PROPOSAL to bring the civil defense to our Uni. and let them explain Research

To bring the civil defense to our Uni. and let them explain how to deal with emergencies - Research Proposal Example he workers in the community, so that they can gain the skills they require to deal with fire and other emergencies at the FDU community and elsewhere. Through the course, the different audience of the course will learn fire and emergency resolution skills, which will enable them to help in risk resolution at the FDU community and at their respective communities and places of work. During the last six months, the team has been piloting the programs, among a few members of the FDU community, and we have noted that the limited coverage of the program has changed their skillfulness in dealing with fire and other emergencies. For example, the group taken through the brief course has demonstrated their ability to use fire extinguishers, and safe evacuation skills, including collecting all members of the community affected by the risk, at an open, safe area – and exiting members of the community through safe pathways. Through the pilot stage of the course, the team has seen considerable learning among the group involved, in dealing with fire and other emergencies. One of the students trained on the area demonstrated the skills during an emergency drill, because she was able to evacuate vulnerable people from the house. Our proposal requests for USD 5,000 in funding, which will be used to attract more students to the course, make a donation to the firefighter department, plan the course, and to acquire all the course needs required. The course materials required include fire extinguishers, and fire and emergency mitigation manuals. The team appreciates the FDU Community Grant Selection Committee, for taking interest, towards helping the FDU community acquire skills on fire and emergency skills through the new course. For more information, you can call the team director at 703-555-1212, in the case you have any questions, or you require further information regarding this proposal. The fire and emergency education team, of the FDU Community is seeking a grant, which

One Federal Law Enforcement Organization Assignment

One Federal Law Enforcement Organization - Assignment Example In counter-terrorism, the agency serves a variety of functions entailing nuclear security, aviation and chemical security concerns, fraud and counterfeit and information sharing. The roles of the DHS in border security and immigration include apprehension, convicting and deporting of illegal immigrants which are geared towards ensuring that the USA is secure (DHS, 2012). Due to overlap in crime fighting responsibilities, the DHS, state and local law enforcement agencies are interlocked in crime fighting. The DHS undertakes some activities with the aim of maximizing cooperation and assisting the local agencies in their objectives in crime fighting. For instance, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) branch of the DHS collaborates with local and state agencies to create a united and seamless front for disruption of transnational crime (DHS, 2011). The DHS also bears better capacity in logistics and intelligence from which local agencies gain through information sharing. The relationship between the DHS and local and state law enforcement agencies has not always had a positive effect. The overlap in crime fighting responsibilities that exists between the two- federal (DHS) versus local and state levels- has not been traditionally well managed. For instance, the roles of the DHS in special operations, forensics, criminal intelligence and disaster response may clash with local and state arms charged with special investigations, forensic services, criminal investigations and emergency planning and response (Richman, 2000). In such cases, it is evident that counteractive clashes in interests may hinder crime fighting and, thus, jeopardize the missions of all levels of law enforcement involved. The main cause of the problems noted above stems from the occurrence of crimes that are multi-jurisdictional. This situation results in a situation where the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies deem

The New American Desk Encyclopedia Essay Example for Free

The New American Desk Encyclopedia Essay Both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson have large, enduring legacies in American history. While Hamilton is largely responsible for the United States becoming an economic giant with an economy based on finance, manufacturing, and trade, I admire Thomas Jefferson more, particularly for his broad, considerable intellect and his challenging views on human liberty. Modern America admittedly fits Hamilton’s vision much more than Jefferson’s. After serving as Washington’s aide-de-camp, Hamilton organized the infant United States’ economy and foresaw a capitalist America not unlike Britain’s, which dominated world trade and had a growing number of factories, abundant capital, and vast commercial enterprises. (Jefferson’s rural nation of yeoman farmers was a noble vision but not realistic in the modern world then taking shape. ) Hamilton was also a strong advocate of federalism, which gave the centralized national government far more authority than the one conceived in the Articles of Confederation. However, he was no friend of broad democracy, known in his time as an unscrupulous elitist and ambitious social climber who adhered to what today seem like outdated notions of â€Å"natural aristocracy† maintained by â€Å"enlightened self-interest† (New American Desk Encyclopedia 548-549). He openly mistrusting the American public (which he considered â€Å"a great beast† and little more than an unruly mob) and opposed the Bill of Rights, the basis for American civil liberties (which Jefferson’s protege Madison wrote). For believers in broad democracy and individual liberty, though, Jefferson is by far the more admirable figure. The First Amendment is perhaps his greatest legacy, stemming from his statutes on religious freedom in Virginia and firm belief in church-state separation. He was also a believer in freedom of the press, claiming to prefer a nation where there was a free press and no government, rather than vice versa (Countryman 69-71). The Declaration of Independence is almost entirely his creation as well, a vivid, articulate piece of writing that has influenced democratic thought worldwide. It helped inspire the French revolution less than a generation later, and even the United States’ past enemies have invoked it, including Ho Chi Minh, who based Vietnam’s 1945 independence declaration on Jefferson’s document. He was also a superior intellect, known as one of the colonies’ best minds while still a young man. Jefferson was a gifted writer, skilled diplomat, believer in liberty (his ideas on the subject were progressive for their time), architect, inventor, creator of the University of Virginia (revolutionary in its time for offering a wholly secular higher education), and amateur scientist who commissioned Lewis and Clark to explore the newly acquired American West. He was also a contradictory figure, as an educated, affluent slaveholder who wanted a rural nation of free yeoman farmers enjoying widespread democracy. He was also accused of siring at least one child by his slave, Sally Hemings. (In his defense, the Declaration of Independence’s first draft contained a strong condemnation of slavery, which other Southern delegates made him remove, and he was himself ambivalent about the practice. ) While Alexander Hamilton helped make the United States prosperous and economically powerful, Jefferson played an even greater role in helping make it a democracy (albeit a limited one compared to democracy today), setting an example of a civil society based on the rule of law and individual liberties that other nations would follow over the next two centuries. His lasting legacy helped shape the meaning of liberty and democracy, which became a worldwide phenomenon during the late twentieth century, helped change the world’s politics, and helped define modernity itself. REFERENCES Anonymous. The New American Desk Encyclopedia. Third edition. New York: Signet, 1993. Countryman, Edward. The American Revolution. New York: Hill and Wang, 1985. Davis, Kenneth C. Don’t Know Much about History. New York: Avon, 1990.

An Introduction to Daimler Chrysler AG

An Introduction to Daimler Chrysler AG DaimlerChrysler AG-the third-largest car maker in the world-is the product of the November 1998 merger of Daimler-Benz AG of Germany and Chrysler Corporation of the United States. Vehicles built by the resultant powerhouse include Mercedes-Benz luxury passenger cars; a micro compact car sold under the name Smart; Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge cars, pickup trucks, minivans, and sport utility vehicles; and commercial vehicles, including vans, trucks, and buses, under the brand names Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Sterling, Setra, and Western Star Trucks. The companys revenue stream is heavily weighted toward the United States and Europe-the Mercedes Car Group and the Chrysler Group divisions account for the majority of company sales. The company has been plagued with problems in recent years related partly to its investment in Mitsubishi Motors. Its troubled Chrysler division experienced a $637 million loss in 2003 due to restructuring costs and slowing U.S. sales. In addition to its vehicle manufacturing operations, DaimlerChrysler is a leading provider of information technology services in Germany and offers a variety of financial services-including vehicle sales and leasing financing, dealer financing, and insurance services-primarily in North America and Europe. The European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), which is 33 percent-owned by DaimlerChrysler, operate as the worlds second-largest aerospace and Defense Company. Models of change management Lewins model Unfreeze the current paradigm of the organization. This involves understanding the need for change. Then communicating that need to the people. People should be open to change in structure, behavior and thinking. Change the organization paradigm by introducing new theories in the organization. This is a lengthy process as the new method will take time to sink in. people will question the new method thus it is important that there is a strong channel for feedback. Refreeze the changed paradigm. This is the stage where the change is inculcated into the organization and people followed the changed methods as a part and parcel of the organization. Kotters 8 steps creating a vibe of change into the members gather supporters to guide change create a vision explain the vision to the supporters empower people to follow and spread the vision create shot objective or milestones improvements and feedback Inculcation of change by making it a part of structure and system. Complex model which recognize the need of individual organizations. Johnson Scholes and Whittingtons model identifies the variables that the organization faces. Time is how quickly change is needed. This can be identified by the Balogun and Hailys model. Scope is the degree of change that is necessary. Continuity what is the incremental factor History is the past experience of change Skills what capabilities are required and what do we have. Resources which are available for change management. Readiness is the willingness of people to accept change. Power is where the of the organization lies i.e. with management employees, stakeholders etc. McKinsey 7S framework identifies the areas that management need to focus on in order to manage change effectively Structure is the hierarchy and the departmentalization of the organization before and after the change. Strategy is the plans that organization makes i.e. when to compete? Where to compete? And when to compete? System is the alignment of the strategy with the business objective and at what level evolutionary stage the organization stands. Shared values is what type of culture prevails in the organization Style is the leadership style of the management. How are decisions made? Staff is the human resource of the organization. How trained they are and what staff is needed? Skill is the organizations ability to use its resources. Thus measure of the efficiency of the organization. Need for strategic change in Chysler Chysler has been to the top and now has lost most of its profit. Strategic intervention techniques The purpose of intervention techniques is to improve the efficiency and the effectiveness of the organization. Strategic intervention techniques focus on improving the processes through which ideas are generated and then gain feedback on the ideas. These techniques make some thing happen and also focus on what is happening French Bell Jr (1994). The reasons for interventions can be To gain feedback To educate people To invoke rapid change in the organization. Rapid and sudden change in the external environment Intense competition Driving forces for change in GM Driving forces are the reason that GM requires to change its strategy and align itself with the environment. Few of the forces that pressure Gm to change are as follows Low economic growth in the car manufacturing business has stumped most of the manufacturers. Car manufacturers on government support are making cars at a loss but yet there cars are in the market and cutting the market share of other companies. Japanese car manufacturers are making better cars at low price which is the main competition for GM. Change in technology in the industry has been an issue. Honda and Toyota have advanced in technology at a higher rate than GM. Rising oil prices have also caused the industry to rethink there strategy. Resource implications for GM GM CEO Rick Wagoner has put in a lot of effort to turn around GM since 1992.but his response to change in the environment was too slow. The resources of GM can be evaluated using 5 Ms model Money has been the problem for GM for sometime now but government is ready to help them but they do not have a turn around strategy. Manpower of GM has not been able to generate new ideas which show dulled motivation, and poor creativity skills by the management and other employees. Also GM is stuck in contacts with employees with huge pensions. Minutes time frame for adaptation has always been short for GM and it has always lagged behind the need of time. Material has very special item oil which has sky rocketed. So the price of car manufacturing is rising as well as the price of maintaining a car. Machinery has been the major issue for GM as its competitors have acquired new machinery and processes which are better than that of GM. Due to these factors GM has not been able to change. These are the forces that create resistance for change. Change and stakeholders Stakeholders are an integral part of the organizational paradigm. To bring change in the organization, stakeholders should own the change. The process of change should start from within the stakeholders. To change the culture stakeholders should realize that there is a need for change. Then they should be directed into the right direction. In Kotters 8 steps model for change the role of stakeholders can be incorporated. The model pushes the organization to make its own decision and define its process of change. Kotters model for change for GM Kotter gives a model of change in the organization in which the stakeholders are empowered to make change for themselves. I shall use this model to explain how GM can bring about change in the organization with the help of its stakeholders. Step 1: Create urgency For change to occur it is necessary the whole organization realizes the need for change and puts its effort in making the change. For this purpose managers can paint a grim picture of the future if continued on the same path. Explain to the shareholders the increase in ability of the organization to exploit its resources. There should be feed back from the stakeholders and there ideas should be incorporated in the change process. In case of GM it is not very difficult to paint a grim picture because the next step to bankruptcy is liquidation. The decline in the performance of the company has been a question mark for a long time now. So in GM people are ready for change and stakeholders support the management. Now there is need for discussions so that the ideas and the wills of the stakeholders can be incorporated in the change process. Step 2: Coalitions This is the point where the leadership emerges; people among the stakeholder should take charge of the groups. It is necessary that to identify the key leadership and make them commit to the change in the organization. This is necessary that people who are selected for the leadership believe in the change. In case of Chysler they have to find leaders in order to bring change. Recognition of the people who will help GM to evolve and to accept the changed processes is necessary, if it wishes to make any type of change in its strategy. Step 3: Vision for change When the process of change starts there are many idea of floating. All these ideals need to be linked together if in order to form a vision. This vision needs to be simple and understandable. The vision gives people a sense of direction; they understand the purpose of the change. For change to be successful you need to know the main idea behind the change. For this purpose prepare a summary of the future endeavors of the company. Knowing about the future helps people to support the organization. In case of Chysler the mission statement is quite clear G.M. is a multinational corporation engaged in socially responsible operations, worldwide. It is dedicated to provide products and services of such quality that our customers will receive superior value while our employees and business partners will share in our success and our stock-holders will receive a sustained superior return on their investment. But unfortunately Chysler has not been able to deliver. The vision of the Chysler needs to be communicated effectively through the organization. Every stakeholder needs to believe in the mission statement of Chysler. Step 4: Communication of vision Every person in the organization needs to know the objective of the change. The previous paradigm of the company will produce resistance against the new method. The New Mission statement needs to overcome the resistance and unite the organization on a single path to success. For this the management needs to address all the doubts and problems of the people. Divide the vision into smaller objectives and tie the performance of individual with the achievement of these objectives. In Chysler the management should take responsibility of communicating process of change through the organization. A process of change developed from the input of stakeholders is easier to communicate back. Step 5: Remove obstacles In the process of change, there will always be resistance. The objective of the management is to minimize this resistance and bring the stakeholders to a common platform on which everybody can express their opinion. As the process of change moves forward, there should be constant checks for any barriers to change. In Chysler the inner management has failed to provide change in the organization. The change in GM can be induced from the outside; perhaps a change agent will help GM over come change barriers. Another good way to bring about change is to award the people who embrace the change. Step 6: Create short term objectives For the process of change to work people need to know that it is working. For this management can divide the main objective in to simpler objectives. The management should thoroughly analyze the short term objectives such that they are achievable and motivation. For the achievement of every objective the employees should be rewarded. In Chysler that management need to step up and divide their long-term objectives into the short term goals. The management should make the stakeholders believe that they are capable of changing the business for the better. The most important stakeholder of GM is the government. The government needs to know that that GM can stand on its feet, for it to bail out the company. Step 7: Build on the change The process of change is not complete he unless and until the change culture has inculcated into the organization. Changes in many organizations fail because they do not fully implement the changed processes. The changed processes should become part and parcel of life in the organization. The people of the organization need to build on the changed processes and achieve even more success. The management of Chysler should not stop at making the government believed that they deserve a bailout, but should make efforts to build on the changed processes. Step 8: Change in corporate culture The most difficult thing to do in bringing about change into the organization is to change the culture of the organization. In history many of the mergers in companies have failed because they unable to merge the culture of the companies. Changing the culture of the company is a very long and hard process. Chysler will need to change the culture and introduce a fresh method to succeed in an unattractive industry. At this point the employees of General Motor will not be motivated; the management needs to bring faith back into the employees. Monitoring progress and conclusion The final step in the management of change would be to monitor the performance of the company. For this purpose appraisal of each of the activities of the company will be performed. The justification of activity will provide grounds by which the productivity of the activity will be measured. The idea of kaizen should become a part of the activities of the business. The process of change is very lengthy; it takes years for change process to become part of the culture. The management of the organization needs to be very patient and need to prioritize their objectives. In Chysler it is necessary that people accept the change and once the changed processes have settled in there should be continuous evaluation and revaluation. The U.S market has become very saturated thus not allowing the companies to grow as fast as they would like. For the companies to survive they need to use there resources with utmost efficiency.

Terrorism - Using Social Security to Fight Bush’s War :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Using Social Security to Fight Bush’s War I have a rational fear: a fear that the September 11th attack has given the Bush administration a free hand in pursuing a conservative domestic agenda. This has so far been unspeakable in the media. But it must be said, lest it happen for sure. Where is the $40 billion for the war on terror coming from? Not from a rise in taxes and not from sacrifices to be made by the rich. Where then? The only available source I can think of is the Social Security "lockbox," which is now wide open. The conservatives have been trying to raid the Social Security fund for some time, and the Democrats had fought them off until now. Before September 11, the suggestion to take $40 billion from the Social Security "surplus" would have been indefensible. Has it now been done-with every Democratic senator voting for it and all but one of the Democrats in Congress? Think of it: Are your retirement contributions-and mine-are going to fight Bush's "war." No one dares to talk about it that way. It's just $40 billion, as if it came out of nowhere. No one says that $40 billion dollars comes from your retirement contributions. No one talks about increasing taxes. We should at least ask just where the money is coming from. If the money is coming from social security, then Bush has achieved a major goal of his partisan conservative agenda-without fanfare, without notice, and with the support of virtually all Democrats. Calling for war, instead of mere justice, has given the conservatives free rein. I fear it will only be a matter of time before they claim that we need to drill for oil in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge for national security reasons. If that most "pristine" place falls, they will use the national security excuse to drill and mine coal all over the country. The energy program will be pushed through as a matter of "national security." All social programs will be dismissed for lack of funds, which will be diverted to "national security." Cheney has said that this war may never be completed. Newt Gingrich estimates at least four or five years, certainly past the 2004 election. With no definition of victory and no exit strategy, we may be entering a state of perpetual war.

After School Programs Essay -- Education, Constructivism

This chapter provides a review of the literature related to after school programs. The literature review is organized into the following categories: History of After School Programs, Need for After School Programs, Effectiveness of After School Programs, Frequency and Duration, and Middle School After School Programs. This section also reviews the theoretical framework for this research. Theoretical Framework Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own knowledge of the world we live in (Au & Carrol, 1996). Learning is simply the process of adjusting what we already know to accommodate new experiences. Constructivism can be traced to the eighteenth century and the work of Giambattista (Bhattacharya & Han, 2001). Bhattacharya and Han maintained that humans are able to understand only what they themselves have constructed. Many philosophers and educators have worked with these ideas, but the first to develop a clear idea of what constructivism consists of were Jean Piaget and John Dewey. Von Glaserfield (1990) acknowledged that constructivism means â€Å"knowledge is not passively received.† Piaget (1973) stated that students are not just â€Å"empty heads† that can be filled with facts from packaged curriculum that is given out my teachers. Constructivism does not depend on a standardized curriculum. Instead, it promotes using curriculum customized to the students’ prior knowledge. Also, it emphasizes real world problem solving, experiments, reasoning and communication (Au & Carrol , 1997). Constructivism gives students the power to make connections, reformulate ideas, and reach conclusions (Brewer & Daane, 2002). After school programs often focus on teac... ...ved in 21st Century Community Learning Centers. The evaluation revealed that programs had difficulty recruiting and retaining young teens, and those that did participate attended inconsistently. The middle school students were less likely to participate in academic classes and more likely to be involved in recreation activities. Beth Miller (2003) stated that after school programs serving middle school children, must keep students engaged in the program by a variety of popular and engaging activities. She further noted that after-school programs are successful when participants have motivation to achieve academically. In summary, middle school learners benefit from frequent participation in quality after school programs that increase engagement in learning, provide a variety of recreational activities, and build key skills necessary for academic success.

Does Oedipus fall due to fate or due to flaw of his character Essay

In the play, Oedipus the King, it was portrayed that Oedipus, the main protagonist, was destined to slay his father and go to bed with his mother as foreseen by the Oracle of Delphi. Although Oedipus did unknowingly kill his own father, Laius, and marry and slept with his own mother, Jocasta, it was the flaws in his character and attitude, and not fate entirely that led to his downfall. In short, even though he was fated to do what he did in the story, he had the option to avoid that fate. However, his very nature prevented him from doing so. In the story, Oedipus was illustrated as a wise and very good ruler. He was sympathetic and compassionate towards his people. However, like most classical Greek tragic heroes, Oedipus also has flaws that eventually led to his downfall. Possibly his most notable flaws include his impulsiveness, rashness, stubbornness, and his tendency to make lapses or errors in judgment. These flaws were shown in several parts of the play, particularly during the time when he was in the process of discovering the truth about his past. When he recounts to his wife and mother, Jocasta, how he killed a group of travelers, one of which was later revealed to be his biological father, Laius, on a crossroad, Oedipus showed that he is highly capable of being rash and short-tempered. Although he was merely defending himself, he could have simply run away and avoided killing the travelers. By doing so, he could have avoided killing his true father while also disproving the prophecy of the Oracle of Delphi. It was also during this scene in the play that Oedipus was portrayed as a man who moves greatly based on impulse and does not think first before acting. Moreover, his rashness was also shown when Tiresias, the blind prophet, refused to tell Oedipus of the truth about the murderer of Laius. Although the prophet warned him that the truth would be bring him only pain and suffering, Oedipus still insisted and even threatened to accuse him of the murdering the fallen king himself. This forces Tiresias to reveal that it was Oedipus who killed Laius. Due to his short-temper, he accused the prophet of conspiring against him, which further showed how foolish he was. In addition, this also showed how blind Oedipus was because even though the truth was already being presented to him, he still refused to acknowledge it. Furthermore, it was his stubbornness and his desire to seek the truth that eventually led to his downfall. When he was still prince of the kingdom of Corinth, he overheard in a banquet that he was not the true child of the king and queen. He immediately sought the truth from the Oracle of Delphi, who simply told him that he would murder his own father and sleep with his own mother. This forced him to flee his home and it was during this time that he met the group of travelers whom he would all kill. After some time, he saved the kingdom of Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx by answering its riddle. This led to this coronation as the king of Thebes and also led to his marriage to Jocasta, whom he did not know to be his biological mother at the time. Finally, when he became king he then sought out to find the murderer of Laius, which set forth the chain of events that brought about his downfall. In other words, in his intense desire to seek the truth and avoid his fate, Oedipus became blinded and unwittingly fulfilled the prophecy of the oracle. Had he not left Corinth, he most probably would have not fulfilled the prophecy and avoided his doomed fate. In short, although it appeared that Oedipus was destined to fall, it was his very nature and lapses in judgment that sparked consequences which, he was not initially aware of. Moreover, it was his fatal flaws such as his arrogance and impulsiveness led him to kills his own father and marry his own mother. It can then be deduced that fate was greatly assisted by Oedipus nature and actions and did not act on its own.