Art Critique

Patricia Gelin I. DoctoleroMarch 6, 2013 E-1R Mater Dolorosa By Simon Dela Rosa Flores (Critique Paper) The artwork entitled Mater Dolorosa that is painted using oil by Simon Dela Rosa Flores on a canvas (104 x 73. 5 cm). Simon Flores is known for his religious paintings that were commissioned by wealthy families and parish churches. The date of the painting when it was created was not known. I. INTERPRETATION When I first saw the painting, I thought of a mother thinking about her son/daughter.The children behind the mother and staring at her were her guardian angels that help, comfort and guide her to pray for her son/daughter. I think that the son/daughter has been a problem to his/her mother and has been gone for a long time. As a result, she has been waiting for him/her to come back to her care and she has been grieving, longing for them to be with her. The guardian angels are staying by the side of mother to be calm and tell her trust God to do the rest for her. The painting giv es a feeling to me that are serene and sad, but full of hope and trust in God that He will help her to bring back her child. Also read this  Critique of Stuff Is Not SalvationIn a way, I can also remember my own mother in the painting that always takes care of me and is always worried whenever I am not by her side. I chose this artwork because of all, I value most my family and God. This painting gives it all to me and reflects true emotions that a mother must feel whenever she is sad, longing for her child to come back to her. Many stories can be associated with this painting. Another story that I can also relate to the painting is the mother’s child has been dead and still the mother cannot accept the fact that her child was already gone.II. RESEARCH PART (Artwork Interpretation by Artist) The interpretation of Simon Dela Rosa Flores of his artwork entitled Mater Dolorosa was really what the painting wants to tell the viewers. He said that it was his own version of grieving mother with long wavy hair against a dark blue and white tunic that symbolizes the emotions that the mother feels like sad and anxious. The hands of the mother were clasped close to her heart to reflect grief. Her facial expressions were very passive and troubled.The children that are behind the mother were cherubs that are guiding the mother in times of he sorrow. III. ELEMENTS OF ART USED The elements of art that were used by Simon dela Rosa Flores were color and value. The colors that were used, symbolized the emotions and feelings that was felt by the mother in the painting like the dark blue for sorrow and the white tunic for hope and also for faith in God. The cherub’s color depicts guidance and also light from them. Value is also used in a way that the painting has its cultural value especially for Filipinos.It is also because of the deep meaning behind the painting of the grieving mother. IV. SOCIO-HISTORICAL CONTEXT ON ART AND SOCIETY Simon dela Rosa Flores is known in his time in devoting his art to religious views, wealthy and famous people. He likes making portraits of people and most of his paintings includes use of oil in a canvas. One of his religious paintings is the Mater Dolorosa which is close to his mother and child and San Roque but instead of the child there where cherubs. Mater Dolorosa means grieving mother in Spanish.Many versions of this painting were done specially on the Spanish times. Hs painting started in the 19th century where the illustrados saw the rise of art of painting. The illustrados contracted painters to make portrait of themselves to document and for others to see their new found wealth and social status. One of the painters who are appointed is no other than Simon Flores. He painted jewelry, fashion accessories, minuet details of embroidered clothes and religious patrons. From there, he started painting religious figures and even rich families became his focus. Art Critique Patricia Gelin I. DoctoleroMarch 6, 2013 E-1R Mater Dolorosa By Simon Dela Rosa Flores (Critique Paper) The artwork entitled Mater Dolorosa that is painted using oil by Simon Dela Rosa Flores on a canvas (104 x 73. 5 cm). Simon Flores is known for his religious paintings that were commissioned by wealthy families and parish churches. The date of the painting when it was created was not known. I. INTERPRETATION When I first saw the painting, I thought of a mother thinking about her son/daughter.The children behind the mother and staring at her were her guardian angels that help, comfort and guide her to pray for her son/daughter. I think that the son/daughter has been a problem to his/her mother and has been gone for a long time. As a result, she has been waiting for him/her to come back to her care and she has been grieving, longing for them to be with her. The guardian angels are staying by the side of mother to be calm and tell her trust God to do the rest for her. The painting giv es a feeling to me that are serene and sad, but full of hope and trust in God that He will help her to bring back her child. Also read this  Critique of Stuff Is Not SalvationIn a way, I can also remember my own mother in the painting that always takes care of me and is always worried whenever I am not by her side. I chose this artwork because of all, I value most my family and God. This painting gives it all to me and reflects true emotions that a mother must feel whenever she is sad, longing for her child to come back to her. Many stories can be associated with this painting. Another story that I can also relate to the painting is the mother’s child has been dead and still the mother cannot accept the fact that her child was already gone.II. RESEARCH PART (Artwork Interpretation by Artist) The interpretation of Simon Dela Rosa Flores of his artwork entitled Mater Dolorosa was really what the painting wants to tell the viewers. He said that it was his own version of grieving mother with long wavy hair against a dark blue and white tunic that symbolizes the emotions that the mother feels like sad and anxious. The hands of the mother were clasped close to her heart to reflect grief. Her facial expressions were very passive and troubled.The children that are behind the mother were cherubs that are guiding the mother in times of he sorrow. III. ELEMENTS OF ART USED The elements of art that were used by Simon dela Rosa Flores were color and value. The colors that were used, symbolized the emotions and feelings that was felt by the mother in the painting like the dark blue for sorrow and the white tunic for hope and also for faith in God. The cherub’s color depicts guidance and also light from them. Value is also used in a way that the painting has its cultural value especially for Filipinos.It is also because of the deep meaning behind the painting of the grieving mother. IV. SOCIO-HISTORICAL CONTEXT ON ART AND SOCIETY Simon dela Rosa Flores is known in his time in devoting his art to religious views, wealthy and famous people. He likes making portraits of people and most of his paintings includes use of oil in a canvas. One of his religious paintings is the Mater Dolorosa which is close to his mother and child and San Roque but instead of the child there where cherubs. Mater Dolorosa means grieving mother in Spanish.Many versions of this painting were done specially on the Spanish times. Hs painting started in the 19th century where the illustrados saw the rise of art of painting. The illustrados contracted painters to make portrait of themselves to document and for others to see their new found wealth and social status. One of the painters who are appointed is no other than Simon Flores. He painted jewelry, fashion accessories, minuet details of embroidered clothes and religious patrons. From there, he started painting religious figures and even rich families became his focus.

Harlem Renaissance with Langston Hughes Essay

The Harlem Renaissance brought about uniqueness amongst African Americans; everything was new. The visual art, the jazz music, fashion and literature took a cultural spin. During this time writer Langston Hughes seemed to outshine the rest with amazing works. The Harlem Renaissance brought about many great changes. It was a time for expressing the African American culture. It is variously known as the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Literary Renaissance, or the New Negro Movement. Many famous people began their writing or gained their recognition during this time. The Harlem Renaissance took place during the 1920’s and 1930’s. â€Å"This movement known collectively as the Harlem Renaissance developed at the end of World War I in 1918, blossomed in the mid- to late 1920s, and faded in the mid 1930s. This movement developed along with social and intellectual disturbance in the African American community in the early 20th century.†[1] The Harlem Renaissance also led to a declined era called the Great Depression. They also migrated to avoid terrorism, unending debts, and the poor living conditions of southern sharecropping. During that time, hundreds and thousands of educated and intellectual African Americans moved from financial depressed, low budget rural south to industrial cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and especially New York City, to take advantage of the job opportunities created by World War I. As more and more blacks settled in the neighborhood of Harlem, New York, it became a political and cultural place for black America; Harlem became a black neighborhood. â€Å"As a result of this great collective body of African Americans coming together, the variety of talents among them, the creativity they offered each other, and the dynamics of their new found existence, created a rebirth for African Americans, now known as The Harlem Renaissance.†[2] Many things came about during the Harlem Renaissance; things such as jazz and blues, poetry, dance, and musical theater. The African American way of life became the popular thing. Many white people came to discover this newest art, dancing, music, and literature. The Great Migration of African American people from the rural South to the North, and many into Harlem were the cause of this occurrence. The Great Migration was the movement of two million blacks out of the Southern United States to the Midwest, Northeast and West from 1910 to 1930. African Americans migrated to escape racism and prejudice in the South, as well as to seek jobs in industrial cities. Pan-africanism is a movement to unify African Americans into one community. America during this time begins to see this happening in Harlem. Harlem was originally a Dutch settlement. Harlem became one of the largest African American communities in the United States, and during the Harlem Renaissance became a center for art and literature. Many great writers came about during this time, one of which was Langston Hughes. Hughes was born in 1902 with the name James Langston Hughes, and died in 1967. He lived most of his adult life in Harlem. He grew up without a stable family environment. His father moved to Mexico, and he never really saw much of him. Hughes was often referred to as â€Å"Harlem’s poet.†[3] Hughes had and still has a great influence on poetry. Hughes poetry was a reflection of the African-American culture and Harlem. He wrote many poems, and continued to write even after the Harlem Renaissance. He loved Harlem that was his home. He watched it decline with the onset of the Great Depression. He saw Harlem turn into a place to be feared by many. It was a sad and dangerous place to be, after the depression. Hughes described the impact of the Great Depression among African Americans, â€Å"The depression brought everyone down a peg or two. And the Negro had but a few pegs to fall.†[4] The Harlem Renaissance was important because it was the first time that the mainstream publishers and critics took African American literature seriously. Although it was primarily a literarily movement, it was closely related to music, theater, art, and politics. The Harlem Renaissance brought about many great changes. Many famous people began their writing or gained their recognition during this period. Langston Hughes valued the teaching of children. Many of his poems are children’s poems. He often traveled to schools and read his poetry. His first published works were in a children’s magazine during the 1920’s. He published a book of ABC’s called The Sweet and Sour Animal Book. He wanted to inspire the youth, and make them feel good about themselves. He did not only write poetry, but that is what he is famous for. Much of his poetry talks of the hardships, poverty, inequality, etc. of the African-American people. His work has inspired many people, and is read by many students and scholars. He is a great positive role model. I personally love his poetry. It describes these problems within our society that still have yet to be resolved. It opens the reader’s eyes to the many disadvantages that many people have suffered through and are still trying to overcome. Langston Hughes is probably the most influential and remembered poet of the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes writes about how the African-American people have been all over the world. In â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† he talks about them bathing in the Euphrates, building huts by the Congo, and singing of the Mississippi. I think that this poem is showing how these people are everywhere. In America we act as if they are lesser, but he is saying to the white people, look at all my race has accomplished. For example, â€Å"We† built the pyramids, and we have been around as long as these rivers. This poem is meant to be positive. It does not talk directly about racism or puts down the white race for being prejudiced. In the poem, â€Å"I, Too† he describes how he is also part of what America is. Even if he is sent to eat in the kitchen, he is as much a part of America as anyone else. It shows that one day he will not be made to hide and eat in the kitchen. One day people will see that African Americans are beautiful people, and will be ashamed of how they were treated. This poem gives hope to the black community. It makes them look forward to the day when equality will come and racism will end. â€Å"Too bad that the day has still not yet come in this century.†[5] In his poem, â€Å"Harlem† this issue is addressed. He wonders what happens to dreams that are postponed. He feels that how long one must still dream of something that seems like it will never come. The African American people have been waiting to be seen as equal for several years, yet it still seems as though it will not happen. In â€Å"The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,† a young Negro poet said, â€Å"I want to be a poet-not a Negro poet.†[6] It also describes how many middle class blacks tried to be more like a â€Å"white† person. To disown their heritage in a way and become part of white America, which wasn’t right. He talks about how they should learn to appreciate their diversity and their culture. The blacks should be proud of their individuality. He thinks that many blacks are taught by white teachers, see white books and pictures, white papers, and then want to be what they are seeing. The diversity of African American talent reached an all time along the path of generating rebirth to the nation during the Harlem Renaissance period of 1919 to 1940. There was an outburst of confidence, expression, creativity and talent. This collective outburst established a path for artistic cultural expression leading to social transformation for African Americans. As a result, Harlem became the â€Å"capital of the African American world†. The rebirth of African American culture was collected of clever works of art, uplifting and expressive poets, musicians of perfection, inspirational political activists, creative painters, inventive sculptors, creative thinking novelists, dramatic playwrights, visionary choreographers, natural actors, excellent journalists, and imaginative actors. Many of these African Americans have made unique and long-lasting contributions to African American history and became major icons of the American scene. Langston Hughes will always be known as a great poet who did so much to make his race move toward equality. He wrote many inspirational poems. He wanted to reach a younger generation and show them that they can be successful. He wanted the children to be proud of who they are, and to excel in literature. He was part of something great. That something great was the Harlem Renaissance. It was a time of change, a time of happiness for the most part. It was a time when many people realized that there were many talented African Americans. Also it was a time for new things and a new way of doing things. Jazz and Blues became popular. White people came to Harlem to see how blacks danced, and what music they listened to. Harlem became a very trendy place. The arts increased all around Harlem. People were having fun. This influenced many people and ways that still are around today. The influence of the music can still be heard in some of our music today. Many authors today were inspired by those of the Harlem Renaissance. It was a great time for the African American community, but at the same time it caused fighting between the middle class and poorer blacks. The feeling of inequality still existed, but at least African Americans were finally getting some recognition for some of the amazing accomplishments that they have made. The Harlem Renaissance was a transitional moment in time when poetry transformed a nation of African Americans to ultimate heights. The Harlem Renaissance brought about uniqueness among African Americans; everything was new. Great names such as Langston Hughes paved the way for the future generations to follow.

Environmental Issues of the 21st Century

â€Å"Today human actions have become major forces in the operation of the earth system. They increasingly challenge the system boundaries of the planet, which will result in fundamental, unprecedented and unpredictable changes in the earth system (UNEVEN, 2012). † This Is the most Important perspective we have to consider as we enter and currently live In the era provided by the 21st century. Everything happening In this world Is dependent or, If not, manipulated, by human beings.We have become the most superior entity on this planet to the point that we can tinker and choose our planet's destiny. Given this notion, the most infamous environmental concern which got into our senses from the time we hit this century â€Å"can [simply] be categorized according to the major themes of global environmental change- water, climate change, the marine environment, and so on (UNEVEN, 2012). † This phenomenon or change in natural trends, habitats, and, is of course, caused by the acts of us humans, being the superiors of this natural cycle.There are numerous aspects of environmental change like water, climate, etc. But what we all know Is that the reason behind these changes Is collectively bound by the excessive ND Iniquitous acts of man because of their Inventions and stubbornness. Change In water Is caused by water pollutants which come from factories and garbage which Is a product of man. Change In climate Is due to greenhouse gases which come from burning of chemically hazardous wastes which is made by man and burned by man.Change in marine environment is cause by excessive fishing, and water pollutants as well which are both acts of man and products of man. These are Just a few examples of how some aspects of environmental change are done. From here, we can derive he idea that these changes in trends and systems in nature are all put together by man and their acts. To make it a lot more concrete and practical, probably the most important environmental and social concern that has to be tackled would be the products and actions of man and how this can be grounded on awareness and ethics.This concern has reached out and affected numerous fields of science which sometimes are not really related to each other (like: tampering with evolution via biotechnology up to climate change Oval greenhouse gases) except for the sole cause of these occurrences which is man's actions. To say that the concern is solely environmental change would be a bit of an understatement. The real concern would probably be the uncontrollable acts of man.It is disturbing that a single cause could actually affect different aspects in different ways to the point that naturally-known ways and cycles are tipped by mere inventions, ignorance of man, and selfishness. Awareness in the 21st century is solely fixated on man. The man that we know of today has become that catalyst to tip eras of evolution and natural cycles that have been existing before us. The man that we know of today has become the sole manipulator by turning supposedly naturally occurring phenomenon to dissipate or to be created and run artificially.If we look around us, different environmental concerns have arose which show a single symptom; change. But all these changes and concerns boll down to one single factor; human Intervention. In this century, everything that has happened and changed, environmentally speaking, can be Justly blamed on humanity â€Å"Soc TTY NAS already confronted a most to global environmental challenges including loss of biodiversity, climate change, water and and degradation among others, and, through persistence and ingenuity, has found many solutions to these challenges.

Demonstrate where you have advocated on behalp of a service user with Essay

Demonstrate where you have advocated on behalp of a service user with any disabilities - Essay Example It advocates a support system that empowers the people with disability with informed choice so that they can opt for best possible care that meets their individual requirement. These are critical imperatives that are greatly facilitated by the intervention of social workers who become major linkages for the people with disability to access the facilities. Healthcare providers like nurse, physicians and their assistants, social service professionals assess client’s life in detail for correct diagnosis, line of treatment, type of intervention etc. for best service delivery. Appropriate linkages are provided to the client to meet his/her assessed need. Social workers for advocacy are common linkages that help recipients to help personalize their care. Advocacy for the case would be discussed. The client X was a refugee who was bed ridden after a car accident in which her lower part of body had got paralyzed. She was from different ethnic group and neither spoke nor understood English. The client wished for direct payments as she was dissatisfied with the current level of services as provided by the council and social work department. She had identified one of her friend as her personal assistant. As a social work student, currently on placement at a local council, I have advocated on behalf of client X. As I am dealing with the direct payment and personal budget, her case comes under my purview and, therefore, I have volunteered to advocate her case. Advocacy is a vital concept in social work. It promotes understanding for the requisite physical and emotional support, intrinsic to the welfare of the disabled person. As advocate, it was hugely important for me to empower my client with relevant information regarding direct payment and for employing a personal assistant of her choice. Hence, my work as advocate/facilitator involved myriad functions conforming under the strict guidelines and processes of

The Confucian Business Ethics Equal importance to Profit, Process and Essay

The Confucian Business Ethics Equal importance to Profit, Process and Principles - Essay Example Li gives importance to etiquette and defined process in any business. Any simpleton will not buy a diamond from a beggar. Each business has its own set of etiquette to be followed without which it cannot prosper. A merchant dealing with diamonds should look and act refined manner matching his customer’s status to sell his products to them. Each of this quality is important to do business ethically and properly. Practical Difficulties in Implementing Ethics Several business gurus and universities teach the young executives only about gaining more profits and winning over others. They do not teach them about the ways to do it ethically. As a result the business industry has grown into a massive barbaric ground where each one tries to swallow the other. Taking ethical decisions in everyday life is neither easy nor practical. Even if one person inclines to act in an ethical way, the company principles and the other fellow workers cease to co-operate with them. It is near impossibl e for any business executive or a business as a whole to stay very ethical in their business process. How Confucianism Connects Business with Principles These arguments might sound quite convincing for any normal man. But, there are still a thousand ways any person can stay ethical, if they choose to follow the Confucian principles in day to day life. O.C. Ferrell lists a few practices which result out of declining ethical standards. They are 1. Misuse of company resources 2. Abusing the fellow employees 3. Stealing from the company by altering accounts 4. Producing defective products 5. Bribing the government officials to market them Half of these non-ethical practices are directly related to individuals and others as a... The researcher f this essay focuses on the analysis of the Confucian philosophy on business management, that is giving equal importance to profit, process and principles and is refered as the right way to manage modern day trade and commerce. The Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 B.C.) laid down clear rules on how to do business and live life generally. He believed business could be done in harmony with others without exploiting anyone, with collective interest in mind. The Confucian theory of business concentrates on four main principles, such as Ren – the quality of compassion towards fellow human beings, Xin – honesty and trustworthiness, Yi – giving importance to collective goodness more than personal profits and Li – following a etiquette and uniform process. Today, the western world views the business Confucianism only through the way the Chinese immigrants work. They interpret their sacrifices and hard work as hard and violent most of the time. The researcher mentiones that though most of the businesses in China struggle with the western influence, there are some like the example cited in this essay which have its strong ethical roots. It is such businesses that are transforming China into the next economical superpower, capable of lending millions of dollars to the US government. In conclusion, the researcher suggests that the Confucianism business ethics should be followed not only for the sake of ethics and profits, but to gain sheer peace of mind and happiness.

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

Educational - Research Paper Example These topics were as following: their family situation, employment, their non-educational activities, financial security, their evaluation of the quality of education and their opinion concerning social services and support. The results of the research showed that more students with advantage surroundings had the parents with higher education, compared with the students from disadvantage surroundings. On the contrary, the students from disadvantage surroundings revealed a stronger tendency to be involved into paid employment. As the result, the students with disadvantage surroundings were less involved into non-educational activity, and less time was devoted to the communication by these students. The research also demonstrated equal results as regards to the questions of the education quality and financial concerns. Basing upon the results of the research the authors suggest necessary changes that are to be carried out to provide more favourable conditions for the students with disadvantage backgrounds. The research approach (methodology/technique) used by the author is cohort study, carried out with the help of questionnaire. The types of study are as follows: longitudinal study, cohort study, cross sectional study, and trend study. The definition of the cohort study is as follows(Cohen et al, 2000): Where successive measures are taken at different points in time from the same respondents, the term 'follow up study' or 'cohort study' is used in the British literature. In a cohort study a specific population is tracked over a specific period of time but selective sampling within that example occurs. This means that some members of a cohort may not be included each time. Advantages of Cohort study are(Cohen et al, 2000): 1. They permit researchers to examine individual variations in characteristics or traits, and to produce individual growth curves. This approach allowed the authors represent the data with the help of diagrams, where the results for each group were represented separately and could be compared to each other. 2. Cohort analysis is especially useful in sociological research because it can show how changing properties of individuals fit together into changing properties of social systems as a whole. This study observed various aspects of students' living basing upon social background of their living and their families, and the results make evident necessary changes that are to be carried out to improve bad conditions. 3. Finally, time, always a limiting factor in experimental and interview settings, is generally more readily available in cohort studies, allowing the researcher greater opportunity to observe trends and to distinguish 'real' changes from chance occurrences (see Bailey, 1978) . As the authors state, "this data allows us to both hone in on a particular time point for thorough analysis (e.g. the third year) as well as examine trends over time." Disadvantages of Cohort study are(Cohen et al, 2000): 1. During the course of a long-term cohort study, subjects drop out, are lost or refuse further co-operation. Such attrition makes it unlikely that those who remain in the study are as representative of the population as the sample that was originally drawn. The authors admit that there could be important issues to reflect the notions of the students from disadvantage background, and these issues could have been missed in this study. Another approaches that provide for more

Identifying and Managing Risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Identifying and Managing Risk - Essay Example This is because once risks are identified the right strategies and techniques are put in place to ensure that they do not have negative effects on the portfolio or project. By implication, it can be said that it is not right to try to deny the reality of the existence of risk. Rather, the existence of risks must be appreciated, identified and embraced. More importantly, the right techniques must be in place to managing risk. Kallman and Abdali, Mouath and Qusai have both come up with a number of risk management techniques which share some similarities and differences in terms of their implementation and usage. Reading through Kallman one finds three major risk management techniques that are highlighted by the writer. These are risk avoidance, risk tolerance, and risk acceptance. Writing on situations under which either of these may be deemed as appropriate for an organization, Kallman emphasized that â€Å"If a cost-benefit analysis shows the downside is just too large for the organizations risk tolerance then avoidance is a wise choice.† The author continued to advise that â€Å"If the situation falls within the organizations' risk appetite or tolerance, however, then acceptance is the appropriate choice.† From these two quotations, the technique of risk management is clearly outlined. It can be noted that Kallman advocates the use of systematic analysis of risk by weighing the impact of risk on the organization’s activities and programs. Once such weighing is done, it will be possible to determine the exact impact of the risk to the organization. By so doing, risks t hat can be contained without any significant negative impact can be allowed to remain so that the efforts to management can be sent on those risks that pose some levels of threat through risk tolerance.  

Identify the components and interfaces commonly present in J2EE Essay

Identify the components and interfaces commonly present in J2EE projects as they progress through the development and design of the distributed architecture - Essay Example In a distributed computing environment, J2EE uses a multi-tiered application model. There are the (1) the web-tier components that run on the J2EE server; (2) the business-tier components run on the J2EE server; the (3) client-tier components that run on the client machine and (4) the Enterprise information system or EIS-tier software which runs on the EIS server. A J2EE component may be defined as a self-contained functional software unit that is assembled into a J2EE application along with its related classes and files and which is able to communicate with other components using programming logic (java.sun.com). In a J2EE distributed enterprise application model therefore, the application logic is usually divided into components according to their function, and the various application components that make up a J2EE application are installed on different machines depending on the tier in the multi-tiered J2EE environment to which the application component belongs. I believe that the RUP or Rational Unified Process is the best approach for J2EE applications. This consists of the following phases: Requirements Analysis, Object Oriented Analysis, Architecture Specification, Object Design, Implementation, Validation, Assembly and Deployment, and Operation and Maintenance (Kurniawan, 2002). All in all, we see can that the main usage of the J2EE environment is to develop and deploy enterprise applications. The modern J2EE platform consists of a set of services, application programming interfaces and protocols that provide the functionality for developing multi-tiered, web-based applications in a distributed computing

Young People and Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Young People and Politics - Essay Example With respect to the second one, the electoral numbers of young people is indicative of a comprehensive dissatisfaction that is upsetting the overall British political scenario. The level of non-voting with all qualified adults is in stable decrease for local, common as well as European legislative body voting, and there are deteriorating levels of hope normally within British political establishments, representatives and procedures (Wattenberg, 2011, p. 31). These improvements have brought a few to talk about there being a catastrophe of legality that should be met by plans to boost nationality as well as prompt a strengthened egalitarian society. The Government’s plan of legal alteration tries to deal with these concerns regarding nationality and involvement in egalitarian dealings. In a different place, the financial as well as communal research committee has set up a particular research agenda on parliamentary government and contribution to look into such issues. In additio n, the Crick Report thinks about the systems by which young people may expand a commitment with the political procedure, and recommends bringing in constitutional nationality courses into teaching at educational institutions (Buckingham, 2000, p. 42). This paper deals with these issues with respect to young people, and adds to the hypothetical perceptive of political involvement within Britain. Besides, it reviews the growth of innovative proposals planned to make the administrative structure more responsive to youth issues and additionally flexible to support youth involvement within democratic dealings. It is claimed that mutually, these will facilitate to set in the perception that young people have a chance in society in addition to a responsibility to â€Å"play as full citizens† (Henderson et al, 2010, p. 88). There is rising apprehension between government circles that young people are turning more and more detached from politics as well as the egalitarian structure. C ontemporary opinion is that this improvement â€Å"calls into question the legitimacy of the political system itself† (Fahmy, 2006, p. 21) and that it is as well causing the rise of a disappointed as well as reckless youth generation. This is exemplified by their obvious reluctance to follow the regulation, to act by the set of laws, or to provide financial support for the requirements of others. Surely, the pace of voting turnout with young people during latest elections has pursued a stable descending tendency. During the earlier nationwide voting of 2002, merely 59 percent of 18 years to 24 years olds voted in comparison with a common turnout of 82.1 percent. Recently, the second figure was 71 percent, the smallest ballot from the war, with merely 65 percent of an approximate turnout rate for 18 years to 24 years olds of 68 percent (Fahmy, 2006, p. 21). On the other hand, a number of studies have recommended that whereas young people may be less concerned in official polit ics as compared to other (elder) age groups, this sort of a growth is not necessarily predictable, and nor does it hint at a lack of concern in politics as such. Instead, a number of authors have revealed that young people are apprehensive with reference to issues that are political in nature, but that these apprehensions stay further than the limits of how politics is traditionally recognized. As a result, several studies have revealed that this faction do have a high rate of involvement in different types of charitable as well as campaigning movement - the outcomes of which were projected to attain various political as well as communal alteration - without taking into account this step as essentially political. In addition, young people

Homeland Security Organization and Administration Case Study

Homeland Security Organization and Administration - Case Study Example The attacks provided the realization of the need to integrate and unify efforts towards defending the country from security threats and identify all the lapses in protecting the nation against terrorist attacks. As such, the DHS was formed with the following purpose, to wit: â€Å"by largely transforming and realigning the current confusing patchwork of government activities into a single department whose primary mission is to protect our homeland. The creation of a Department of Homeland Security is one more key step in the President’s national strategy for homeland security† (Department of Homeland Security, 2002, p. 1). The creation of the DHS through the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) was therefore instituted with the aim of enhancing and duly communicating awareness to impending threats through a system of color codes, according to potential risks and levels of terrorist attacks – from yellow, orange to red (DHS, n.d.). Likewise, on April 20, 2011, it was announced that this system was replaced by the â€Å"National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS)—a robust terrorism advisory system that provides timely information to the public about credible terrorist threats and replaces the former color-coded alert system† (DHS, n.d., p. 1). It was likewise emphasized that â€Å"the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were far more elaborate, precise, and destructive than any of these earlier assaults. But by September 2001, the executive branch of the U.S. government, the Congress, the news media, and the American public had received a clear warning that Islamist terrorists meant to kill Americans in high numbers† (National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 2004, par. 16). The seemingly isolated terrorist incidents should have been closely evaluated in terms of potential links and relatedness to future terrorist  plots.The Oklahoma City attack and the 1993 World Trade Center bombings reported far lesser casualties; as compared to those noted with the 9/11 attacks.

Gender Based Conflict Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Gender Based Conflict Management - Essay Example In his research, Valentine identified and analyzed five conflict resolution strategies that were used by nurses at their workplace. The five strategies included avoiding, compromising, competing, collaborating and accommodating. From her analysis, she realized that gender may influence the extent by which nurses choose their conflict management strategies. From the perspective of gender, women are perceived to be more concerned about interpersonal aspects of the relationship than it is to men. In this effort, female nurses are seen to view conflict management as a way they use while seeking confirmation and support in their effort to maintaining harmony. The results found out that male nurses resorted to using competing method of conflict resolution. This conflict resolution strategy at workplace is associated with the application of power by the competing nurses. This is as a result of the perceived differences in power between male and female genders and lack of self-confidence in the male nurses. Male nurses, unlike female nurses, fail to realize that differences in opinions can be used as opportunities to learn and solve their differences. In another study carried out by Friedman, Shu-Cheng, and Liu on "An expectancy model of Chinese-American differences in conflict-avoiding," the authors put it clear that Chinese have higher tendencies to avoid conflicts than Americans (Friedman, et al., 2006). The results of this expectancy model found out that Chinese use avoiding strategy of conflict control due to various reasons alienated to them, which cannot be applied by the Americans. Chinese realize that direct conflicts are capable of hurting their relationships with the other party. They have greater concern for the other parties. Therefore, they tend to apply the avoiding strategy to uphold this fact. Chinese are also regarded as a people who show great respect and sensitivity to hierarchy. Because of this, any

Final Project Outline Essay Example for Free

Final Project Outline Essay 1. Slide One (Introduction): â€Å"Should there be a set of uniform moral standards?† Speaker Notes: With the way the worlds is today and as the younger kids begin to mature, they have not been taught morals and if they have been taught morals, they seem to leave them at their door step as they venture out into the world of society. In order for society to live in peace and harmony, the United States would need to create uniform moral standards where everyone would have the expectation of abiding by the standards supported by laws. 2. Slide two: Moral Standards Speaker Notes: Morals are described as how people should behave when it comes to right and wrong. Some moral standards could be absolutely no prejudice, absolutely no lying, and people must treat other people with respect and courtesy. 3. Third slide: Levels of punishment. Speaker Notes- Levels of punishment should vary based on the crime committed. When one has a first time offense, one should receive a lower level punishment verse someone who continues to be a repeat offender, which would deserve the maximum punishment. I strongly believe that if a set of uniform moral standards were put into place the world would be a better place. Crime and corruption would be down. Maybe they should think about the way that foreign countries have a â€Å"set of uniform moral standards,† such as if someone is caught stealing they lose a finger. There will always be people who will disagree to the standards but that is to be expected because some people just are set in there ways but that comes with the territory and they deal with the issues now so what would be the difference? 4. Fourth slide: Deciding Moral Standards Speaker Notes- Based on a voting system, a sheet containing morals standards would be dispersed and the ones that not voted for would be taken off the sheet. After a final review and decision, the U.S. would forward the sheet to Congress for a concrete decision and then become a law. 5. Fifth slide: Society and Moral Standards Speaker Notes: Society and Moral Standards would have to be implemented and given a chance to work before a proper judgment could be decided. Until this happens they would be looked at in a negative way. Even though our country is in an economic crisis, others are still moving here because their country is in worse shape than ours. With the way of the world today people are just walking around in a self-centered mode worrying about them and having no conscience of their moral or ethical accountability. Negativity seems to plague this world like a man-made disease. 6. Sixth slide: Retribution Speaker Notes: This seems to be the only way to get people to understand what is going on. Standards have to be set and followed and if they are not followed or laws are broken then the responsible parties that are disobedient to the laws or standards have to be held accountable and punished to be taught a lesson and possibly send a message to future people who intend to do the same. 7. Seventh slide: The Supreme Court Speaker Notes: Beings that the Supreme Court is the highest ranking court in the U.S., having them make the final decision on moral standards will send the message that the standards are set in stone and are not open for review. This gives the people a chance to vote and set their own standards that they themselves have voted in and must abide by. 8. Eighth slide: Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) Speaker Notes: Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) created the â€Å"Categorical Imperative†, in which he believed that practical reasoning, free will, and necessary action are what drives a person to do what they feel is right. 9. Ninth slide: John Locke (1632-1704) Speaker Notes: The freedom of religion and natural rights was promoted and endorsed by John Locke who was a huge activist. He felt that survival continued to breathe because of following God’s law that coincides with a  natural moral law. He was a firm believer of â€Å"do unto others as you would have others do unto you.† If people continue to live right then eventually God’s law will prevail. 10. Tenth slide: St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Speaker Notes: St. Aquinas was a Christian who made the Five Ways. These ways were a way that this philosopher looked to prove that God was real. Being a believer in God this philosopher had faith in what was right and what was wrong. Cosmological argument, moral argument, and the argument of design made up the Five Ways that this philosopher created. 11. Eleventh slide (conclusion): Speaker Notes: I strongly believe that if a set of uniform moral standards were put into place the world would be a better place. Crime and corruption would be down. Maybe they should think about the way that foreign countries have a â€Å"set of uniform moral standards,† such as if someone is caught stealing they lose a finger. There will always be people who will disagree to the standards but that is to be expected because some people just are set in there ways but that comes with the territory and they deal with the issues now so what would be the difference? No matter where we go in this world there will be people who have good morals, bad morals, and some just will not care. The bottom line is as a living species on this earth one must be able to improvise, over come, and adapt to their surroundings whether it is to their benefit or not. Moore Bruder, 2008 Retrieved September 15, 2010 from Axia College PHI105 website

Ford Motor Companys Human resource management

Ford Motor Companys Human resource management Executive Summary Human resource management is one of the pillars on which stands the foundation of any and every organization. It deals with various aspects of organizational structure and looks into several organizational policies thereby playing a vital role in strategic planning of an organization. Though human resource management is a vast topic, job analysis and recruiting processes are highly significant. Thus, through this weekly summary, this paper will answer various discussion questions pertaining to the same. This essay will look at Ford pertaining to the organizational infrastructure including recruiting procedures, job descriptions, its elements, classifications, job analysis and methodologies as well as elements has a major scope in the corporate world. However, what I found the most important as well as the most interesting and pragmatic sub topic through this weeks learning experience is all about performance appraisal or performance evaluation. Performance appraisal is a â€Å"distinct and formal management procedure used in the evaluation of work performance† (Introduction: Performance Appraisal) or as the detailed definition of the procedure suggests, performance evaluation a structured formal interaction between a subordinate and supervisor, that usually takes the form of a periodic interview (annual or semi-annual), in which the work performance of the subordinate is examined and discussed, with a view to identifying weaknesses and strengths as well as opportunities for improvement and skills development† (Introduction: Performance Appraisal). Hence, the importance of performance evaluation becomes obvious and can be applied to our organization through various methodologies including graphic scale, checklist, forced choice, ranking, paired comparison, forced distribution, MBO, and BARS (Dessler, 2000) as well as with the aid of incentives, bonuses and word of appreciation and a pat on the back. Research by Luis et al. (2001) suggests that performance evaluation when applied adequately can reap massive fruitful results including improved customer satisfaction diffusing from employee satisfaction, ameliorated work performance and product quality, ease in retaining trained and diligent work force and so on and so forth. Business Strategy Review: Ford Motor Company is a global corporation made up of the worlds most recognizable cars, trucks, and Suvs (www.fordmotorcompany.com). It consists of eight major companies that can be separated into three categories based on their origins. First there is Mazda, which comes from Japan. Next we have the American automotives, which are Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury. The third group consists of European cars, and they are Land Rover, Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Volvo. Together they make the Ford Motor company the worlds second largest manufacturer of cars and trucks. The Japanese company offers consumers a wide range of prices, because of this people of all economical stature buy their products. Together the three American companies provide the same price ranges. Finally, the European line is strictly for the high rollers. In this essay, I have researched these eight companies and found that the reason for the Ford Motor Companies success lies within the fact that they have all the consumer gr oups covered. The only company in the first group is Mazda. For the less financially endowed, they have the Protege, and the 626.Those with a little more money might go for the luxury of the Millenia, or perhaps the Miata if they are looking for a sportier car. Mazda also makes a minivan, for all the soccer moms and large families, called the MPV. Price ranges for all of these automotives come from $12,000 and go up to $33,000. The second group also covers the price ranges fairly well. Ford takes care of the cheaper cars with its Focus and Escort, which go for $11,000-12,500. The Explorer is the most purchased SUV in the world, probably because its right in the price range of most working Americans at $16,000-35,000 (except for teachers of course). One of the most popular cars that Ford produces is the Mustang, its got a legacy in America that is backed up by the thousands of people who purchase it ever year, most of which are males that have been blessed with money at an early age. A Mustang starts at $21,000 and goes up to $32,000. Then we have the Lincoln, purchased by the rich retired people and the Mafia. All the Lincolns are sleek, luxurious, and expensive. These cars are large and powerful, giving both safety and comfort to their owners. Recently the Navigator was developed, and provided the wealthy people of America with an SUV of their own. At last we come to the third group. All these companies fit well together because of their prices, they are all priced over $36,000. Land Rover provides amazing SUVs to those who have the ability to purchase them. The next three, with the addition of Lincoln, make up the Ford Motor Companies Premier Automotive Group. These three companies aim their sales at upscale consumers worldwide. The Aston Martin is known for its high-tech products, and its high prices as well. Jaguar is an amazing car that combines sportiveness, elegance, and raw power. Volvo itself stands for safety, durability, and a premium mode of transp ort. One cannot drive down any road without seeing a Volvo at some point. The European cars provide toys for even the wealthiest of people and back their prices by producing the most precise and breathtaking cars to hit the road. HR Strategy Planning and strategic decisions about recruiting include both internal and external recruiting. There are various internal sources of recruiting that work effectively to accomplish the targeted organizational goals. As Buford, Bedeian Lindner (1995) Zoller (1996) define, â€Å"recruiting is the process of generating a sufficiently large group of applicants from which to select qualified individuals for available jobs† and apart from the external sources including media advertising, walk-ins, public and private employment agencies, educational institutions, state agencies, government programs, direct recruiting (Lindner Zoller), there are internal sources that are effective. These internal sources of recruiting include employee referrals and internal job postings (Lindner Zoller). Good, experienced, trained and hard working employees when make referrals, organizations must feel obliged. This is because, employee referral is one internal source that has so far proved quite effective in the recruiting procedure worldwide. Employee referrals minimize the work load and share the responsibility with the management which otherwise remains solely responsible for recruiting the right people at the right time (Lindner Zoller). What makes this internal source effective is the reason that those applicants that are referred by the working employees have a clearer picture of the organizational expectations, aims and vision and can shape their expectations from the organization and their duties accordingly in a better fashion than applicants that are recruited directly through other sources (Lindner Zoller). Another very effective internal source of recruiting is internal job postings. Vacancies year round can be filled in by the working as well as the deserving employees that can be found, located and analyzed internally through the application of performance appraisal. â€Å"These vacancies may represent promotions (upward moves) or transfers (lateral moves). Posting and circulating notices of vacancies maximizes employee awareness of job openings. The notice should include such items as title, department, job summary, qualifications, and salary and should be placed on bulletin boards, announced in meetings, and otherwise communicated to employees† (Lindner Zoller). Thus, this internal source of recruiting remains effective to date as it involves internal inspection and review of the working employees without having to tap the external sources. Interviewing is one of the principal elements of recruiting and obviously the most crucial of all. Both the interviewer as well as the interviewee need to be well-prepared, focused, confident and most of all considerate and well- informed. However, an interviewer must have a clear knowledge what he or she can and must or should ask. The kinds of questions depend basically on the types of interviews. There are roughly and generally three kinds of interviews that classify the types of questions that an interviewer can ask the applicant during the process of recruitment (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc). These types include: (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) Ø Structured Interview (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) Ø Unstructured Interview (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) Ø Behavioral Interview (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) Hence, an interviewer can ask direct, highly focused, rigid, limited, specific and definitive questions with the aid of â€Å"Structured interviews† (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.). These questions include pointed questions that belong to a particular set of questions or are a part of the sequence. Through unstructured interviews, an interviewer can ask questions that are more â€Å"conversational† and involve a rather â€Å"give and take of information† (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.). In addition to the above, an interviewer can ask questions as classified by the behavioral interviews wherein â€Å"the interviewer will ask very pointed questions regarding how you have handled specific kinds of situations, or how you would anticipate dealing with the kinds of challenges presented on the job. A sample question in a behavioral interview might be describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see thing s your way or describe a time you dealt with a difficult customer or co-worker† (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.). Sample questions that an interviewer may ask, include the following: (*All questions are taken verbatim from the research sources under consideration) What are your career goals and objectives? (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) Tell me something about yourself. (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) What do you see yourself doing five years from now? (Mulligan) How do you make yourself indispensable to a company? (Mulligan) Whats your greatest strength? (Mulligan) Whats your greatest weakness? (Mulligan) Tell me about a time when your course load was heavy. How did you complete all your work? (Mulligan) Tell me about a time when you had to accomplish a task with someone who was particularly difficult to get along with. (Mulligan) How do you accept direction and, at the same time, maintain a critical stance regarding your ideas and values? (Mulligan) What are some examples of activities and surroundings that motivate you? (Mulligan) Tell me how you handled an ethical dilemma. (Mulligan) Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a problem with no rules or guidelines in place. (Mulligan) However, where there are certain guidelines for interviewers for asking the possible questions that can be termed as positive. Interviewers must be very careful regarding the critical as well as responsible job that they are shouldering. On the same account, interviewers must not ask certain questions that should be avoided. These interview questions include those questions that might provoke the interviewee. In addition to the above, questions that are capable of or have even a slight probability of providing a cultural clash or serve as communication barriers or are too personal must not be inquired by the interviewee who is the prospective employee of the company. Questions that are capable of compelling the applicants to get off the track and get offended or burst out must be avoided at all costs. Discriminatory questions or questions that reflect the interviewers bias or prejudice or suggest offensive remarks or the â€Å"systems† prejudice must be avoided at the time of the interview. Moreover, in case of the interviewer and the interviewee belonging to different genders, questions that suggest gender discrimination thereby arousing sentiments of resentment must also be avoided. Thus all sorts of questions or statements that have even the slightest possibility of creating negative emotions including irritation, mental disturbance, feelings of resentment, hatred or might offend (and so on and so forth) the interviewee must be avoided by the interviewer during the process of recruitment that is while interviewing. Budget: Flexible Staffing Flexible staffing options have various advantages as well as disadvantages. Here is a list pertaining to the same: Ø â€Å"Temporary reassignment† is one of the primary flexible staffing options. With the help of temporary reassignment, organizations can â€Å"cross-train† their employees thereby generating â€Å"generalists and specialists† (Flexible staffing Options).however, disadvantages include affected employee morale. This is because â€Å"the employee may feel that management is using him or her. Clear and positive communication is essential in these situations† (Flexible staffing Options). Moreover, â€Å"managers must monitor the assignment and determine a course of action should the assignment become permanent† (Flexible staffing Options). Ø â€Å"Job Sharing† is another form of flexible staffing. It also has various advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include the following: Ø Organizations benefit economically in a way that they save fifty percent of the performance incentives when employees share duties and do not hold full-time status (Flexible staffing Options). Moreover, the over time charges are also occasionally applicable and â€Å"employee satisfaction and productivity is often increased because the job structure has provided the hours needed to meet personal concerns and he/she generally has the energy and motivation to produce more in less time† (Flexible staffing Options). Ø However, there are several jobs that cannot have a dual nature and therefore cannot simply be shared among employees. Furthermore, the â€Å"paperwork† increases to almost double when more employees are working on the similar tasks. â€Å"Job sharers would need to have similar organizational styles, be able to communicate effectively and efficiently, and work together well and if one job sharer resigns, it can sometimes be difficult to recruit another person in a timely manner to share the position† (Flexible staffing Options). Conclusion Hence from the above discussion, it is evident that human resource management is a vast field with a wide scope and offers a rich array of sub fields regarding personnel management as the weekly summary suggests. Success of the recruitment plan can be gauged with the aid of constant review and weekly or bi- monthly or monthly and quite often annual evaluation of the recruitment plan. Thorough scrutiny can reveal the weaknesses and strengths of the recruitment plan thereby revealing the success factor of the recruiting and staffing strategies. The performance of the recruiters both the recently hired employees and the previously more trained employees can be used as one of the most obvious, pragmatic, clear and expedient metric to evaluate the success of the recruitment plan. Sound and professionally efficient performance of the recruiters will imply that the recruitment plan is successful. Lethargic and upsetting performance by the recruiters that might disturb the organizational equilibrium and serve as the obstacle in the path of the organizations success can be used as the evaluation tool for the success of the recruitment plan. Moreover, review of the recruitment plan in terms of the guid elines given by various consulting firms and other organizations can also help in gauging the success of the recruitment plan. The best way to handle a candidates competing job offer is to exactly know the requirements or simply put the demands of the candidate. If money is the motivator or professional prestige in terms of the designation or a fancy title is what the candidate is looking for, simply hit the point and provide him with better incentives, bonuses or an attractive package which he finds far better than the opposing firm. Moreover, look for the weaknesses of the competing firm and try to focus on your strengths and bargain accordingly both with the candidate and the competitor if need arise. In order to make a recruiting plan work for the well-being of ones organization, it is highly significant that ALL the strategic recruiting considerations must be addressed by the human resource managers in a recruiting plan. This is because if the strategic recruiting considerations are not addressed, chances are that the organization might fall prey to the highly competitive nature of the corporate world. With the world rapidly transmuting into a global village, firms need to be strategically sound in their recruitment procedures in order to hire the best possible employees available to the market thereby generating huge profits and augmenting customer satisfaction as well as establishing their reputation as a successful brand name. Hence, if the strategic recruiting considerations have loopholes, the organization will fail to have an experienced and well-trained as well as competent workforce essential for the accomplishment of the organizational goals. References 1. Introduction to performance appraisal. Retrieved July 6, 2003 from: http://www.performance-appraisal.com/intro.htm 2. Dessler G (2000). Human Resource Management, Eighth Edition. Copyright 2000, 1997, 1994, 1991, 1988 by Prentice-Hall, Inc. Compilation. Copyright _ 2002 by Pearson Custom Publishing. 3. Luis R. Go ´ mez-Meji ´a, Balkin D. Robert L Managing Human Resources, Third Edition. Copyright _ 2001 by Prentice-Hall A Pearson Education Company, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. 4. Buford, J. A., Jr., Bedeian, A. G., Lindner, J. R. (1995). Management in Extension (3rd ed.). Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Extension. Zoller, C. (1996). Filling a Position in a Small Business, Extension Fact Sheet: Small Business Series, Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Extension 5. Lindner Zoller. Recruiting employees for small businesses: a little planning goes a long way. . Retrieved July 6, 2003 from: http://ohioline.osu.edu/cd-fact/1382.html 6. Interview Tips. Insurance Staffing Consultants. Retrieved July 6, 2003 from: http://www.insurancestaffing.net/interview_tip00.htm 7. Mulligan B. Interviewers Favorite Questions and Answers. Retrieved July 6, 2003 from: http://www.jobweb.com/Resources/Library/Interviews__Resumes/Interviewers_92_01.htm 8. Flexible Staffing Options. Retrieved July 6, 2003 from: http://www.ps.vt.edu/supervisorscorner/flexstaff/

Secure Corporate Network Infrastructure Development

Secure Corporate Network Infrastructure Development Pop Quiz! VPN stands for†¦ A.1 VPN stands for Virtual Private Network or Virtual Private Networking. A VPN is a private network in the sense that it carries controlled information, protected by various security mechanisms, between known parties. VPNs are only virtually private, however, because this data actually travels over shared public networks instead of fully dedicated private connections. Introduction I have a strong point of view that MCC has been fostering is dear students from all computing courses since its establishment. With the intention of uplifting the education standard in Computer Technology, MCC has collaborated with NCC of Greenwich College in London to set up the Joint Program of International Diploma in Computer Studies (IDCS). I have given my best effort and attention and I also obtained priceless knowledge and experience in developing and implementing the cost-effective VPN extranet infrastructure for National Bank for Rural Development. Overview The construction of the Rural National Development Bank brought great prosperity to an area where previously had tremendous hardship in making monetary transaction. Being in a rural area like this, we cant have hefty load of budgets invest in for the normal operation of the bank. The bank has currently been using Microsoft Windows operating system as client machines and also the network is window-based. The bank wants to create a corporate network infrastructure to connect their agents and branches securely. The bank preferred to use NOS for Ubuntu Linux for they will reduce the overall cost dramatically when compared to Microsoft Server Version. All of these multi-functioned organisations and personnel need to have a medium to communicate for the smooth flow of their work. As the new networking advisor for this project, I have thought out the plan to implement such medium on less costly basis. The aim of this project is to investigate the currently favourable means for building a secure corporate network infrastructure that consists of servers, extranet, preferred form of internet connection and clients. This report will contain recommended methods and a sample of a network security design with a clearly labeled diagram. Also, the source and references of information and excerpts in this report will be acknowledged and can be found at the end of this documentation. Prototype for the Extranet VPN for NBRD There are altogether 500 computers and 100 peripheral devices in the main office bank. There are tens of departments and hundreds of staff ranging from front-office to auditor. VPN actually is a private network for delivering of important data and facts within the organisation via the secure use of the public network like Internet or Wide Area Network. The internet source is coming from ISP which provides high-speed Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line. The main office is a very sophisticated infrastructure and the daily normal operation of the bank is very much dependant on four servers-VPN Server which is a must in all VPN configured network, Print Server, File Server and Database Server. The computers and peripheral devices are connected from the four servers via multi-purpose switch (to regenerate signals). The outlet of the main office building has router in place for connecting separate logical networks to form an internetwork. And then comes the Gateway to convert Microsoft Ma il to Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) for transmission over the Internet. Although routers work at the Network layer and can route packets of the same protocol (such as TCP/IP) over networks with dissimilar architectures (such as Ethernet to token ring), gateways can route packets over networks with different protocols. And then comes a firewall. A firewall is a hardware device or software program that inspects packets going into or out of a network or computer and then discards or forwards those packets based on a set of rules. The data then travels on the VPN tunnel by using IPSec Protocol. It is the most popular method for encrypting data as it travels through network media. IPSec works by establishing an association between two communicating devices. An association is formed by two devices authenticating their identities via a preshared key, Kerberos authentication, or digital certificates. Suburban branch has 300 computers and 50 peripheral devices and has varieties of de partments and large numbers of staff for its daily normal operation and performs the same task mentioned above. National Bank for Rural Development has 50 computers and 5 peripheral devices. It also has departments and staffs but it depends on VPN server for its normal operation. Business partners and agents are connected to the VPN via remote access. Brief biography of Ubuntu is an open source (can change the source computer code at your desire) operating system version is upgraded every six months desktop, server and ultimate editions are available Can be used wih wide ranges of computers and hardwares:-(Intel x86 (IBM-compatible PC), AMD64 (Hammer) and PowerPC (Apple iBook and Powerbook, G4 and G5) architectures) Supported by Canonical Ltd. is GNU/Linux (comprises of many programs and most essential one is ‘kernel which is linux in (GNU/Linux) and it combines with other GNU programs to boot up the system) and if an error occurs and the Kernel becomes corrupted, a different copy can then be used instead. debian-based Linux is the system descended from Unix GNU/Linux was put into existence by Free Software Foundation in 1984 is free-of-charge and totally aimed at programmers and developers The first Linux kernel was invented by Finland-national Computer Science student ‘Linus Torvalds Because of its alluring advantages such as being free of charge, compatible with many software programs, not easily hanged or freezed, multi-tasking, and more safer than other OS make Linux more popular among business partners and individual person hide the user from browsing the registry keys that have important information more effective in hindering the spread of viruses and executing of malicious programs and threats Ubuntu can be downloaded from this site: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu is compatible with ‘Intel and AMD and the compatibility with hardware parts can be checked in this site: http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/ http://www.linux-laptop.net/ (For laptops) The minimum requirements for Ubuntu 700 MHz x86 processor 384 MB of system memory (RAM) 8 GB of disk space Graphics card capable of 1024768 resolution Sound card A network or Internet connection CD/DVD Drive For visual effects and graphic 1.2 GHz x86 processor 512 MB of system memory (RAM) Supported graphics card Note: the above descriptions are only minimum requirements and better processor and system memory will certainly enhance the performance of Ubuntu. For downloading software for disk partition by using disk management of windows: http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm Task 1- 50 Marks Your Bank currently has network client machines based on the Microsoft Windows Operating System. The Bank decides to evaluate the benefits of the open source Linux operating system, preferably the latest Ubuntu Linux distribution version 9.10 server edition (freely downloadable from http://www.ubuntu.com) Evaluate the benefit of Linux operating system as Interoperable and alternative NOS for the company in the form of a feasibility report to include the following: 1.1) The comparative Networking features of Windows and Linux. (10 Marks) Comparative Networking Features of Windows and Linux Windows Operating System Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) acts as a shield from unauthorized access to home networks and computers. It had come with the window installation package and it enables automatically in its default settings when the Network Setup Wizard is run and is compatible with most networks. ICF has manual switch on-off modes which can be done through the Network Connections folder. Wireless LAN provides Ethernet and Wireless Security with its improved standard IEEE 802.1X which has been developed with the combined effort of Microsoft, Wireless LAN dealers and PC dealers. Former version is highly inefficient in lacking security control with a key management system. The IEEE 802.1X is a port-based network access control and can be used with Windows XP via access points. Network Setup Wizard acts as a novice guideline in setting up the network can be utilised to configure the Internet Connection in networked computers, and also network adapters (NIC Card) can be used to enable Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), Network Bridge if appropriate, sharing resources such as files and printers and naming of computers. Network Diagnostics Features Diagnosing network features by using the following tools: The Network Diagnostics Web Page and NetSh helper Network Connections Support Tab Network Connection Repair Link Task Manager Networking Tab Updated Command Line Network Diagnostics Tool Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) A single internet connection from the source computer can be shared to all the other computers in a home or small office network. ICS is enabled in the source computer and gives out all the physical and IP addresses and translates these for all the networked computers in the organisation. Linux Operating System acts as a forbidder for all incoming connections but opens up for outgoing connections. When in ‘high mode, it allows for all outgoing connections and restricts to limited number of high ports for point-to-point applications. When switch to ‘medium mode, still permits outgoing connections, selected applications for incoming ports plus point-to-point application. When change to ‘none mode (â€Å"get out of my face†), it denies all incoming and outgoing connections. Only in the ‘laptop mode, the firewall does activate without giving any alert to an Interface (GUI). Protocols Linux supports IPv6 and SSH but Windows is not. 1.2) Interoperability features of Ubuntu with the existing Microsoft Windows Workstations. (10 Marks) Interoperability refers to the capability of the system ranging from hardware and OS to work in multi-platforms. Windows and Linux are both OS and of x386 architecture. Open Office in Linux which is similar to MS Office in Windows is java based application. All of us know java -based applications will work in any platform. OpenOffice.org can be used to open and save Microsoft Office formats, such as PowerPoint, Word and Excel documents. Ubuntu can share files with Windows with ease, and can connect with current e-mail servers even Microsoft Exchange. Ubuntu support plug-n-play hardware, wireless networking, printing and other graphical and multimedia software. Connecting from Linux to Windows With the use of network, we can control Windows computer from Linux: enable â€Å"remote administration† on the Windows host make sure you reach the computer from your Linux box ping windows_computer connect to the computer rdesktop windows_computer Connecting from Windows to Linux The following can be used to have control over Linux computer from a Windows box: Vnc Xdmcp NX X-Servers for Windows puTTy (command-line only) Exchanging files between Linux and Windows When having two hard disk partitions but running on one OS, in case want to access a Linux partition when running Windows and vice versa, the following can be done: When on a Linux host and want to access a Windows drive Winhost has been assumed as Windows computers hostname in this case (the hostname can be checked by right clicking on My Computer Icon and select Properties). Open the Explorer windows on Windows computer. Right-click on the folder and choose â€Å"Sharing and security† from the drop-down box. Name it â€Å"share1†. Then, on Linux computer, open the file explorer either Konqueror or Nautilus and type smb: //winhost/share1 in the address bar. All the files and folders can be seen in that share. With just double-click, you can open and view them. Want to share When on a Linux computer and want to make the folder accessible on Windows machines over the network, need to run SAMBA service on Linux computer. Right-click on a folder in favourite file explorer like Nautilus and choose â€Å"Sharing Options†. Click and name the share. Nautilus will require a password without prior enabling of the Windows folder sharing and after that install the service. It now requires you to log out and log in again. Windows computer should be available with the share. When on a Windows host and want to access a Linux drive WinSCP is used and SFTP protocol should be chosen. The login procedure and password are same as when log in locally. Firewall should be shut down and openssh service should be installed on Linux computer. Want to share a folder By using normal Windows sharing procedures can share files with Linux. By using samba, the Linux host can access these files. NTFS (New Technology File System) is the Microsoft Window default file system. It is readable as well with Linux and more than 2GB of files can be stored. 1.3) You need to install Ubuntu on a machine and configure network services for Windows and Linux mainly for file sharing and printing. Necessary screen shots have to be provided. Installation of Ubuntu Server Edition 9.10 During the ongoing installation process of Ubuntu Server Edition, LAMP which is a combination of Linux, Apache, and MySQL and PHP servers can be used instead. It is excluded from the Ubuntu Server Installation Package and can easily be used during the time of installation. The LAMP option does not require individual installation and integration separately of each of these components which can take prolonged period of time and need a help from an expert who is skilled in this particular installation. The overall cost can be greatly reduced due to the enhanced security performance, requiring lesser amount of time to install and any possibility of misconfiguration can be reduced. Flexible installation can be carried out with the Ubuntu Server Cloud computing server as varieties of servers like Mail Server, Open SSH Server, Samba File Server, Print Server, Tomcat Java Server, Virtual Machine Host, Manual Package selection, LAMP and DNS options work jointly with cloud computing node and P ostgreSQL Database options. These versions can be installed by Ubuntu LAMP server. Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic) Apache 2.2.12 Mysql 5.1.37 PHP 5.2.10 Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic) LAMP Server Installation is successfully completed and all applications installed will support apache, mysql and php. Ubuntu server 9.10 edition static ip address configuration The command [sudo apt-get install vim-full] can be used to install vim editor TCP/IP utilisation in a corporate or enterprise network needs the devices to be configured in detail, assigned addresses and the destined machines they were assigned need to be kept track of. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used to make this process easier. Through Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Ubuntu installer has arranged our system to acquire its network settings. But we need to switch it to static IP address by editing setup: Edit/etc/network/interfaces and the detail data of your ip address needs to be entered. For instance, IP address 173.20.9.10 is used in this case. The command [sudo vi/etc/network/interfaces] is entered and the file is saved and exit by using the procedure â€Å"In vi, ESC, and then ZZ to save and exit†. The chief network interface auto eth0 iface eth0 inet static address 173.20.9.10 netmask 255.255.255.0 network 189.18.9.3 broadcast 198.34.8.9 gateway 167.8.2.3 Now the command [sudo/tec/init.d/networking restart] is used to restart network services When DHCP is not in use, manual setting up of DNS servers in resolv.conf file is needed with command [sudo vi/etc/resolv.conf] In resolv.conf file the one similar to below should be added. search domain.com nameserver xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx File Sharing configuration in Ubuntu server 9.10 edition Sharing File by using NFS which is the *nix systems default networking protocol inclusive of Ubuntu Linux. File sharing by using Samba protocol Samba File Sharing Samba client permits easy and smooth networking with Windows-based networks except firewall is in place at the ports. Ubuntu Jaunty comes originally installed with Samba client. Samba server When Samba server is not installed by default, the instructions below can be used to configure a Samba server. In this way, files can be shared seamlessly between windows Samba network computers to other Samba clients. Install Samba with the command [sudo apt-get install samba samba-tools system-config-samba] Samba-tools and system-config-samba are not compulsory Samba settings can be altered by:- Method 1 System>Administration>Advanced>Samba This method can only be performed only if system-config-samba is installed Method 2 Needs User Authentication to connect to File Sharing Server and it is highly recommended because of its reliability The instructions below should be carried out to share files on the machine. Current user should be added to Samba by command [sudo smbpasswd- a username] The login username should replace username. Samba config file is opened by command [sudo nano/etc/samba/smb.conf] The directories is to be added at the far end by using the format Path=/home/username/ (The username is to be replaced with your own username and with the folder to be shared) CTRL+ X is pressed and later Y to save Samba is restarted by the command[sudo/etc/init.d/samba restart] The format[\192.168.x.x] is used to access the folder in Windows Explorer. In this instance, \192.168.x.x is used as a sample IP address and the actual IP address of the server in which folder exists should be replaced. The format[smb://192.168.x.x] should be typed in Konqueror or Nautilus of Linux. In this instance also, 192.168.x.x should be replace with the actual IP address of the server in which the folder exists. In case of bug when sharing in KDEs System Settings panel, erase out any situations concerning with these two lines (â€Å"case sensitive† and â€Å"msdfs proxy†) in /etc/smb.conf. Workgroup changing in Windows network workgroup Change your Windows network Samba workgroup by the command [sudo nano/etc/samba/smb.conf] and search out for this line â€Å"workgroup= WORKGROUP† change the setting according to your LAN workgroups name. Print sharing configuration in Ubuntu server 9.10 edition Printers Many printers can be recognized by the new CUPS interface. The Linux Foundation OpenPrinting database provides instructions to install particular types of unrecognized printers. Printer configuration System>Administration>Printing>New Printer>New Printer Usually the printer connected and switched on will be detected automatically. My network printer was configured with IP address at 192.168.10.23 and it was correctly installed at socker://192.168.10.23:9100. Through Samba printers on a Windows system and on other networks can be chosen plus directly connected printers. 1.4) Enumerate the various costs associated with the performance, security, support and maintenance of the Ubuntu within the bank. Cost associated with security of the Ubuntu within the bank A Linux-based operating system, Unix-like and open source make the Ubuntu more secure than any other OS. Translation into higher quality code makes it less prone to spyware and viruses than other OS. Rather strict and hyperactive security policy prevents the effects as a result of open ports or misconfigured software. It is truly multiuser operating system with it allowance in users to accomplish their tasks without giving any harm to the system. In Ubuntu, the user never logged in with an administrator account instead log in as a simple user and can change settings concern only with the user but for modifying settings that can somehow affect the system, the user required to type in administrator password. Cost associated with maintenance of the Ubuntu within the bank LTSP thin client technology makes Ubuntu deployment and management simpler and easier. With only a single server, over 50 workstations can be setup, manage and administrate. Ubuntu can therefore reduce the amount of time spend in administrating computers. Ubuntu is and will always be free to obtain, use and upgrade. No license fees or upgrades expenses are cost even if 100 or more machines are to be installed or can install on computers only having specific programs. Ubuntu also assist in saving hardware costs by allowing redeploying older machines as thin clients using LTSP technology. Cost associated with support of Ubuntu within the bank Ubuntu support can be getting from Ubuntu communities. Authors of the Ubuntu can get in touch directly through mailing lists and IRC channels including Ubuntu developers. Wide varieties are support are available, on mailing lists, wiki websites, IRC channels and bug trackers. Canonical who finances Ubuntu development can give help in any paid work. The community at the back of Ubuntu attracts people to the use of operating system. Linux community people are largely ex-Windows users and they have exact feelings the newness of an operating system and they are willing to help. In the Linux environment the best community support is offered by Ubuntu. Cost associated with performance of Ubuntu within the bank Program calls Synaptic offers access to most applications available to Ubuntu and by clicking the program wanted and it will install without needing to accept agreements several times pre-installation. Just select the program and click OK and it is finished. Ubuntu will download the installation files, install them and start the application on its own. That makes Ubuntu easier to install new programs. Ubuntu is fast and does not take up a lot of resources. Performance will not even slow down in prolonged use. Everything will be opened in a short time after clicking the icon and closes immediately when click the icon X. Ubuntu gets update every six months. Everything about Ubuntu is free. Even they will dig their pockets to pay postal charges if you ask them a free copy of the operating system. The software installed is free including all the software that can be downloaded, any help and support is free. Research and produce a comprehensive project plan for the implementation of a VPN within the company. This should include the following: Performance of VPN within the bank VPN has other indirect cost savings advantages over other communications methods such as lesser requirements in training and staff, flexibility and scalability has been greatly increased. The largest benefit to utilising VPNs is money savings. The amount spent will be significantly reduced when compared to dedicated leased line options. Remote users can connect locally to an ISP and tunneling that connection to a VPN device on the destined network. Therefore, reduced technical help is required to install, configure, and manage networking equipment. With the use of a single WAN interface, it can carry out multiple functions so the expenses on WAN equipment installation and maintenance is no longer needed. Organisations can extend their network and capacitate their performance by setting up more accounts to control the increased demand. This will facilitate the answers to market demands or organizational challenges and is also time-saving. Therefore enterprises and corporate organisations can be linked from different locations into the network without the need of complex infrastructure, delays and tremendous expenses in joint with connection across borders. The wide area networking costs are cut down via telecommunication costs. Support of Ubuntu within the bank Technical help resources are sharply reduced with the emergence of VPNs. This is as a result of dependability on one type of Internet protocol (IP) from mobile users to an ISPs POP and security needs are standardised. If taking the help of the service providers to set up VPNs, they will take most of the support tasks for the network. Security of Ubuntu within the bank Fewer networking experts are required to control security features of the VPN as the ISP manages the WAN equipment. Hidden costs associated with distribution of VPN client software. Some adopters are finding that simple tasks not unique to VPNs, such as distributing and installing client software to remote users, pose a bigger challenge than ever imagined. Managing security and authentication systems require realising that complex skill sets not available in-house. Cost-VPN often requires a substantial up-front effort for configuration and software deployment. 2.1) A brief overview of current VPN technologies (both hardware and software). Components needed with VPNs With the effect of high security performance, VPNs are originally complicated. Typical components needed for an effective VPN include: Gateway devices Routers Dedicated servers Firewalls Client software Public-Key infrastructures (PKI) and associated key-management strategies Hardware-based encryption accelerators X.509 digital certificates Certificate Authority (ies) Directory services Servers with these features: Load balancing Failover Redundancy Network-transport communication mechanisms Typically, VPN components connected to the Internet include these: -Certificate Authority (CA) system -Managed ISP to support remote employees Corporate VPN gateway with these indispensables: -LDAP server -Registration Authority (RA) system Firewalls help in accomplishing three goals: Restrict accessing to certain segment of a network Block services requests that are thought to be insecure or unnecessary Interpret network addresses to conceal real device addresses from other segment of a network and is called Network Address Translation, or NAT VPN evaluation Certificate Authority (CA) support: If youll be handling more than a handful of users who possess digital certificates for authentication, youll need robust support for an external provider of CA services. Logging: If youre requiring information logs from the VPN, can they integrate into your existing logging mechanisms and reporting systems? Selective encryption: If youre thinking about adding a VPN to an existing firewall, you may want to encrypt only certain traffic- or risk bringing your firewall to its knees with an overload of overkill. VPN-management modules: Can you integrate your VPN into your existing enterprise networks monitoring system? If you cant, then how will you monitor its uptime? In your evaluation of VPN gateway products, look for these features: X.509 digital-certificate support LDAP support IPSec-compliant Encryption types supported Performance (Mbps) Maximum number of interfaces Maximum number of connections Quality of Service support Clustering (SMP) support Custom-application support Support for High-Availability (HA) features EAL/ITSEC/TCSEC Level In evaluation of VPN client products, look for these essentials: Thin-client support Fat-client support Network-mapping support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) support NT Domain logon support 2.2) Design a suitable VPN using appropriate Internet Service Provider (ISP) for the requirements of the bank. 2.3) Identify and list the hardware and software required to implement the banks VPN. The infrastructure of existing network should be supported by a server. A server should serve as a domain controller, DNS server, Certificate authority and DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server. The next step is to set up a certificate authority. A VPN server should be kept separate for the sole purposes of security threats. A firewall should be placed at the outlet of VPN server to only permit flow of VPN traffic into this server. Two NICs cards are needed to connect to the internet and the private corporate network. Identification of the remote users identity when trying to access the private corporate network is also necessary. The Server operating system comes with RADIUS- Remote Authentication Dial In User Service and IAS- Internet Authentication Service to do authentication process. VPN hardware products also do the authentication process. The Web Server (HTTP server) responds to HTTP requests for HTML pages that it delivers to customer browsers over the Internet. Its the only server that sits in front of the firewall and allows direct controlled access to the public internet. Its on this server you may want to store static Web page content and graphic images. All information processing that the Web server needs from applications or Database servers can only be accessed through the Firewall. Application Servers store, manage, and operate those software components relevant to the business, including Merchant server software, back-office accounting systems, customer information systems, order entry and fulfillment systems. You many opt for multiple application servers as your needs dictate. Any links to other legacy systems (such as mainframe-based systems0 may be made through the application servers as well. Database Servers store your product, purchase, and customer data in addition to all other distributed processing data already in place. They may use Object-Oriented Database Management products, traditional relational database products, or hybrids of the two. Choices of Database Server software include these: Oracle MS SQL Server Sybase DB/2 Informix Firewalls control the access to the internal (back-office) corporate networks. They serve as the mechanism under which the Web server accesses applications and data that is found behind them. These Firewalls will typically run monitoring software to detect and thwart external attacks on the site, and are needed to protect internal corporate networks. Common Firewall services are implemented as routers that sit in between two domains (subnets), and are selective about IP addresses from which it receives packets before it permits their routing to the other domain (subnet). These select IP addresses are considered as trusted hosts. Mainframe systems, If youve got them, can a

The Birth of the Congo as a Free State :: African History Essays

The Birth of the Congo as a Free State In the beginning years of his sovereignty, King Leopold the Second of Belgium began to show an interest in the natural resources of Central Africa, especially the wild rubber that was growing within the heart of the jungle. In the year 1876, he called a conference of humanitarians and travelers together who met at Brussels for the sole purpose of debating various plans of how the â€Å"Dark Continent† could be opened up (Doyle). From this conference, the International African Association was formed, which, in spite of its name, was almost entirely a Belgian body, with the Belgian King serving as the President. Its objective was the exploration of the country and the establishment of civilization centers and â€Å"rest-houses† for travelers (Doyle). At the same time, Leopold also pursued the spread of Christianity and freedom to the â€Å"savages† of Africa, so he hired the famous journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley to travel the length of the river t o begin signing treaties with the native tribes (Kinshasa). For almost six years from 1879 to 1884, this great explorer labored on behalf of King Leopold, investigating the basin of the Upper Congo River and simultaneously hoping to establish his own imperial society in Central Africa. Upon Stanley’s return from his great journey in 1878, he was met by a representative from the King of Belgium who enrolled him as an actual agent for his Association (Doyle). The immediate task given to Stanley was to open up the Congo for trade at once. Furthermore, he was to make terms with the natives that would enable the stations to be built and the depots established. Thus, in 1879 Stanley finally began his work (Doyle). Stanley labored hard among the Native Chiefs, undisturbed by any of the destructive effects that his own work created, and returned to his employer with at least 450 alleged treaties which transferred land to the Association. There is no record of the exact payment made in order to obtain these treaties, but there is evidence of a similar transaction carried out by a Belgian officer in 1883 at Palabala (Doyle). In that particular case, the payment made to the Chief consisted of "one coat of red cloth with gold facings, one red cap, one white tunic, o ne piece of white baft, one piece of red points, one box of liqueurs, four demijohns of rum, two boxes of gin, 128 bottles of gin, twenty red handkerchiefs, forty singlets and forty old cotton caps.