiopian government issuing licenses for direct export has changed recently. The former system was exposed to rent seeking and political control and did not offer an inducement for quality. Coffee deliveries for export markets have adversely been affected by lack of price incentives to farmers, fluctuation of production supply due to climatic variations and unstable prices (ECX, 2009). According to the Ministry of Agriculture (2013), the Ethiopian coffee sector faces persistent challenges. The major ones include very low quality control, the deficiency of a strong coffee seed supply system, inadequate consideration to the input credit provision for efficiency and quality enhancement, and lack of strong vision and path in order to support the coffee sector. Limited use of enhanced technology; land degradation and population pressure; limited access to inputs such as fertilizer, seeds, credit and irrigation; and high costs of quality coffee production and processing are also mentioned as the major challenges of the coffee sector of the country (Taye, 2013). According to Jim and Ruth (2012), the challenges to the coffee sector in Ethiopia looked devastating. They pointed out the constraints as low and inconsistent coffee quality due to poor processing; regulation of export sales through a national auction that mixed coffees from different places into a single portion and forbidden cupping earlier to sales; coffee cooperatives were technically and institutionally weak; loan capitals for production, processing and marketing investments in were absent; and lack of international market demand understanding leads to focus on quantity rather than quality. Despite the challenges, there are several opportunities of the coffee sector in Ethiopia. The country has fertile soil, optimum temperatures, sufficient rainfall and suitable altitude for coffee production. It has diverse agro-ecology and climatic conditions, genetic biodiversity and sole distinctive characters of quality coffee. Fine specialty coffee can be produced and supplied sustainably, with producing potentially all the various types of coffee in world coffee cultivating origins. Ethiopia has an ordinary benefit in organic coffee markets as over 90% of coffee production is de facto organic (Mekuria et al. 2004). Moreover, Ethiopia is the only producer of natural forest coffee Arabica, providing scope for shade-grown coffees sale, for instance, through the certification of Rainforest Alliance. The government’s decision to allow cooperatives to directly export is significant because it opened a potentially new channel of value chain for export of coffee (USAID, 2010). Positive image of the country as origin of coffee and a strong indigenous coffee culture, well established coffee brand, prospective for expansion of volume and quality coffee due to existence of adequate land and low-cost labour, high commitment of government and favourable policy environment are among the major opportunities of the coffee sector in Ethiopia (Ministry of Trade, 2013). CHAPTER THREE MATERIALS AND METHODS This chapter presents a brief profile of Ethiopia, describes the study area, the type of data collected, sampling procedure followed and analytical methods used to analyze the data. 3.1. A Brief Profile of Ethiopia Ethiopia is among the countries that have a history of early civilization.It is the only African country never been colonized. It was previously known as Abyssinia. It is geographically located in the Horn of Africa, 3 and 14.8 latitude and 33 and 48 longitude. The country is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Kenya to the south, South Sudan and Sudan to the west and Djibouti and Somalia to the east. It is the second most populous country in Africa with over 91,195,675 (2012 est.) inhabitants. It covers an area of 1,104,300km2. Addis Ababa is the capital city, also known as â€Å"the political capital of Africa†. Ethiopia is a mountainous and landlocked country. It is situated at an altitude that ranges from 4620 meters above sea level at Ras Dashen in the Northern part of Ethiopia to 155 meters below sea level in the North east where the great Danakil depression is situated. The climate condition is hot in the lowlands and temperate in the highlands. Temperature ranges from 10oc to 30oc while rainfall ranges from 200mm to 2000 mm per year. Ethiopia is basically stated as the â€Å"water tower† of Eastern Africa for the reason that several (14 major) rivers that discharge off the high plateau, including Blue Nile river. The country has the highest water reserves in Africa, but it is not utilized through irrigation systems. It is only 1.5% used for irrigation and 1% for power production. Ethiopia is a multilingual and multi ethnic country in which around 86 ethnic groups are found. The majority of the population is Christian while a third of it is Muslim. The official language of Ethiopia is Amharic, even if English, Italian, French and Arabic are fairly spoken. Ethiopia uses a slightly modified form of the Julian calendar, which consists 12 equal months of 30 days each and a thirteenth month of five days (six days in a leap year). The Ethiopian calendar is eight years late with the Gregorian (Western) calendar from September 11 to December 31 and seven years in the rest of the year. Ethiopia is an independent republic functioning under the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) constitution. The President is head of state whereas the Prime Minister is the head of government. The country is divided into nine autonomous regional states and two special city administrations. The two cities administrations as well as the nine national regional states are further divided into 800 Woredas/districts and around 15,000 Kebeles (5,000 Urban and 10,000 Rural). Agriculture is the foundation of Ethiopia’s economy, responsible for 45.6% of GDP, 80% of employment, 80% of exports and 52% of exports for foreign exchange. Industry and services cover 13.4% and 41% of GDP respectively. Coffee, pulses, oil-seeds, hides and skins, khat, cut flowers, gold, meat, live animals and textile garments are major export items of the country. Rural Ethiopia contains about 84% of the country’s population. Banking, insurance and micro-credit industries in Ethiopia are regulated to domestic investors; however the country has attracted substantial foreign investment in leather, textiles, manufacturing and commercial agriculture. All the land is owned by the state which is state in the constitution. The government provides long-term leases to the tenants and distributes the land use certificates which help the tenants to have more recognizable rights to persistent possession and hence make more rigorous efforts to expand their leaseholds. According to the IMF report (2012), the growth of Ethiopian economy was one of the fastest in the world. The country registered over 10% economic growth for six years between 2004 and 2009.It was a non-oil-dependent economy in Africa with the fastest-growing rate in the years 2007 and 2008. However, thegrowth has slowed temperately to 7%in the year 2012 and is projected to be 6.5% in the near future.The country faces high inflation challenge and balance of payment difficulties. Inflation is projected to be at about 22 percent for the year 2011/12. The economy still faces a number of serious structural problems. The per capita income of the country is one of the lowest globally even if the GDP growth has remained high. There is low productivity of agriculture and frequent droughts which strictly affected the country. 3.2. Description of the Study Area: Mana District of Jimma Zone This study was conducted in Manna district of the Jimma administrative zone in the Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia. The area was selected on the grounds that these villages would provide a picture of the range of production and employment options available to households in a coffee producing area, with reasonably good links to the wider economy. They also needed to be accessible during the rainy season when the study was carried out. Oromia Regional State has 12 administrative zones and 180 woredas. It is the largest Regional State in Ethiopia in terms of population and area. It covers an area of 367,000 km2 (about 30% of the total area of the country) and a population of more than 26 million inhabitants (35%). From the total population, 88 percent lives in rural areas where the average household size is 5 persons and 35 percent lives below the absolute poverty line (CSA, 2008). Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of Oromia region. It is considered as fragmented and subsistence farming. The majority of the farmers depend on coffee. Farmers producing â€Å"Arabica† coffee in Oromia region are 424,309 and 95 percent of the production is done by small-scale farmers. From the total amount of marketed coffee that is produced in the region, 85 percent is sun dried or unwashed (IPMS, 2007). Jimma zone is one of the 12 administrative zones in Oromia Regional State. It is located in the Southwestern part of Ethiopia between 7 ° 13’ and 8 ° 56’ N latitude, and 35 ° 52’ and 37 ° 37’ E longitude. It has an area of approximately 19,300 Km ². Jimma town which is 335 Km southwest of Addis Ababa, is the capital and administrative center of the zone. Its population is around 2.4 million, of which approximately 5% lives in Jimma town. Crude population density is 106 persons per km2. There are approximately 644kms of all-weather roads and 447km of dry weather roads in the zone (CSA, 2008). The Altitude of Jimma zone varies from 880 to 3,340 meter above sea level. The topography includes dissected plateaus, mountains, plains, hills, gorges and valleys. There are many intermittent streams and perennial rivers. The zone is characterized by its humid tropical climate with heavy annual rainfall ranging from 1200 to 2400 mm per year, with a long rainy season from February/March to October/November. The temperature ranges from 25 to 30 °C with a minimum temperature of 7 °C. The agro-climatic divisions of the area are classified as Kolla (14.9% lowlands), Woinadega (64.4% mid highlands) and Dega (20.5% highlands). High forest, shrubs, woodland and man-made forests are found in the zone. Out of the 13 Woredas of the zone, only 7 focus on coffee production. Manna, Gomma, Limmu Seka and Limmu Chekrosa woredas are well-known as mainly coffee growing areas (Jimma Zone Agriculture, 2010). Manna Woreda is one of the 13 woredas of Jimma zone known for its predominant coffee cultivation. It is located between 7 °46.5 and 7 °51.5 in North while 36 °40 and 36 °42 in East and found in central parts of the zone. The woreda is located at 35 km west of Jimma town and about 6 km from Yebu town which is the woreda capital. The total area of the woreda is 480 km2 (48,000 ha) of which 12% is highland, 65% intermediate highland and 23% lowland. It lies between 1,470 and 2,610m altitude. It has an average annual rainfall of 1500 mm with mean average temperature of 19oc (ARDO, 2008). It occupies loamy soils with production of coffee, cereals and vegetables. Coffee accounts for 80% of the production. Distric Nitosols and Orthic Acrisols are the dominant soil types with slightly acidic PH, which is suitable for coffee production found in the woreda (ORG, 2003). Manna Woreda (district) is most densely populated district in Jimma zone with 308 persons per Km ². The total population of the woreda is estimated at 146,675 inhabitants (CSA, 2008). 89% of the district area is arable (with 86% under cultivation), 2.7% is grazing and 2.8% forest lands. The major cash crop commodities which are cultivated in the district include coffee, chat (Catha edulis), tropical and sub-tropical fruits (mango, avocado, papaya, banana, orange, pineapple) and spices (mainly ginger and Ethiopian cardamom). Among cereals, maize, teff, wheat, barley and sorghum are grown in the area; amongst of which, maize is the dominant cereal crop in the farming system. Livestock commodities include cattle, small ruminants (sheep and goat), apiculture, poultry and equines. Lady bird beetle, Stalk borer, ape, pig, warthog, and porcupine are major crop pests. Compared with other woredas in Jimma zone, Manna has a high population density, smaller size and relatively better access t o infrastructure and services (IPMS, 2007).

Essay --

Everyone is born with sexual desire (Kalb). Therefore, sex is sometimes successful when used in advertising to sell products because consumers can easily relate to its tempting value (â€Å"Does Sex Really Sell?†). Sex in advertising is the use of explicit sexual content or suggestions in order to sell a service or product. It has been stated that sex is one of the primal urges found in humans, and â€Å"this underlying, pre-programmed disposition to respond to sexual imagery is so strong, it has been used for over 100 years in advertising† (Sugget). However, using sex in advertising to sell products is only successful if the right group of people are targeted, the product is sex-related, or the advertising company is popular and well-experienced enough to correctly use this marketing strategy. Personalization and relevancy are important components when trying to deliver advertising campaigns that are successful. The basic and essential goal of many advertisers is obtaining the attention of the audience that they are targeting (Cyprus). As the internet has improved over the last 20 years, it has become much easier for sexually graphic material to find its way into people’s homes. By targeting the right people, sexual ads can sometimes attract the viewers’ attention. For example, sex is sometimes more effective when young men are the target (â€Å"Does Sex Really Sell?†). Men are typically attracted to provocative imagery in ads. Studies by popular magazines such as FHM and Maxim have shown that semi-naked and sexy women on the magazine’s cover attract men more than a magazine with a famous male star on the cover would, even if the famous male is someone that the men would like to read about. Men genetically respond to sexually provoca... ...such as David and Victoria Beckham, Christiano Ronaldo, and Meagan Fox. Meanwhile, Nissan displays sexy women in bikinis in their ads. In 2011 viewers were disappointed to see a Nissan commercial featuring a comparison of a model wearing a bikini and a Nissan Juke side-by-side. Many people did not find the ad amusing, claiming that it was rather sexist, instead of sexy. These companies’ logic is to demonstrate how their products can help meet consumers’ needs of love, desire, intimacy, and romance (Rogers). â€Å"We are sexual beings,† and therefore, marketers use consumers’ sexual impulses to their advantage (Raszl). Sex has traditionally been a topic not talked about or openly discussed, but today it is rarely taken as a surprise (â€Å"Does Sex Really Sell?†). It can be concluded that although sex doesn’t always sell, it definitely draws some form of attention (Kalb).

Symbolic Analysis of Alice Walkers Everyday Use Essay -- Alice Walker

Symbolic Analysis of Alice Walker's Everyday Use Alice Walker?s ?Everyday Uses (For Your Grandmother)? is a story about a woman?s struggle with the past and her inability and unwillingness to accept the future. The three main characters in the story are Dee, her younger sister Maggie, and their mother. The story is narrated by the mother in an almost reminiscent manner, and it is on her that the focus of the story centers. Her eldest daughter, Dee, is the first in her family to embrace modernization and to attempt to improve her way of life. Dee?s view of the world and her feelings about developing her own sovereign identity are foreign to Maggie and her mother. The mother has lived her whole life in a manner that Dee simply does not wish to live hers. The mother shows some recognition of this as the story opens and she describes her own life and childhood and compares those of her two girls. The daughters, then, represent to their mother opposing forces in regards to socioeconomic and educational standards of living. Through out her recollection of the story, the girls? mother learns to accept and even appreciate the fact that she and Maggie are resigned to living the only way they have ever known, while Dee has chosen to abandon that legacy and sees it only as a way of life to be honored, not lived. The author?s decision to narrate the story from a first-person point of view allows the reader to gain insight into the mother?s struggle that wouldn?t have been available otherwise. Throughout the beginning of the story, the mother describes both her views of herself and of her daughters. She sees Dee as being superior to both she and Maggie. Dee always gets what she wants, whether it be through her family... ...ally important in life. Dee will always want more. She will never experience the pure joy that Maggie and her mother now share in the knowledge that they may not be the richest or the brightest or the best looking folks, but they are satisfied with what they have. Before she leaves, Dee makes and assertion that is at least partly accurate. She tells Maggie that ?it?s really a new day for us?. She is correct. It is indeed a new day, but not for Dee and Maggie. They have already gone their separate ways. Instead, it is a new day for Maggie and her mother. They now share a love and understanding that they had not known prior to these events. They?ve found an everyday use for their grandmother by forming a bond of love that will hold their family and their heritage together for another generation, not unlike their grandmother was able to do with the pieces of a quilt.

Comparison of poems. Essay -- English Literature

Comparison of poems. In this introduction I am intending to compare and contrast two poems. The poems I am contrasting are called ‘London’ and ‘Composed Upon Westminster’. These two poems are written in the 19th century. The writers had the same ideas about the two poems. The poems are both about London. The writers both give a different view of London. The London poem is written by William Blake in 1757-1827. The Westminster poem written by William Wordsworth in 1770 – 1850 Blake’s representation of London is bleak. The title London is short and gets straight to the point. The first verse is a description of the city, streets, rivers and the people in the city. The first line creates a feeling like London is being owned. It is described like hell. The quote is â€Å"I wonder thro each chattered streets, near were the chartered Thames does flow. Blake has a sinister view of London. He describes it like a prison. The second two lines inverse 1 is about the people. The quote is ‘and marks in every face I meet, marks of weakness marks of woe.’ These two lines mean when Blake sees people on the streets of London they have marks on their faces. The last quote means that the people are weak, have grief and sorrow. The imagery Blake creates in the first verse is of the empty streets and the flowing Thames. The second verse is about the people. â€Å"In every cry of every man† â€Å"in every infants cry of fear† the imagery the second verse suggests pain. â€Å"Infants cry† of mental torture â€Å"mind forged manacles†. There is a lot of repetition. In the second verse Blake emphasises on the word ‘every’ to really put the pain across. The third verse is about the institutions and culture. Blake says ‘the chimney sweepers cry’. ... ...s like heaven. Wordsworth is in a dream. He is describing London as romantic. The similarities both of these poems are that Blake says marks of weakness marks of woe. Wordsworth says mighty heart. Blake says blackening church, hapless soldier, palace walls. Wordsworth says ships, towers, domes, theatres, temples. Blake says chimney sweepers and blackening church. Wordsworth says smokeless air. Blake says chartered Thames does flow and Wordsworth says the river glideth at his own sweet will. Blake says midnight streets and Wordsworth says valleys rocks or hills. Blake says midnight and Wordsworth says bright and glittery. He also says morning. Blake says cry in every man and Wordsworth says calm so deep. The poem that gives me a better description of London is Blake’s point of view. He has a simple structure and his description is very descriptive.

A Memorable Term Essay

In Mr. Rodriguez’s Spanish 1-2 class, we have learned so many new things and have had the amazing opportunity to gain more fluency in another language. Some of the goals we had in the beginning of the term were to learn the appropriate level of Spanish, for example more knowledge of verbs, and how to say basic conversations and greetings. We were expected to have learned everything we were taught, and the basic part of the Spanish language. Mr. Macfarland was our Spanish teacher, and his techniques were that we did our homework in homework packets, and we would sing our vocabulary, which benefited us and helped us memorize it in an easier way. When we took test, quizzes and answered questions aloud, he could judge if we were learning or not by the answers we would give, or the grades we would receive. The family project we did in Mr. Macfarland’s class was definitely the most memorable and enjoyable assignment we did. Throughout my freshman year, I didn’t do any other project that was like the family project we did in his class, and that is what made it so enjoyable. It was fun to go through old pictures, and be able to sort of introduce you’re family to your class. I did well in my Spanish class, receiving high grades on most assignments. Some of the difficulties I experienced were doing homework, because that was the only class I had homework in everyday and also book work, because it was hard to understand sometimes. I learned many new interesting things; I learned how to have a conversation in Spanish, also verbs in Spanish. Throughout this term I have improved greatly. I have gained a lot more knowledge, because in the beginning of the term the only thing I could say was hello. As for my achievements, I am so proud that I received an A in my class, because that was highly beyond my expectations. I would grade my effort about a B-, because there were a lot of times I would slack off and not do homework and my performance about a B because I sometimes talked during that class but paid attention and got serious when it was necessary. Learning Spanish can benefit me in my future because I will be able to slightly comprehend others when they are speaking Spanish, which is very important because many people speak Spanish in San Diego. Also, I will continue learning Spanish for my sophomore year. I did not have issues out of school that affect my classroom experience. Next year I would like to improve my effort, and if I continue taking Spanish in college it could help my transcript from having learned a second language. To reach my goals in the near future, I will continue taking languages because I feel it is something I need to succeed and something I enjoy doing. During this Spanish class, I have had so many amazing experiences it is beyond belief. I will never forget how comical and odd Mr. Mac was. I will also never forget how he made us sing our vocabulary because I have never been able to have fun while learning the meaning of words. Overall, I have made many memories in this Spanish 1-2 class that I will never forget.

The Ultimate Model City

We all want to live in the best city in the world. A high standard and quality of living is, after all, a very desirable thing. We have hopes and dreams and aspirations for what an ideal city should be. Magazines even routinely publish their own lists of the best cities in the world, so we can all have an idea of just what a great city should constitute. With that in mind, the following constitutes the ultimate model city. The model city is small, as larger cities have larger problems like pollution and crime. Yet it is not so small as to have nothing to offer its residents. The model city covers ten square miles or less and has a population of between 5,000 and 10,000. That makes it large enough to attract certain amenities and small enough that it maintains its â€Å"hometown† feel and charm; it is also small enough that most of the residents will have the opportunity to know each other. The model city is a direct democracy. Its citizens all have a direct say in what goes on in the town, thus giving them a true feeling of ownership of the town. The direct democracy is facilitated through regularly scheduled monthly town meetings (with an option to have extra meetings in cases or emergencies or extremely important and urgent topics). Town members can go to the meetings personally or appoint a proxy to vote in their place on issues. The town meetings are run by a town chairman, whose main function is organizing, holding, and acting as facilitator at town meetings. This chairman is elected by secret ballot by town citizens once a year to a year-long term with no term limits. Any issue that comes before the town is voted on in town meetings. For certain functions that would require too frequent voting to be practicable, the town elects every other year to terms of two years with no term limits, committee members to oversee functions such as roads and parks, etc. The town has its own Constitution. It is a document drawn up at the founding of the town and amended throughout the years by town citizens as times and needs change. It lays out the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen of the town. The town Constitution gives each citizen all of their basic freedoms found in the U. S. Constitution, plus describes the organization of their system of direct democratic government. The Constitution also guarantees non-discrimination in the town in all areas of town life. This non-discrimination policy extends to all races, genders, nationalities, and sexual orientations (and just to make sure the policy is followed, there is a committee of Equal Opportunity volunteers to look into allegations of discrimination and then report back to the town for votes on resolution). The town Constitution is displayed at the town hall for all to see. The town has all of the basic necessities one would need in a town. These necessities include a fire department, a hospital, an elementary/middle school (grades K through 8) and a high school, a water department, an ambulance, a train station and a bus station. The town also has electric and phone service, is within range for cell phone service, and has cable and high speed internet capabilities. The water and fire departments are run by volunteer committees whose terms are for two years, when they can re-volunteer or allow others to do so. There is no police department per se, but there is a volunteer citizens patrol, unarmed but with the power to make citizens' arrests, and these volunteers take shifts patrolling the streets either on foot or in their cars. These patrol volunteers have terms of one year, renewable at will. All volunteers on all committees and departments, as well as all people in elected positions, can be removed by for cause by vote of the town. The town has an extensive system of parks and open spaces where children, families, and pet-owners can go. These parks are landscaped, well-kept, and rely heavily on natural influences, meaning there are many trails, trees, and streams. Some parks have playground equipment, some have sports equipment, others do not. Each park has a theme, and attracts people who want to indulge in that theme (dog-walking, Frisbee, nature observation, etc. ). The town also has attracted several different ethnic restaurants, giving the town a variety of food from which to choose. The town has Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, French, Greek, Italian, and vegetarian restaurants available. There is also a thriving community theater, which actively encourages community participants in its productions, and which has its own playhouse. For those who prefer the silver screen to the stage, there is a 4-screen movie theater. There are also three dance clubs in town, a contemporary club for the young adults, a ballroom/swing club for seniors, a line-dancing/karaoke club for families, and a club just for teenagers. The town also has several thriving civic organizations, including the Lions, Kiwanis, Daughters of the American Revolution, and a Garden club, to name a few. In addition, there is always some sort of program or production going on at the elementary/middle school and high school, including sporting events with neighboring towns. There is always plenty to do and plenty to get involved with in the town. The residents do not lack for recreation. The town is very environmentally conscious. It has a curbside recycling program that picks up any sort of recyclable material and provides residents with color-coded bins for dividing recyclables. The town makes sure its water is not fluoridated and has a complex filtration system to make sure the water is pure. All wires and cables are buried rather than on poles. Steps are taken through an environmental protection committee run by a committee of volunteers of those with knowledge in the field to make sure that any unavoidable pollution, such as through sanitation systems, has the minimal possible impact on the environment. None of the businesses in town is allowed to have any toxic emissions. Firearms are not allowed to be discharged within town limits, thus eliminating the needless killing of animals and resultant disruption of the ecological balance within the town. The town, as a result, has some of the cleanest air and water in the nation and has attracted many natural and health foods stores. In the area of business and industry, most of the people who live in the town also work in it. The small area of the town has the added benefit of making it quick and easy to get to work, and carpooling and biking is encouraged through company car pool incentive programs and well-kept bike paths within the city. Most of the businesses in the town are locally owned and operated. The town places a high value on independently owned stores, and has more than once successfully voted down proposals from big chains like Wal-Mart and Target to build there. The schools in town employ many town residents, as do the restaurants and grocery stores, the movie theater, and a wide array of specialty retail shops. The town is also home to several banks, bookstores, attorneys' offices, salons/day spas, and even has a few family-run farms on the outskirts that employ some residents. The town itself is an employer of those who work on sanitation crews and recycling trucks and at the public library. There are not any big companies or corporations in the town, as that would detract from the local, small-town atmosphere and may lead to an increase in pollution and could attract undesirable companies to the town. However, the town has enough local businesses and town departments to employ nearly everyone who needs employment. The town does levy a property tax and a school tax in order to create revenue for things it needs. However, these taxes were voted on by the town members, and every five years, the taxes are re-evaluated at town meetings in order to determine if they should continue, and if so, if they should be increased, decreased, or remain the same. A town treasurer is elected every two years to handle the money from these revenues, to create a town budget that is then voted on by the townspeople for approval, and to make sure all the money goes to the appropriate places. The town treasurer is allotted two volunteers to assist him or her in his or her duties, and these volunteers are selected at the times the town treasurer elections are held. The town is also home to a chapter of the Red Cross, and many people in the town are volunteers, and have learned how to be prepared for and handle disasters. These townspeople regularly give lectures and hold classes for other townspeople pertaining to these things, including giving a regularly scheduled adult and child CPR class and organizing and holding blood drives. If a natural disaster were to occur in the town, the citizens would be prepared and know what to do. The town is not built in an area prone to earthquakes or floods, and there are no volcanoes nearby, so the chances of these disasters happening are remote. However, the chance of a violent storm, tornado, or blizzard is a possibility, and the residents are well-prepared for these events. The town also has 911 service for their local fire trucks and ambulances, and a connection at the town hall to the Federal Emergency Management System in case of larger emergencies. So far, this connection has not had to be used.

Her body, her baby, her choice Essay

Abortion, it’s not a choice that any woman would ever want to have to make, but it’s a decision that she should have the right to make. If it comes down to the possibility of her and her baby losing their lives, she should be able to stop this possibly fatal pregnancy. The body is hers, the baby is hers, and the choice should be hers. If you disagree, make the choice for your own body. Abortion should be legal. What people may not realize is that, legal or not, abortion still happens all around the world. Of the approximately 42 million abortions that do occur worldwide, almost half are performed by unskilled individuals, in environments that do not meet minimum medical standards or both. † (http://www. guttmacher. org/pubs/gpr/12/4/gpr120402. html). Unsafe and illegal abortion is responsible for one in eight maternal deaths and according to an estimate done by the World Health Organization in 2006 ‘back alley’ abortions cause about 68,000 deaths each year where abortion isn’t legal. There is no question that making abortion illegal in places such as the United States, will only make these numbers increase greatly. It’s no secret that raising a child requires mass amounts of money that many women who get pregnant don’t have, especially if they have no partner to help them out. Poor and low income women account for more than half of abortions in the United States. Without the option to get an abortion, there would be many more children suffering because they have to live their life in poverty. Almost half of all children with a single mother live in poverty, these children experience poverty at a rate that is more than four times higher than kids in married-couple families. Although, it is believed that â€Å"abortion legalization may have led to an improvement in the average living conditions of children, probably by reducing the numbers of youngsters who would have lived in single-parent families, lived in poverty, received welfare and died as infants. † (https://www. guttmacher. org/pubs/journals/3402502. html) Many people who are against abortion don’t take into consideration that not all women are able to safely give birth to a child and the risk of death associated with childbirth is about 10 times as high as the risk of death associated with  abortion. For example, teen girls aged around 15-19 years old have bodies that are not yet ready for childbirth. These girls are five times more likely to die, with around 70,000 of them dying annually. Their babies that do survive still have a 60% higher chance of dying than normal babies. With so much uncertainty, why shouldn’t they have the option to prevent themselves and their own parents the pain of losing a child. Many people believe that women are using abortion as a form of birth control. That they believe that they no longer need to be cautious because they can go pop over to the doctors to get an abortion whenever. However, this isn’t the case and, more often than not, women who get abortions were on some sort of birth control. Though, with any birth control there is almost always a chance of it not working properly and you becoming pregnant. Only less than one in ten women getting abortions weren’t on any sort of birth control. Making abortion illegal forces women who may have taken many precautions to not become pregnant to have a child that they don’t want and makes it so that an unwanted child is born into this world. This would not be fair to the woman or the child. Something that many people who oppose to abortion believe is that abortion, spontaneous or induced, raises the risk of breast cancer or any other type of cancer. There have been many, many studies done studies by various people such as the National Registry of Induced Abortions, the Danish Cancer Registry, Harvard researchers, and The California Teachers Study. The large size of most of the studies and the manner in which they were done provide good evidence that induced labor does not affect a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. In 2003, the U. S. National Cancer Institute had a workshop with more than 100 of the world’s leading experts who study pregnancy and breast cancer risk. They all found that neither induced or spontaneous abortion are linked to an increase in breast cancer risk; the level of scientific evidence for these findings was considered the highest level, ‘well established’. Abortion should be legal because it saves many women’s lives from unsafe abortion, it can save families from lifelong poverty and it may save the lives of women who are unable to safely give birth to children. In a country that is based on freedom; freedom of speech, freedom of religion, individual freedom, why should this situation be any different? A law based off of a religious belief isn’t something that this country stands for, a law that prevents women from making decisions about her own body should not be a law in this country.