Definition of a Public University

Definition of a Public University The term public indicates that the universitys funding comes partly from state taxpayers. This is not true for  private universities. Its also worth noting that many states do not fund their public universities adequately, and in some cases far less than half of the operating budget comes from the state. Lawmakers often see public education as a place to cut back on spending, and the result can sometimes be significant increases in tuition and fees, larger class sizes, fewer academic options, and longer time to graduation. Examples of Public Universities The largest residential campuses in the country are all public universities. For example, these public institutions all have more than 50,000 students: University of Central Florida, Texas AM University, The Ohio State University, Arizona State University, and the University of Texas at Austin. These schools all have a strong focus on faculty and graduate research, and all have Division I athletic programs. You wont find any residential private universities that are nearly as large as these schools. All of the schools listed above are major or flagship campuses of the state systems. The majority of public universities, however, are lesser-known regional campuses such as the University of West Alabama, Penn State University Altoona, and the University of Wisconsin. Regional campuses often do an excellent job controlling costs, and many offer programs suited for working adults who are trying to earn a degree. Features of Public Universities A public university has a few features that distinguish it from private universities: Size - The size of public universities varies widely. As mentioned above, however, the largest universities in the country are all public. Youll also find regional public universities of just a couple thousand students.Division I Athletics - The great majority of Division I athletic teams are fielded by public universities. For example, all but one member of the SEC (Vanderbilt) are public universities, and all but one member of the Big Ten (Northwestern) are public. At the same, time, there are numerous Division II, Division III, and NAIA athletic programs at public universities, and some public institutions that have no intercollegiate athletic programs at all.Low Cost - Public universities typically have tuition that is considerably lower than private universities, especially for in-state students. Out-of-state tuition can vary widely, and some schools such as those in the University of California System and the University of Michigan have out-of-state tuition that is as high or h igher than many private institutions. Also keep in mind that many public universities dont have the resources for robust grant aid that youll find at top-tier private universities, so if you qualify for financial aid, you may actually find that a top private university will cost you less than a top public university, even if the sticker price is tens of thousands of dollars higher. Commuter and Part-time Students - Public universities tend to have more commuter and part-time students than private colleges and universities. This is particularly true of regional public universities. The flagship campuses of state systems tend to be largely residential.The Downside - Read the profiles of universities carefully. In many cases, public universities have lower graduation rates, higher student/faculty ratios and more loan aid (thus, more student debt) than private universities. Public universities share many features with private universities: Undergraduate and graduate student focus - Large public universities have significant masters and doctoral programs just like top private universities.Graduate degrees - At large public universities, advanced degree offerings such as an M.A., M.F.A., M.B.A., J.D., Ph.D., and M.D. are common.Broad academic offerings - Students can often choose courses in the liberal arts, sciences, engineering, business, health, and fine arts.Faculty focus on research - At big-name public universities, professors are often evaluated for their research and publishing first, and teaching second. Teaching may take priority at branch campuses and regional public universities. A Final Word on Public Universities The most selective colleges in the country are all private, and the colleges with the largest endowments are also private. That said, the countrys best public universities deliver educations that are on par with their private counterparts, and the price tag of public institutions can be as much as $40,000 less per year than elite private institutions. The price tag, however, is rarely the actual price of college, so be sure to look into financial aid. Harvard, for example, has a total cost of over $66,000 a year, but a student from a family that earns less than $100,000 a year can go for free. For in-state students who dont qualify for aid, a public university will frequently be the more affordable option.

How to Show Gratitude and Say Thank You to a Teacher

How to Show Gratitude and Say Thank You to a Teacher Most teachers do not receive the admiration and respect that they deserve. Many of them work extremely hard, dedicating their lives to educating youth. They do not do it for the paycheck; they do not do it for the praise. Instead, they teach because they want to make a difference. They enjoy putting their stamp on a child whom they believe will grow up and make a significant difference in the world. Why Show Gratitude Teachers have likely impacted their students in more ways than most people understand. Most adults have had teachers who have inspired them in some manner to be a better person. So, teachers deserve praise. Its important to say thank you to teachers as often as possible. Teachers love to feel appreciated. It makes them confident, which makes them better. Parents and students can have a hand in this. Take the time to show your gratitude and say thank you to your teachers and make them feel appreciated.   25 Ways to Thank a Teacher These 25 suggestions provide a way of showing teachers, past  and  present, that you care. They are in no particular order, but some are more practical if you are currently a student and others will work better if you are an adult, and no longer in school. You will need to seek permission from or interact with the school principal for a few of these ideas. Give teachers an apple. Yes, this is clichà ©, but they will appreciate this simple gesture because you took the time to do it.Tell them that you appreciate them. Words are powerful. Let your teachers know what you love about them and their class.Give them a gift card. Find out what their favorite restaurant or place to shop is and get them a gift card to indulge.  Bring them their favorite candy/soda. Pay attention to what they drink/snack on in class and keep them supplied periodically.Send them an email. It does not have to be a novel, but tell them how much you appreciate them or let them know what kind of impact they have made on your life.Send them flowers. This is a terrific way to say thank you to a female teacher. Flowers will always put a smile on a teachers face.Do something memorable for their birthday whether it is giving them a cake, having the class sing happy birthday or getting them a special gift. Birthdays are momentous days that should be recognized.Write them a note. Keep it simple and let them know just how much they mean to you. Stay late and help them get organized for the next day. Teachers have plenty to do after students leave for the day. Offer to help straighten their room, empty trash, make copies or run errands.Mow their lawn. Tell them that you would like to do something special to show your appreciation and ask them if it would be OK to come over and mow their lawn.Give them tickets. Teachers love to get out and have a good time. Buy them tickets to see the newest movie, their favorite sports team or a ballet/opera/musical.Donate money toward their classroom. Teachers spend a lot of their own money on classroom supplies. Give them some cash to help ease this burden.Volunteer to cover a duty. This is a fabulous way for parents to say thank you. In general, teachers are not excited about covering duties, such as acting as the scorekeeper at a game or chaperoning a prom, so they will be extra excited when you do. Ask the principal first if it is OK.Buy them lunch. Teachers get tired of eating cafeteri a food or bringing their lunch. Surprise them with a pizza or something from their favorite restaurant. Be an exemplary student. Sometimes this is the best way to say thank you. Teachers appreciate students who are never in trouble, enjoy being at school and are excited to learn.Buy them a Christmas present. It does not have to be elegant or expensive. Your teacher will appreciate anything that you get her.Volunteer. Most teachers will appreciate the extra help. Let them know that you are willing to help in any area that you may be needed. Elementary school teachers will especially appreciate this help.Bring donuts. What teacher does not love donuts? This will provide an excellent, tasty start to any teacher’s day.Contact them when they are sick. Teachers get sick too. Check on them via email or social media or text and let them know you hope they get well soon. Ask them if they need anything. They will appreciate that you took the time to check on them.Post on social media. If your child’s teacher has a Facebook account, for example, let him know how much you appreciate all the things he does. Be a supportive parent. Knowing that she has tremendous parental support makes a teacher’s job much easier. Backing a teachers decisions is an excellent way to show your appreciation.Tell the principal how much you appreciate your teacher. The principal  evaluates teachers  regularly, and this type of positive feedback can factor into evaluations.Give them a hug or shake their hand. Sometimes this simple gesture can speak volumes in showing your appreciation. Be cautious when giving a hug that it is appropriate.Send them a graduation invite. Let your teachers know when you have reached a milestone such as graduating high school and/or college. They played a role in getting you there, and including them in this celebration will let them know just how much they meant to you.Do something with your life. Nothing says thank you like being a success. Teachers want the best for every student that they teach. When you are successful, they are successful because they know they had some influence on you for at least nine months of your life.

Critos Reason to Escape Prison Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critos Reason to Escape Prison - Assignment Example Crito believes that no one would believe that he actually gave out money for Socrates to escape, but Socrates declined and according to him, there is no any other disgrace than being considered as a person who values money compared to a friend. Crito’s reason for convincing Socrates to escape prison in order to avoid the death penalty is driven by the fact that he cannot believe that Socrates is justified in betraying his own life when he can be saved. Crito asserts that Socrates betraying own life is akin to betraying his own children (Plato, n.d.). This is because he is choosing to leave them when he can bring them up and play a role in educating them. He challenges Socrates by saying that nobody should bring forth children when they are not willing to persevere until the end to educate and nurture them into responsible people. Â  Socrates listens keenly to Crito before giving him reasons that counter his arguments. First and foremost, he tells Crito that he fears that Crito and his other friends may get into trouble with the informers for helping him escape. Additionally, helping him to escape will make them lose their entire or a huge part of their property; or they may even face worse evil. Â  In as much as Crito tries to convince him that they are willing to go to the extreme to ensure that he escapes, Socrates is exceptionally adamant. He gives Crito several premises and asks him whether he is right by saying that opinions of some people are to be valued and opinions others is not to be valued. In saying this, he was telling Crito not to value the opinion of people who will consider him as a person who values wealth as opposed to friendship (Plato, n.d.). According to Socrates, the opinions of such people are the ones to be considered as opinions that do not matter.

EC can be used to create strategic advantage for a firm Essay

EC can be used to create strategic advantage for a firm - Essay Example Thus, it is important that an e-commerce strategic projection has to be incorporated in a company's strategic business plans. (King, et al, 2004) For the purpose of this paper we shall examine the details of a specific Electronic Commerce tactic in this case the electronic data exchange and analyze the effects it has on three companies which are Amazon inc., MySpace Company and First American bank. For firms, e-commerce implies using the web and the internet as a channel of distribution in marketing and selling of goods and also service to the firm's customers. This is a narrow definition, of e-commerce as it only describes internet commerce. E-commerce is much wider in what it entails. According to King, et al (2004) e-commerce is the exchange of information, services, goods and payments electronically and it involves formation and continuation of Web-based relationships. Thus, e-commerce encompasses the internet, extranets, intranets, electronic data exchange (EDE) and other electronic aspects. Examples of activities performed using e-commerce includes; Internet has globalized this world and in the same e-commerce is global. Difference in cities or countries even does not affect e-commerce if you have any kind of crises you can log on from any where in the world and can solve your problem in a faction of a minute. Transaction is very fast and effective; many online business sites now offer sophisticated tools to help consumers manage all their assets more effectively and conveniently. (King, et al, 2004) A simple example of this can be taken from the simple accounting software e.g. in the banking sector. Some online banks provide to simplify record keeping. Another importance of e-commerce is that less paper work has to be done and once u have entered information, it doesn't need to be re-entered for similar consequent checks, and future payments can be programmed to occur automatically. Importance of e-commerce on companies E-commerce serves as a vital strategic tool for companies. When e-commerce is well used in companies it brings considerable opportunities to the company. The importance of e-commerce to companies can be classified in two main classes; the tangible advantages and the intangible advantages that are brought about by information technology. E-commerce is vital for many companies, today e-commerce has assisted many companies and organizations to revolutionize the manner in which they operate and manage their operations. Though, for a company to realize maximum benefits of e-commerce it must invest in the technology and manpower. (Chan, Lee, & Dillon, 2001) Tangible benefits The tangible benefits of e-commerce touches on the monetary aspect of the company, it touches on the financial benefits that occur due to the company investing in e-commerce that can only be measured using tangible metrics. For example, cost saving, market share, productivity and profitability of the company. These benefits enables the company to make a lot of saving and the money goes along way in improving other aspect of the company. (Chan, Lee, & Dillon, 2001) Intangible benefits T

The End of the Cold War and the United Nations Essay Example for Free

The End of the Cold War and the United Nations Essay Abstract The end of the Cold War ushered in many significant changes in the international system. Many of these changes are seen to provide an impetus for the reestablishment of multilateralism and the collective security approach to the maintenance of international peace and security, under the aegis of the United Nations. The multilateral movement gathered momentum over the first few years of the post-Cold War era and saw a number of peacekeeping missions mandated by the United Nations across the World. However, a careful inspection of these missions, and other instances when any action failed to materialize, reveals that much of the impetus gained from the end of the Cold War conflict was lost due. Several factors contributed to this outcome, not least a lack of political will on the part of the United Nations and the Member States. The essay concludes by looking at the present situation and arguing that a similar opportunity as the one in 1991 has presented itself, leaving the United Nations in particular, and multilateralism in general, with a chance to redeem itself. Introduction: The UN during the Cold War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The end of the Second World War and the institution of the United Nations in 1945 were landmark events in the history of the world. While the conclusion of the War marked the demise of European imperialism (though the decolonisation process would continue till 1966), it also signalled a change in the norms of international society. Based on the principles of collective security, as elaborated in the Charter of the United Nations, these emergent norms sanctified (international) territorial boundaries, promising to usher in a new era of international history. However, the optimism and confidence which surrounded the formation of the United Nations – as a forward-looking model of international cooperation – was soon disturbed by the Soviet Union’s entry into the nuclear club in 1949. This was the beginning of the Cold War between the USA and the USSR, which mired international politics, as well as the UN, in an ideological conflict for the next four and a half decades.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though the specifics of how the Cold War was fought fall outside the ambit of this paper, it is important to note its effects on the functioning of the UN. The composition of the UN Security Council – the organ charged with the maintenance of international peace and security – becomes salient here: as permanent members, both the United States and Soviet Union exercised the power of the veto (a single veto from any permanent being enough to sink a Security Council resolution), according to their geopolitical interests (see UN General Assembly, 2004, p. 13-19). This crippled the development of the UN, while consequently stunting the evolution of multilateralism. Changes at the End of the Cold War: Impetus to UN Multilateralism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The end of the Cold War, in 1991, brought with it a renewed optimism and injected fresh vigour into the UN; finally rid of the ideological divide of the previous decades, the new situation led some scholars to say that: The end of the Cold War lifts a central obstacle to the strengthening of multilateral peacekeeping and the extension of multilateral operations beyond traditional peacekeeping tasks. A revived United Nations Security Council and energetic Secretary-General are the global [centre] of this rapidly evolving effort†¦ (Roper, Nishihara, Otunnu and Schoettle, 1993, p. 1). Concomitant to this belief, the number of peacekeeping operation of the UN increased, along with the establishment of the UN Protective Force (UNPROFOR) – made famous by its engagements in Bosnia – in the years following the fall of the Berlin Wall. However, to truly understand the impact of the end of the Cold War on the UN, and its efforts to strengthen multilateralism, we must be appreciative of what actually changed at the â€Å"end of history† (Fukuyama, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An era of post-internationalism, defined by a complex system of relations between nation-states and non-state actors, was thought to be the most probable outcome of the end of the Cold War (Rosenau, 1990). In reality, the most important changes occurring in the international system were: The emergence of a unipolar world – with the United States as the lone superpower – though there was a brief debate over the possibility of a return to (a somewhat Westphalian) multipolarity. The structural and ideological impediments to the UN’s operations disappeared, resulting in an environment (apparently) conducive to international cooperation. The emergence of â€Å"New Wars,† which were intra-state affairs, and fuelled by ethno-religious and cultural divides (Kaldor, 1999). The intensification of the process of globalization, rapidly intertwining the national economies of the world into the world economy and with each other, meaning that conflicts would produce more stakeholders interested in their resolution. These changes made for an opportunity for the UN to capitalise on the changing dimensions of international politics and drive home the advantage for the renewed consensus for multilateralism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The American preponderance in the immediate aftermath of the end of the Cold War meant that the future of multilateralism would depend, to a great extent, on the willingness of the United States to support and participate in the operations of the UN. This dependence was only natural: the US was the most economically and militarily dominant power at the time, and for any successful venture on the part of the UN, US assistance (or at the very least, support) was essential. Because of the US’ political importance, Security Council resolutions backed by the country were more persuasive and influential than earlier, thus accelerating the strengthening of the UN’s multilateral foundations. Initially, the United States readily participated in UN-backed interventions and peacekeeping missions – in Iraq/Kuwait (1990) and Somalia (1992) – which coincided with its policy of â€Å"aggressive involvement† in response to international peace and security at the time (Art, 2003, p. 2-3). Thus, American primacy at the end of the Cold War provided a great impetus to UN-led multilateralism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fall of the East/West divide provided an opportunity to expand the realm of the UN’s multilateral operations beyond that of traditional peacekeeping, to include such areas of peace-building as providing humanitarian assistance, transitions to democratic governments and helping with national reconstruction in post-conflict scenarios. This expanding perspective was explained by the UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to have occurred as a direct consequence of the demise of Cold War animosities amongst the permanent members of the Security Council (1992). The proliferation of UN missions in the early 1990s – to Somalia, Cambodia, Namibia, Western Sahara, Angola, Bosnia, Croatia, El Salvador and Mozambique – goes to show how much of an impetus the removal of structural impediments gave to the UN at the end of the Cold War.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The emergence of New Wars called for a change in the understanding of intra-state violence, along with a wider interpretation of the provisions of Chapter VII of the UN Charter (UN, 1945). During the Cold War, the principles of state sovereignty and non-intervention were paramount; according to Article 2(7) of the Charter, Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter†¦ (1945.) However, in the post-Cold War era, there has been a considerable shift towards embracing the principles of internal justice (i.e. within states) and individual rights, which require the maintenance of certain universally accepted standards (Taylor and Curtis, 2003, p. 415). This movement towards a semblance of global governance also resulted from the impetus gained from the end of the Cold War. For example, the intervention in Kosovo (late-1990s) was purely on humanitarian grounds, and explicitly breached the (now contested) sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia. On the other hand, the intervention in Somalia was carried out at the state’s request, while that in Iraq (in 1990) depended on Memorandums of Understanding between the UN and Saddam Hussein. In all of these cases, however, the increasing tendency of multilateral involvement in the domestic affairs of states cannot be overlooked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Due to the political and economic structural adjustment policies (enforced by the IMF against the supply of loans) experienced in many parts of the world during the 1980s, the end of the Cold War came at a time when the process of globalization had already taken shape to a certain degree. This process meant the expansion of markets, along with goods and services, across the world, making countries increasingly interdependent. Thus conflict, in any part of the world, now has the potential to disrupt more than a handful of national economies. Hence, there are more takers for multilateral action to resolve conflicts, especially after the (formal) removal of ideological differences within the UN after 1991. For example, in the case of the peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, countries as diverse as Nepal, Fiji, Argentina, Senegal and Iceland, among many others, contributed personnel and supplies to the UN. This was another impetus received by the UN at the end of the Cold War, strengthening its role in multilateral ventures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Indeed, the renewed energy exhibited by the Member States of the UN to multilaterally solve international conflicts is evidenced by the fact that peacekeeping operations undertaken after the Cold War easily outnumber those mandated during 1945 to 1990 (UN Peacekeeping, 2008). There has also been an improved dynamism in the Security Council and the General Assembly since 1990, shown by the rise in the number of resolutions proposed and adopted, as against the oftentimes deadlocked scenario of the Cold War (UN Documentation Centre, 2008). These facts show the momentum gained by multilateralism, under the aegis of the UN, in the post-Cold War era. An Evaluation of Post-Cold War Multilateralism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important, however, to make a crucial qualification at this point: greater involvement through the multilateral framework does not tantamount to success in resolving or preventing international conflicts. If we are to make an analytical examination of how far the end of the Cold war proved to be an impetus for the reestablishment of the UN as the focal point for multilateral projects, we must judge the same in terms of what they achieved. The possibilities that the termination of the East/West conflict held for the UN have already been discussed; now, we shall attempt to provide a critical analysis of how multilateralism has fared to obtain the true nature of the impetus in question.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the UN’s existence, the question of intervention to stop genocide (or for genocide prevention) has been a thorn in its side. The history of the UN is replete with cases of genocide – Uganda (1970s), Paraguay (1974), Democratic Kampuchea (1975-78), Bangladesh (1970-71) and Burundi (1972-73) – where it did not take any concrete steps to stop the conflict (Kuper 1982). Regardless of the changes found in the post-Cold War era, the â€Å"right to intervene† (jus ad bellum, or humanitarian intervention), has only been enforced in Kosovo (Taylor and Curtis, 2003, p. 415). The UN, however, failed to act on time in the cases of Rwanda (1994) and Bosnia (1992-93), resulting in close to a million deaths. In Rwanda alone, the death toll reached more than 800,000, and led Secretary-General Kofi Annan to remark: â€Å"The world failed Rwanda at that time of evil. The international community and the United Nations could not muster the political will to confront it† (quoted in Glazer, 2004, p. 167). Similarly, the Security Council has been sitting on the fence with regard to Darfur, western Sudan, where Arab militias known as the Janjaweed, with help from the central authority in Khartoum, have been systematically killing (and raping and displacing) black Africans since 2003. Due to the reluctance of the UN to label the conflict in Darfur as genocide, hundreds of thousands continue to die, while more are forced to migrate across the western border into Chad (HRW, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Part of the blame lies with the Genocide Convention (concluded in 1948), which obliges Member Parties to â€Å"prevent and punish† any act of genocide. But, what this clause means in terms of policy directives remains unclear; many Parties are content to push for institutional solutions in these cases, while refraining to term a given situation as genocide, so that they are not dragged into a commitment of conflict resolution. However, at the end of the Cold War, with the consensus for international cooperation and multilateral action on a high, the UN had a golden opportunity to include or append policy recommendations to the Genocide Convention. It was essential to recognise that the history of the UN’s failure to prevent genocide was a function of reluctant nation-states wary of being drawn into a long-term commitment, rather than plainly understanding it as another aspect of the East/West conflict. By oversimplifying the causes of previous failures, the UN also lost that bit of impetus which the end of the Cold War had generated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, the multilateral movement suffered another jolt when, given the losses it incurred in Somalia (1992), the American policy slowly started shifting from aggressive involvement to selective engagement: the US, by many accounts, was only interested in taking part in such conflicts which served its national interests (Power 2002). It was the intransigence on the part of the US which, in large measure, contributed to the debacle in Rwanda. Indeed, the fact that the US was actively involved in the Bosnian peace process was not lost on many, leading to speculation that the country was atoning for it inaction in Rwanda, while spawning more radical critiques claiming that the US was more sympathetic to conflicts in Europe and North America (Cooper, 2003). In any event, the reliance on the US for multilateral action proved shaky – a reality further reinforced by its unilateral decision to engage in a preventive war in Iraq (in 2003) – and only retarded the impetus gained in 1991.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The UN, Kaldor argues, also suffers from weak conceptual and theoretical comprehension of â€Å"new wars† (1999). She maintains that it was not the unwillingness to provide resources, a lack of cohesion among peacekeepers or the general tendency of making policies offering short-term solutions which protracted the conflict in Bosnia. Instead, the international community failed to grasp the nature of the â€Å"new nationalism† that had steered the country into the abyss of an ethno-religious war (Kaldor, 1999, p. 53). This failure also led to the underestimation of how the war would progress; the UN peacekeeping force that reached Bosnia had neither the resources, nor the specific mandate, for conflict prevention. Hence, there was no peace to ‘keep’.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This brings us to the issues of deployment and mandates. The UN Assistance Mission in Rwanda, which was put in place to see through the transition to democracy – as part of the Arusha Accords of 1993 – employed 2,500 peacekeepers. At the outbreak of genocide in 1994, the Security Council decided to withdraw all but a tenth of the force, leaving those still remaining in Rwanda to stand by and watch the week-long massacres. In Bosnia, the situation was hardly any better; though the total UNPROFOR contingent totalled 23,000, the requisition to the Security Council asked for 30,000 troops for the safe havens – in Srebrenica, Zepa, Tuzla, Sarajevo, Gorazde, and Bihac – alone. In the end, 7,500 troops were provided for these areas, and resources for only 3,500 could be managed (Kaldor, p. 65). Again, in Darfur, the Security Council sanctioned a peacekeeping force of 25,000 to work alongside the African Union’s 7,000-strong peacekeeping mission; however, the mission is yet to be completely deployed, owing to organisational problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most importantly, though, it is crucial to understand that whatever be the deployment, if the same is not supplied with an aggressive mandate, history shows that it is deemed to fail. An aggressive mandate would entail peace enforcement, in turn requiring a wider reading of the provisions of Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Sending lightly armed peacekeepers into zones of conflict only risks their lives and achieves very little in terms of conflict prevention. In recent years, the UN has found it preferable to mandate individual countries to enforce peace in smaller-scale incidents of violent conflict, like Australia (East Timor 1999), France (Congo, 2003) and the USA (Liberia, 2003). Whether such decisions indicate the complications of an aggressive multilateral approach is difficult to say, but these cases do suggest that unilateral solutions are sometimes simpler. The problems of troop deployment and mandates, therefore, seem to have eroded much of the impetus gained by the UN’s multilateral framework at the beginning of the post-Cold War era. Conclusion: Opportunity Lost, Perspective Gained   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are two important conclusions that readily derive from the above discussion. Firstly, the changes in the international system at the end of the Cold War produced a scenario where the UN remained the only organisation capable of maintaining peace. This provided a thrust to the multilateral framework which had suffered till then under the shadow of the East/West bipolarity. Without doubt, the end of the Cold War had supplied the UN with a vital impetus to re-establish multilateralism as the definitive path to peace. Secondly, however, an evaluation of post-Cold War multilateralism reveals that this chance was squandered, leading many to call this phase of the UN’s history as â€Å"opportunity lost† (Johnson, 1999). Indeed, the breakdown of the consensus over the war in Iraq (2003) led Annan to declare that â€Å"[t]he past year has shaken the foundations of collective security and undermined confidence in the possibility of collective responses to our common problems and challenges† (quoted in UN Press Release, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Looking forward, however, we have to contend that it is precisely the US debacle in Iraq has cast grave doubts over unilateral actions, and has prepared the ground once more for the endorsement of multilateralism. Following its initial failures in peacekeeping, the UN maintained that its role in international peace and security remained â€Å"essential† (Crossette, 1994); the reverses early on in the post-Cold War era now serve as key points of reference from which to learn and devise more viable policies. The lessons of the past, thus, must provide the paths to the present (and the future). The opportunity given to the UN and multilateralism by the fall of the Soviet Union was spurned over the subsequent decade. The international system has again generated a similar impetus which should, this time, be treated with the utmost care and responsibility. References Art, R. J. (2003). A Grand Strategy for America. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Boutros-Ghali, B. (1992). An Agenda for Peace: Preventive Diplomacy, Peacemaking and Peace-keeping. A/47/277. Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://www.un.org/docs/SG/agpeace.html Cooper, M. H. (February 23, 2003). Future of NATO. CQ Researcher, 13, 8, pp. 177-200. Crossette, B. (December 5, 1994). UN Falters in Post-Cold War Peacekeeping, but Sees Role as Essential. The New York Times. Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E3DC1739F936A35751C1A962958260 Fukuyama, F. (1993). The End of History and the Last Man. New York: Harper Perennial. Glazer, S. (August 27, 2004). Stopping Genocide. CQ Researcher, 14, 29, pp. 165-187. Human Rights Watch. (December 2006). Darfur Bleeds: Militia Attacks on Civilians in Chad. Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://www.hrw.org/ Johnson, R. (January 1999). Post-Cold War Security: The Lost Opportunities. The Disarmament Forum, 1, 5-11. Kaldor, M. (1999). New and Old Wars: Organized Violence in a Global Era. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Kuper, L. (1982). Genocide: Its Political Use in the Twentieth Century. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Power, S. (2002). A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. New York: Harper Perennial. Roper, J., Nishihara, M., Otunnu, O. A., Schoettle, E. C. B. (1993). Keeping the Peace in the Post-Cold War Era: Strengthening Multilateral Peacekeeping – A Report to the Trilateral Commission. New York: The Trilateral Commission. Rosenau, J. N. (1990). Turbulence in World Politics: A theory of Change and Continuity. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Taylor, P. and Curtis, D. (2003). The United Nations. In Baylis, J. and Smith, S. The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 405-424. United Nations Documentation Centre. (2008). General Assembly Resolutions | Security Council Resolutions. Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://www.un.org/documents/index.html United Nations General Assembly. (2004). Report of the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other matters related to the Security Council. A/58/47. New York: United Nations. United Nations Peacekeeping. (2008). List of Operations: 1948-2008. Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/list/list.pdf United Nations Press Release. (November 2003). Secretary-General Names High-level Panel to Study Global Security Threats, and Recommend Necessary Changes. SG/A/857. Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://www.un.org/News/dh/hlpanel/press-release-041103.pdf United Nations. (1945). Charter of the United Nations. Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/

Tuberculosis and Typhus Fever: Diseases of Class in 19th-Century Englan

Tuberculosis and Typhus Fever: Diseases of Class in 19th-Century England Missing Works Cited Although more prevalent amongst the working class, tuberculosis and typhus fever were contracted by all populations in Victorian England. People of the upper and middle classes could afford treatment while the poor were often subjected to unsanitary, disease-ridden living conditions. Charity schools were common places of infection due to inedible food and a vulnerability to contagion, i.e., the necessity of sharing beds and drinking from a common cup. F.B. Smith confirms the increased likelihood of disease within charity schools in his book The Retreat of Tuberculosis. He states "Charity school children displayed above average rates (of tuberculosis) even though the badly affected individuals usually were excluded" (7). Tuberculosis and typhus fever outbreaks, increased significantly in the nineteenth century due to overcrowding, poor housing conditions, low wages and standards of nutrition, ignorance, and lack of effective medical treatment. Tuberculosis is marked by symptoms such as a hollow cough, an emaciated body, nightly weats and daily intermittent fevers. Tuberculosis was common amongst working classes because it was contracted through pestilent, infected air, manifesting itself in places surrounded by swampy land. Geography plays an important role in the transmission of tuberculosis. The working classes could not afford to live in areas that were free of the epidemic. The upper classes did contract consumption, although they sought the medicine of the day which often brought them to health. The most popular remedy was a sea voyage in a warm climate, but also pure air and the most nutritious food were encouraged. Accordi... ...the poor were supposed to be upgraded by industrial innovations; but, on the other hand, company waste and inadequate working conditions, exploitation, took a severe toll on the very people this revolution was supposed to help. The mass presence of disease was due to the degradation of society. Poor conditions of various institutions, a side effect of the revolution, presented a dangerous risk of exposure for lower, working class families. Tuberculosis and typhus fever were painful, contagious, and long-lasting epidemics that killed people of all classes. Naturally, the lower classes suffered the most. The upper classes reaped the financial benefits from this new urban society, while the working classes were subjected to filthy, disease-ridden atmosphere. The impoverished have always been the disadvantaged, but in 19th century England, they paid with their lives.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama, made history when he became the first African-American President of the most powerful country in the world at the young age of 47. He overcame powerful competition from extremely popular political heavyweights of the likes of Hillary Clinton and John McCain and enumerable obstacles to win convincingly. A brief background : Obama was born as Barack Hussein Obama on Aug. 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. , a Kenyan and Ann Dunham, a native of Chicago. They were both students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.However, by the time he became two years old, they had separated and later divorced. His mother got married to a fellow student, Lolo Soetoro. As Seatoro was from Indonesia, the family shifted to Jakarta later. After four years of schooling in Indonesian schools, Obama returned to live with his maternal grand parents in Hawaii and joined Punahou Academy from which he graduated with honors in 1979. His first experience with racism happened in this pe riod because he was one of just three African American students. Obama completed his degree in political science from Columbia University in New York, 1983.After gaining a few years of work experience he moved to Chicago in 1985 where he worked as a community organizer. (A&E Television Networks, 2008, p. 1) Opting for a career in law, he joined Harvard Law School in 1988. There he created history by becoming the first African American to be elected as the editor of Harvard Law Review. With the law degree in hand, Obama returned to Chicago and worked in a law firm while teaching at the Chicago Law school simultaneously. Meanwhile in 1992, Obama married Michelle Robinson, also a law graduate. 1992 was an important year in Obama’s career as a politician also.He was an active member in Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign organizing a hugely successful voter registration drive. He wrote an autobiographical book called â€Å"Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inher itance† in 1995. (p. 2) Obama was instrumental in drafting several legislation in ethics, income-tax credit for the poor, health care, education and law enforcement in this period. In 1996, People of Hyde Park elected Obama into the Illinois State Senate. He was also elected the chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee. Post 9/11, Obama was noted as one of the first prominent opponent of President George W.Bush’s strategy to go to war with Iraq. He warned about the costs involved in such a war in terms of lives, hardships and impact on economy. His predictions came true as it turned out to be a very messy affair in the end. In 2004, Obama got in the fray for the U. S. Senate seat held by Sen. Peter Fitzgerald. Voters soon took a liking to Obama and he was able to defeat the multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes. Obama entered the national politics when he gave a stunning performance as the keynote speaker at the 2004 De mocratic National Convention in Boston.In the general election, Obama defeated the republican candidate Alan Keyes, who was also an African-American, in a record landslide victory in Illinois. Obama was very active as a senator with several successful campaigns on wide variety of matters such as transparency on federal spending, elimination of weapons of mass destructions in Europe and Russia, threat of avian flu, rehabilitation of Hurrican Katrina victims, alternative energy initiatives and so on. (p. 3) Obama published his second book, â€Å" The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream† in 2006.In February 2007, he decided to run for American Presidency and became the democratic nominee against a tough competition from the former first lady Hillary Clinton. After running a very systematic and well- organized campaign lasting more than 2 years, Obama became 44th president of the United States by beating republican presidential nominee John McCain. Obama i s blessed with two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Obstacles Obama had to face in his run upto the presidency : 1) His African American origin- The biggest obstacle in his path to presidency was that people of his origin has always found it difficult to get ahead in national politics.Obama was only the fifth African American Senator in U. S. history and just the third to have been popularly elected. 2) His seemingly apparent lack of experience as a leader or executive – The opponents and the media alleged that Obama was not experienced enough to lead the country. But he was successful in establishing that his years of experience as community organizer is as valuable as any other leadership stint. 3) Tough Competition – When Obama announced his campaign in February 2007, it seemed that Sen.Hillary Clinton was the favorite for the Democratic nomination and was touted as the most anticipated presidential candidate in a generation. But in a systematic manner Obama went about h is campaign and step by step his charisma took his popularity ahead and in front of the competition. 4) White Voters, the overwhelming influence on the outcome of the US presidential elections, were not expected to support Obama as several studies and history suggested. 5) Even among the African American community, Obama had trouble with his perceived strongest base.It was only after his victory in Iowa that the black sentiment turned in his favour. There was also Obama’s perceived lack a shared background with the minority population that suffered centuries of social abuse. 6) Obama also had to carefully handle the allegation on his backgrounds, past life, friends or any glitch on his biography that the opposition could use against him. (Sheng, 2008) 8. Exit polls reported from several areas pointed to the fact that one in five white voters would prefer to vote for a white candidate, which meant that Obama’s opponent would get these votes no matter what other consider ations were.9. Obama also had to handle the seemingly ludicrous but highly influencing allegations on his muslim background. A Pew Research Center survey found that 13 percent of registered voters stated that Sen. Obama was a Muslim, which was proof that ignorance of voters could be a big factor that Obama had to deal with. 10. Obama also had to deal with a concerted effort to paint Obama as an outsider that did not belong in the US scheme of things. His mixed family background and alleged muslim connections added to these campaigns. (Bryjak, 2008) Obama’s Leadership QualitiesBarack Obama’s leadership qualities that leaves the people around him to emulate are the qualities that every efficient leader should posses. Intelligence, Good Communition Skills, a wide range of experience, a multicultural background, and an affinity for change. Intelligence -. Obama has shown tremendous intelligence difficulties to find logical solutions to tough problems. His views and thought s of multiple ways to improve the American life shows his application of intelligence. Good communication skills – Obama has been successful in expressing his feelings in their entirety to his audience.His speeches are highly affective and he takes the crowd in his hands. He also used the emerging media such as social networking sites on the internet to fundraise and communicate messages. Experience – 7 years of work in Illinois Senate and his work as a community organizer gives Obama the professional experience to fight through the problems. And his multicultural faceted and varied experience on a personal level gives him the edge over others. Change – Obama has already taken several key decisions with far reaching consequences to affect the change that he has promised so much and so far.( Fu, 2008) As Madore in his article puts it â€Å"Obama’s ideas are fresh with relevant information. He supplies us competent Organization, with well-executed plans. H is Word Choice is measured, precise and powerful. His Voice is honest, inspiring, and credible. His Fluency rings rhythmic and fine-tuned. And finally, his Conventions are clean and polished, showing evidence of following the rules† (Madore, 2008) A study conducted by NextNationalCEO. com. reports that Insightful judgment, vision and trustworthiness top the list of important leadership characteristics for the U. S. presidential candidates.The following leadership traits were given for ranking to the visitors to NextNationalCEO. com with respect to each of presidential candidates, it was found that Obama was placed ahead of the other candidates almost all of these characteristics. They are, â€Å" — #1: Insightful Judgment — #2: Visionary — #3: Trustworthy — #4: Gets Things Done — #5: Inspires Others — #6: Good Judge of People — #7: Influences Others — #8: Courageous — #9: Confident — #10: Energetic† ( Reutors, 2008) Barack Obama’s leadership characteristics could be summed up as follows,Obama is ambitious, strong, bold and determined to achieve his goals. He uses the resources available to him and innovates new ways to do things. For example, the way he used the social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and MySpace to raise funds and to build a strong influence among the youth. Obama promises a fresh look at everything without pre-conceived notions. His consensus building approach is likely to win friends off enemies. Obama believes in leading by example which was showcased when his stand that high salary levels need to be checked and revised was immediately put into action among the white house staff.Obama has shown tremendous judgment and conviction to take action when he took seemingly complex and controversial decisions such as the closure of Guantanamo prison, withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, getting Congress to pass an $800 billion-plus stimulus package to revive the economy etc. No matter what the occasion, Obama has shown tremendous ability to remain calm and collected. He hardly looses his cool and is not afraid to admit his mistakes. ( Khan, 2009) References Khan, S. (2009, February 15). Obama Leadership – 8 Ways to Lead in the 21st Century.Retrieved May 8, 2009, from http://ezinearticles. com/? Obama-Leadership—8-Ways-to-Lead-in-the-21st-Century&id=1997850 Reuters, (2008,Apr 9). Which Leadership Traits are Most Important to Public in Presidential Candidates? , Retrieved May 8, 2009, from http://www. reuters. com/article/pressRelease/idUS133960+09-Apr-2008+PRN20080409 Madore, R. (2008, Mar 7). Six winning traits of Barack Obama's leadership style! , Retrieved May 8, 2009, http://my. barackobama. com/page/community/post/rolandmadore/gGB3Gs Fu, Bow ( 2008, Mar 22) Barack Obama and Leadership, Retrieved May 8, 2009, http://newsflavor.com/opinions/barack-obama-and-leadership/ Bryjak, J. G. ( 2008, Oct 19), Ob ama's obstacles, Retrieved May 8, 2009, http://www. copleynews. com/uniontrib/20081019/news_lz1e19bryjak. html Sheng, R. ( 2008, Nov 5), Obama overcomes obstacles to become first black president, Retrieved May 8, 2009, http://www. dailytargum. com/news/obama-overcomes-obstacles-to-become-first-black-president-1. 895980 A&E Television Networks, ( 2008) Barack Obama, ( pp 1-3) Retrieved May 8, 2009 http://www. biography. com/featured-biography/barack-obama/bio3. jsp

Child Soldiers Essay

From the first day, something about these innocent eyes filled with hatred inspired me to write. These eyes are those of a child soldier. Before starting this project, I did not think much of children fighting in wars, but as the research got deeper and my understanding of their situation more thorough, this project became much more than a simple task I had to accomplish. I felt close to these people as they are usually around my age, and some are even younger than me. I am aware of these precious years that make up our childhood and our teenage years. It is during this time in our lives where we discover whom we truly are and what we wish to do with our lives. Being deprived of these crucial years makes it almost impossible for one to grow and start one’s life. These children began their trip into hell when they were abducted by the militia or in some cases even the army. They are then forced to commit horrendous acts in order to harden them and to gain the militia’s trust. Many are forced to slaughter their parents so that even if they want to escape from the militia, they are too ashamed to return home. The militia hurts these child soldiers to the deepest of their beings, and hurts them physically as well. In Sierra Leone, it was reported that limbs were cut off and order to inflict pain on the child and to scare away any NGO’S or the government. This idea of a child holding a gun taller than himself is what inspired me to write my genres. The genres I chose for this particular topic helped me widen my ideas on child soldiers. My persuasive essay went against what I believed as I was trying to prove why child soldiers were a positive thing and how the children themselves wanted to fight for their country. This is an aspect we should never forget when researching about something, the other side of the story. This was done to understand fully the topic from every perspective possible. Another genre that changed my view on child soldier was the epistolary, which is a series of letters recounting a story. This epistolary focused on the life of child soldiers once they became adults. It showed me two different aspects, how one can go on with his life as a soldier and become immune to the evil around, and how one can decide to cut short this brutality and start anew. Two Voices, Two Worlds Apart I am an American boy. In the morning, my mom’s gentle kisses awake me. I’m wearing my new shirt with the red polka dots on it. I pick up my bag and get ready for yet another day of school. I have a hard time at school understanding the math. My days are long and full of work and sports. Around 5 p.m., I go home and treat myself to a nice snack and start my chores. Once I am done, I complain about the homework and wonder when I am ever going to use this. I just had a fight with my mother for breaking a vase, and I am considering running away from her to live with my father. I wish I were as far away from her as possible. I wish I had more freedom to do what I want. To sleep late at night and eat a few sweets. To not go to school. But I cannot do all of this because, I am a child. I am an American boy. In the morning, my mom’s gentle kisses awake me. I’m wearing my new shirt with the red polka dots on it. I pick up my bag and get ready for yet another day of school. I have a hard time at school understanding the math. My days are long and full of work and sports. Around 5 p.m., I go home and treat myself to a nice snack and start my chores. Once I am done, I complain about the homework and wonder when I am ever going to use this. I just had a fight with my mother for breaking a vase, and I am considering running away from her to live with my father. I wish I were as far away from her as possible. I wish I had more freedom to do what I want. To sleep late at night and eat a few sweets. To not go to school. But I cannot do all of this because, I am a child. I am a Limba boy. In the morning, bullets abruptly wake me up. I’m wearing my shirt stained with the stains of my brother’s blood. I pick up my gun and get ready for yet another day of war. I have a hard time understanding the reason for all this evil in war. My days are long and full of hatred and suffering. Around 7 p.m., I go to the camp to wash everyone’s dishes from the lunch that I didn’t have. Once I am done with my chores I lie down on the straw bed and think about everything I could have learned if I had stayed in school. The head officer just whipped me for spilling water; the only thing keeping me from running away is my poor mother who needs my help. I wish I were as close to her as possible. I wish I had more freedom to do what I want. To sleep at night and eat dinner. To go to school. But I cannot do all of this because, I am a child soldier. I am a Limba boy. In the morning, bullets abruptly wake me up. I’m wearing my shirt stained with the stains of my brother’s blood. I pick up my gun and get ready for yet another day of war. I have a hard time understanding the reason for all this evil in war. My days are long and full of hatred and suffering. Around 7 p.m., I go to the camp to wash everyone’s dishes from the lunch that I didn’t have. Once I am done with my chores I lie down on the straw bed and think about everything I could have learned if I had stayed in school. The head officer just whipped me for spilling water; the only thing keeping me from running away is my poor mother who needs my help. I wish I were as close to her as possible. I wish I had more freedom to do what I want. To sleep at night and eat dinner. To go to school. But I cannot do all of this because, I am a child soldier. The Other Side of the Story It is commonly accepted that a child is meant to be provided with whatever comfort for his or her thriving. A child is meant to be cared for, educated and nourished until his adulthood. This is why it is easy to understand how shocking, revolting and inhumane it may seem that a child carries a gun and goes to war. However, in many parts of the world, this perception becomes completely irrelevant. When daily life offers nothing but fear, insecurity and fighting for survival, where widows are more prevailing than capable men protecting their countries from invasion and humiliation, child soldiers become the sole alternative to the tremendously hard and severe reality. Even in the mind of the child, it becomes an absolute necessity. The child moves through a forced maturity regarding the priority to fight for the survival of his family and the freedom of his country. Under such circumstances one shouldn’t forget that going to school becomes an unrealistic dream, and that money often comes to lack in families. The child soldier also puts into account this reality and fights to cover the expenses of his family who are often desperate for money. The country also sends children to war for economical reasons, as it doesn’t have enough money to recruit only adult soldiers. Child soldiers are cheaper than adults and therefore, the government can increase the size of its army. Those child soldiers believe with all their heart and soul that their cause is beyond their life. These children sense a feeling of accomplishment and pride in fighting for their countries. Western ideas of what should or should not be acceptable do not have their place in the sad reality of the life of millions of people in slums in Asia and Africa. These children voluntarily sign up in the army, as they are proud to serve their country. They are devoted to their nation and are ready to pay for the freedom that it deserves with their own life. Their life revolves around this country that has watched them grow and they feel the need to fight for it. â€Å"As long as there is fighting, I am ready to fight,† added Abdul Rahim, a child soldier. â€Å"If peace comes, I’ll go to school.† (Reliefweb) These children are not always forced by adults to fight in wars. The only thing that forces them is their love for their country and the obligations they feel they have for their beloved nation. As they fight, the killing brings them a sense of pride as they have liberated their country from a threat. â€Å"I am proud because I killed an enemy for my country,† said Hayatullah, 16, another child soldier. â€Å"The Taliban wanted to move us from our homes and they destroyed our schools.† (Reliefweb) Not only does it bring them pride to have liberated their country of a threat, but they also feel the need to avenge what has been done to them. Having pride in liberating one’s country does not apply to children only. Nathan Hale, who was a soldier for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, once said, â€Å"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.† (Wikipedia-Nathan Hale) These children do want to go to school, but they cannot because of school closures during wartime. Even if the schools were open, it would be dangerous to spend time there, as they are a target during war. Furthermore, how could these children concentrate on their work and learn new things at school while they are under a perpetual threat of death, and that bombs are being dropped around them? They cannot sit down while the rest of their family is dying in war, fighting for their country. These children have been raised with the thought that they have to fight for it under any circumstance. Age will not be the sole reason that will stop them. Another major reason as to why these children want to fight for their country is because they are aware that this country will one day be theirs. This is their future that they are allowing to be destroyed. An officer, Zapp Brannigan, said â€Å"we fight this battle not for ourselves, but for our children, and our children’s children, which is why I’m forming a children’s brigade† (Tv Tropes). This may be an adult point of view, but it is the way a child thinks when he is fighting. The adults are not the country’ s future, but the children are. What is also extremely unfair is that it is acceptable for European countries to have soldiers, but when it involves African or Asian countries, it becomes a problem. During World War II, thousands of 15-year-old British boys signed up on their own will into the army. No one stopped them even though they knew that they were too young. The few that were stopped signed up again and changed their age to be accepted into the army. Furthermore, many countries nowadays in Europe still recruit young boys in their army. â€Å"In the UK, in 2001, there were 6,000 soldiers under the age of eighteen serving in the armed forces. In March 2002, under pressure from the European Union, the government stated that these soldiers would no longer be sent into combat positions. However, Article 38 of the UNCRC states that fifteen is the minimum age for recruitment and there is no law, which forbids children under eighteen to fight† (The Open University). During World War II, Hitler would enlist boys as young as 10 years old in his Hitler Youth programs and put them in the war. All armies in the Great War used child soldiers. In the beginning of the war the enthusiasm to join the battle was so great that young boys as well as girls could hardly be stopped to enlist. (Children of the Great War) This gesture alone should be able to prove that children can enlist and fight in wars. Not letting them fight for what they believe would be wrong. Child soldiers have always been around, and have existed in almost every country, but today, the views about children as soldiers has radically changed. It is not considered acceptable to make children fight in wars any longer, because they are too young, have not had the chance at an education, or are just not prepared to see such atrocities. However, this does not apply to every child out there, as many are much more mature than others. The U.S State Department’s most recent annual human rights report states that, â€Å"an estimated quarter of a million children, even as young as age 6, have been conscripted to serve as soldiers in dozens of armed conflicts around the world, some with armed insurgencies, such as the Khmer Rouge, the Shining Path of Peru, and Palestinian groups in Lebanon, and some in regular armies, such as those of Cambodia, Uganda, Angola, and Sudan.† (Third World Traveler). The Human Rights Watch also estimates that around 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers all around the globe. (Statistics on Child Soldiers) Currently in Somalia, child soldiers are being recruited by the U.S Army to fight against terrorism. Awil Salah Osman continuously prowls the streets of this devastated country with his fully loaded Kalashnikov. The difference between him and the other soldiers in Somalia is that he is a child financed by the United States. The United States economically supports these child soldiers and equips them heavily. Furthermore, several American officers repeatedly said that they were concerned about the use of child soldiers in Somalia, and that they were pushing Somali officials to be more careful about these young soldiers. However, when asked if they financed any of them, an American official responded by saying, â€Å"I have no good answer for that†. (The New York Times) The United States cannot justify for its acts, and it expects to for other countries to change their policies. Money is not always ready during these times of unease in a country, and for this reason, many parents are forced to send their children off to war in order to pay for expenses. The children go to war to be able to financially support their family in any ways they can (Third World Traveler). Jean Paul, a child soldier said, â€Å"I joined the army to get food for my mother, my brothers and sisters† (CyberSchoolBus). Children cost money to their parents, as they have to pay for the expenses in any way they can in such times of distress. These child soldiers often join the militia or the army to be able to get money and pay for their families. On average, these child soldiers will get up to $50 a month, for every month they fight (BBC News). In many cases, if the child is fighting for the militia, the militia sends a wage directly to the family (Third World Traveler). In other cases, the child directly goes to the militia to fight as they know that by doing this they will be off ered regular meals, clothing, or medical attention (Third World Traveler). Children in war, is an extremely delicate subject as most people are against it. Not many debates are held on this topic, as people are almost unanimous on the idea of whether or not children should fight in wars. However, these people only focus on the negative aspects of the war’s influence on children. These points are undeniable, but they are often exaggerated or based on certain cases, not on every case. These children could go to school, and have an education, but these schools are often closed due to the war, and few are the teachers that would still dare go to work during times like these. Furthermore, these children do love their country and many are aware of the dangers that are involved when fighting in war. Nevertheless, their desire to fight and free their country is overwhelming. This desire to fight for one’s country and to fight for what you believe has always existed. Children have always fought in wars and often even lied about their age to be able to fight. Children should be allowed to fight in wars. One Family, Two Fates I was walking back to the camp when a fellow officer stopped me and told me there was mail for me. I was not used to receiving only letters. Who could possibly be sending me letters when I had no one left who cared for me? My parents had long been dead and my only sibling had escaped to the United States to further his learning. We lived in two different worlds, and this fact made the letter even more intriguing. It was from my brother, the same one who had left his country during a time of war for selfish reasons. This is what it said: Dear Banura, Brother, it has been a long time since we last talked and I was starting to wonder about you and your safety there in this country ravaged by war. How are things going back there? Have you won any major battles lately, and most importantly how are you doing? As for me, I am doing great. My job is steady, and though the years pass I continue to be amazed by this city of wonders. The lights of the buildings resemble stars in the night sky. Every child goes to school and has an education. They all live in huge buildings with many other families. What is surprising is that these families are not related but they work things out. Children live with their parents in homes with running water and electricity everywhere. Yesterday when I was walking down the street, I saw two brothers running side by side and it made me think you and I. I miss you deeply and I spend a lot of time thinking about you. Yet, the only images I can imagine of you is when you are holding a gun. As an adult or as a child, it is the only way I can picture you. This is more the reason to let everything go and come to New York with me. I still wish for you to come and join me in this city of wonder, but I know that my hopes are a whim. You have your duties to accomplish back in Sierra Leone and I respect that. I wish you the best, brother. Best regards, Ishmael Beah I sat there under my tent reading these words over and over again. Was all of this true? Could these wonders even exist? I had no way of knowing. My life was resumed to one word, war. I had been kidnapped as a child along with my brother when we were young. We had spent our childhood fighting the war in Sierra Leone. I don’t even know if I can call it a childhood, as we were forced to grow up extremely fast. We had to leave our fantasies behind and learn how to fight like men. During our teen years we had been released for a few years and were sent to a school that was built to rehabilitate child soldiers. I did not take it seriously, as I did not see it taking me anywhere. My brother, on the other hand, had studied hard and said that one day he would go abroad and further his studies. I used to laugh at him and return to playing tag with my friends out in the field. I regret these days. My life could have been different if I had worked. A bullet was shot in the distance and I was brought back to my reality. This was my reality, the camp and the war. During dinner the next day, I decided to write back to Ishmael. After all, he was my brother and the only family I had left. I hastily took out a pen and a piece of paper and jotted down a few words. The few things I had learned during with UNICEF were finally coming in handy. Ishmael, I received your letter and I am glad you still think about me and worry about me. As you can see, I am still alive and I am doing fine. This country may be at war, but that doesn’t mean everyone gets killed. You, of all people, should know better. You lived it. The war is going on steadily and I don’t see any signs of it stopping any time soon. We won a small battle yesterday in the bush as we killed 15 of their soldiers. Only one of our kids died. It is okay he was just 8, he won’t be very missed. I am happy to know that you are doing fine in this city of lights you described. It seems nice, but you are right, I will not join you there. I have work to do here, and a country to serve. Thank you, Officer Banura I sent the letter without any second thoughts. This is how it was done anyways. Nothing could have second thoughts. If we started doubting our first instincts, we would always be wrong, or in the worst case, killed. I went back to my dinner and ate. The bell rang in the distance, and I turned all emotions off. I picked up the gun that was lying by me and ran to the bush. Shock took me over as I reread these lines. â€Å"Only one of our kids died. It is okay he was just 8, he won’t be very missed.† How could he ever say something like this? He once was this child that fought in the bush like a man, giving everything he had. He knew the fear that was triggered from shooting a man. He also knew of the adrenaline rush of seeing that man drop dead on the floor knowing that later on in the camp he would be proclaimed and thanked. My brother had forgotten about these evils and regarded them as normal. This could not be happening. I could not let him forget the little innocent boy that once was my brother. I decided to write another letter to remind him of who he truly was. Dear Banura, Your words comforted me as I now know you are alive. However, they also hurt me so much. To know you have lost your humanity makes me wish that you died out there in the battle. How could you have forgotten what it was like to be a child soldier yourself? A few years back you were not so different from this little boy that died for his country. I, on the other hand, remember it all too clearly. You may only remember the drugs and the good times we had after using them, but I remember the whole story. I had just turned 13 and you were merely 7 years old when the Revolutionary United Front attacked our village. This was back in 1993. The war had started in 1991. We spent three years fighting against the government in Freetown. You remember those days, don’t you brother? The fighting, the killing, the bloodshed, the useless bloodshed. You probably forgot about the atrocities that happened during those years. You were so young, so innocent, and you were given drugs, constantly. You accepted them instantly as you thought they were treats. I do not blame you, I myself did not know any better. I accepted them as well. There is no need to rummage on the bitter past, but I would still wish to remind you of the day in 1996 when UNICEF delivered us from our perpetual sufferings. They helped us flee from Freetown and they gave us an education. It was basic but it still helped me take my mind off of the atrocities I had seen. I worked hard and had even started to learn how to read and write. You on the other hand, showed no effort. It seemed as if you were content with your old life, and that you even wished you could go back to it. I knew all hope for you was lost when you came to my bunk one night and told me â€Å"the neck of this one is in perfect position for cutting with a machete†. You were talking about the boy you had been playing marbles with you a few hours earlier. After a few months in the UNICEF camp, they helped some of us flee from Freetown. I went with them but you decided to stay behind. You said you preferred dying than abandoning your country in a time of need. I often wish you had come with me, but I will never regret this day. It opened up so many more possibilities than the war ever had. I was sent off to New York where I stayed with my foster mother, Laura Simms. Once I was there, I was signed up in the United Nations International School. I later enrolled in Oberlin College where I graduated with a degree in Political science. Right now, I write and tour the United States to explain the atrocities of being a child soldier, while you continue fighting a deadly war that kill thousands of children every year. Unfortunately, I believe all hope is lost for you, brother. I wish for you to regain your senses and your humanity. May God help you, Ishmael Beah The letter was sealed and I sent it off. It was not a careless act, as I rummaged over it for a few hours. If this could not knock some sense into his careless head, nothing will. I though back on my brother’s words, how could one lose all love and pity? I only wished for one thing. For Banura to see that there was a way to get out of all of these atrocities. The escape was simple. He could come to New York, and work alongside with me. All possibility of this may have been lost, but one can still dream after all. The letters were still coming in, and I did not know why. What could Ishmael want to do with me? He knew I was alive and well, so why would he want to keep talking to me? We were so different, what could we talk about? Then I read the letter. The words stung me like wasps. The sorrow in them cut me like blades. He was right. I had told him that he should have known what fighting was like because he had been a soldier, but I had forgotten what being a child soldier was like. Again he was right, the drugs had made that time of my life just seem like a shape in the haze. I hadn’t even realized I was crying until a tear fell on the letter. To add to my pain, I remembered telling another child to dump that little boy’s body into the hole at the other end of the camp. No tears had been shed for him back then, but this was being fixed. I dried my wet face with my sleeve and went back to my tent. I could not cry in public, but I could not hold back the tears, either. I wept for all the men I had killed and all the children I had deprived of a childhood and a life. As if by instinct, I took out my brother’s first letter from under my pillow and reread it. The answer seemed to stand out from the little piece of paper, â€Å"come and join me in this city of wonder†. With eyes half closed I started packing my bags. I wrote down my wish to join my brother as a letter and sent it off. Ishmael, You have been right all along. I have lost myself during all of this fighting and killing. Please accept my apology and open your home to me. Let me join you and start a new life. Your brother, Banura I waited for the reply for endless days. Finally one day the letter came and a few words were written on it. Banura, Join me now. I have arranged your departure with the United Nations. Go to the Lungi International Airport any day in the next six months and take this plane ticket with you. Ishmael My contract with the army was coming to an end. This piece of paper that had sealed me in this world of violence did not mean anything to me but bitter memories of a childhood and a life wasted. Three months after my brother’s last letter, I left this world of turmoil behind me forever. This was back in 2001, one year before the civil war in Sierra Leone ended. I now live with Ishmael, my brother, and we tour around the world explaining what a child soldier does. I help explaining to people the vicious cycle of war and how one is bound to return to being a soldier, as we are not taught anything else. Child soldiers often lack skills to do anything else but fight. This was the case for me, but thanks to my brother, today I live a different life in this city of wonder. Descent Into Hell 1st entry: It was a day like every other in Sierra Leone, where I live with my older brother and my mother. Nothing seemed to be different as everyone was tending to his or her chores. I was feeding the chicken and gathering the eggs for our supper tonight. One egg each. It was more than enough in these times of turmoil and desperation. In the distance I heard a deafening shout. It was my mother. At first, taken by panic, I stood amongst the poultry, paralyzed. I heard gunshots and that was it. I found myself running through this so familiar path to see, standing in front of my door, three buff soldiers holding a gun. I remember that sight, I always will. The object, a gun, used to be so foreign to me. I now am accustomed to the touch of it, as well as the sensation of having it placed in my bare hands. The soldiers were asking my mother where my father was. Little did they know he was deceased for a few years now. They then asked her if she had any sons and where they were. From behind her, my 17-year-old brother appeared. They asked him aggressively if he was ready to join the militia and to fight for his country. He replied that he wasn’t and that he had to remain with my mother to help her. He was shot dead. A bullet, in the head. Not any remorse from the other soldiers. A cry escaped from my mouth. The eyes from one of the soldiers found me. It was the end. â€Å"YOU!† he shouted. I advanced timidly towards him fearing for my life and for my mother’s. He repeated the same question he had asked my brother. What other choice did I have but to say yes and follow them? They allowed me to pack a pear of pants, a pair of shoes and I was gone. My life as I knew it was over. I was only 13. 2nd entry: We walked until dawn the next day through the bush. Everyone was tired but we continued walking. In the distance we could see a camp. It was relatively small. As we entered through the metal gate one thing hit me. It hit me hard. The putrefying smell of rotting flesh. Prisoners from a previous attack had been staked in the middle of the camp to scare away anyone who dared come in. They made me walk past them into a hut on the other side of the camp. There, they gave me a uniform and told me that I was part of the army. This was all too new for me. I did not know what to do or expect, so I simply obeyed and followed the rules. I would soon find out that this would become a habit. To follow the rules blindly. An officer was speaking and telling me about the food schedule. We must all wake up at 5 a.m. and eat in order to be prepared to fight for the rest of the day. We would return at the camp around 8 every night to eat and rest before the next day. For breakfast we were given one egg and a handful of rice. For our lunch we were given bean soup and for dinner we would be handed two pieces of meat and a bowl of rice. He also told me that we had to do a special ritual before starting the training. They said that if I followed the rules I would gain magical powers that would protect me from the bullets. He also informed me that if I did not follow his orders he would hunt the rest of my family down and kill them one by one. The order was plain enough. I had to follow the rules and I would be protected from the bullets. What I found bizarre is that no one asked for my name that day. Newcomers must have been common here. A soldier came up to the officer and started talking to him. I was to follow this soldier to be trained. The officer shouted after us, â€Å"Take care of Pisco, he looks like a sturdy one†. I asked the soldier why the officer had called me Pisco, and he replied in the most natural tone ever, â€Å"It is your new name†. Abu Bakar Bangura, the young and innocent boy living in the village with his mother and brother was dead. Pisco, the sturdy child soldier had taken his place. 3rd entry: During my four months of training, we had to run in the morning and we studied about small arms at night. During the day, we would plough and harvest the fields and we practiced parade drills. To plough the fields, we had to pull a tractor with a rope so that the officers would not have to waste their money on fuel. The training was hard and I had no idea how to hold a gun, shoot and aim. The first couple times I even injured myself and almost shot a man in his leg from not aiming properly. Two other boys were in training with me. Nisu and Shole. They were twins and were taken away from their father a week ago. They were already better than I was but had trouble aiming. Nisu kept missing the aim and a soldier got tired of him and beat him. The beatings were severe and the pains caused from them were horrendous. I know that from experience. The fear of getting beaten everyday was always present, so I tried my best. I could not fail. Nisu and Shole were not as good as me. They were beaten every day and the beatings made it even harder for them to hold the gun in their hands. One day, Nisu was hit in the head with a rock, and fell dead. His brother could not endure the pain of being alone. He starved himself to death, and when the beatings came again, he died. They were thrown by a soldier into the latrines and left there. I still think of them today. That night, the soldiers beat me too. I was beaten unconscious and had to be sent to the hospital. They put an ice pack on my head and waited until I woke up. No tests were done to see if I had a concussion. When I returned to the camp, they beat me again. I nearly died that night. To this day, I still do not know why they beat me. I cried that night, but not only because of the pain of losing Nisu and Shole, nor from the pain my head was inflicting upon me, I cried because even though my training was not over, I had to start killing the enemy. Tomorrow I had to go into the bush for the first time and fight for my life. I knew that this would be the hardest day of my life and that it would be crucial for the rest of my stay here. 4th entry: Before I was sent out to the bush, an officer pulled me over and told me to follow him. Once again I did as I was told. I walked to the end of the camp, next to the latrines. On the ground, attached by ropes, was a boy. The same one who slept in the bunk over mine. He had just turned 10. He was used in the camp to wash the dishes and do the laundry in the river. They gave me my gun and ordered me to shoot him. I asked why. They told me that if I did not shoot him, they wouldn’t be able to trust me. I still did not understand why I had to shoot this young boy but the soldier’s next words convinced me. â€Å"If you do not shoot him, we will give him the gun and he will have to shoot you†. The boy got on his knees and started crying. He asked to be freed and to go back to his mother. The officer slapped him and ordered me to shoot. I shot. This was the first person I ever killed. He certainly wasn’t the last. I still have dreams about the boy of the village that I killed. The dreams keep me awake at night, crying my eyes out. The sobbing face keeps repeating that I killed him for no reason. I regret this act. I killed an innocent boy simply to prove I was trustworthy of killing even more men and women. After that shot was sent, I fell to my knees sobbing. A soldier grabbed me from my hair and threw me on the floor. He told me he would give me a potion that will make me invincible. He gave me a damp cloth and pressed it against my mouth and my nose. I started to feel a bit dizzy yet I was hyperactive. The soldier had drugged me and made me high so that I would be fearless and better in the bush. Nothing felt better than this feeling. The gun felt light in my hands, and the damp bush was almost invisible to me. I felt free and good. This day flew by for me. When I got home that night, my eyes were red and itching and I felt slightly dizzy. The drug was slowly dissipating and the hunger took over. During dinner, we were given two pieces of meat with a little rice. While I was eating my bowl of rice, an excruciating pain was felt in my leg. I had not noticed that a bullet had grazed my thigh and left a deep gash that was bleeding. I was taken to the infirmary and my thigh was bandaged. It did not help with the pain but at least I would not have to sleep on it with all the dirt. Wounds were deadly here as the risk of infection was high and the medicine was scarce. 5th entry: The drugs were the only things that made me want to go back into the bush. This was the only thing I was certain about in this world full of uncertainties. The soldiers would give us cocaine or marijuana. They would often mix cocaine with gunpowder and they would call it brown brown. We would then follow our officers into the bush and they would utter a few words and let us go. â€Å"This is the enemy† and they would give us a direction. No questions were asked. If we asked any questions, we would have a clear answer. Death. Our own team would shoot us. That day I killed my first man on the battlefield. I had climbed at the top of a tree and hid in the dense foliage. There I lay, not moving for what seemed like hours. The humidity and the high temperatures made the thirst unbearable. A man from the opposing army was walking nearby shooting at one of the soldiers in camp with me. From under the foliage I shot. The bullet hit the soldier in the back and he fell on his knees. Blood was gushing from the wound. The soldier’s life I had just saved came up to the dead body and turned him over. He drew a machete from his belt and cut the head off. The soldier dragged the head from the hair and brought it back to camp that night. It was put in the fire. The same fire the food was cooked on. That night, I fell asleep without even taking my dinner. I was alone in the hut enjoying the stillness of the night when an officer burst into the room. He asked, â€Å"Who is here?!† to which I replied by saying Pisco. His face lit up when he heard my name and he started unbuttoning his shirt. He was approaching me and saying things like: do not be scared Pisco, it won’t hurt very much. On a less gentle tone, he told me that if I ever told anyone about anything that will happen tonight, he would execute me and accuse me of treason against my team during the battle. He said he was in charge here and anything he accused me of, would be taken as true. The officer sat next to me and told me to get closer to him. Once again, I obeyed. The officer gagged me and tied me with a rope to the metal bars of the bed. I was laying on my stomach with my face crushed against the hard mattress. Without being able to move, I could feel the officer removing my pants. Once the officer had pleasured himself using my body, he left. He let me behind, mind and body shattered. I wish to never recall that night. This is the last time I will ever write about it. 6th entry: How could I live knowing that this would become a routine? Killing people. I had always thought that no man should have any sort power over another man’s life. Who did we think we were to end someone’s life? Yet, here I was, killing people. I could not live with this in my heart anymore. I had to tell someone, but whom did I have left except for my mother? Even though I wished I could talk to her, I had no way of doing so. I asked some of the older soldiers how they communicated with their family and they told me they would send letters with other soldiers when they went on raids for new recruits in villages. That night, I sat down and wrote my sorrows and my pains to my mother. I told her I would be fine, and that she should not worry about me. I tried reassuring her; by telling her I would come back to her. Then the thought hit me. What if I never returned home? I wasn’t as scared of dying as I was of staying here forever and having to live like this. I did not know how long I was going to stay here. I had to escape. My plan was set in my mind. If I was hurt enough, I would be sent to the nearby hospital and my wounds be tended for. Once I was in shape again, I would run away and join my mother at her village. The only thing that prevented me from doing so was the fear. The fear of being caught and being tortured as a punishment. I was aware of what happened to those that tried escaping. These men are raped, beat to death, buried alive and shot in front of their families. If they are not killed right away they are tortured, forced to reenter the army or arrested and imprisoned. This decision could not be taken over night; I had to think of all the other possibilities. During that time, I would continue to fight to live and to not lose all humanity. A Second Chance Lahlou, Ralia. â€Å"Child Soldiers.† Child Soldiers. Wix, 29 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . Bibliography â€Å"Facts About Child Soldiers | Human Rights Watch.† Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, 3 Dec. 2008. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Studies Explore Effects of War On Former Child Soldiers.† ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 July 2010. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"INTERVIEW-Chad Child Soldier, Aged 12, Tells of Horror.† Reuters. Reuters. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. . Johnson, Caitlin A. â€Å"A Former Child Soldier Tells His Story.† CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 2 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Some Facts.† Some Facts [Child Soldiers International]. Child Soldiers Internation, 2007. Web. 18 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"FACTSHEET: CHILD SOLDIERS.† UNICEF. UNICEF. 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Web. 27 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Karen Human Rights Group | Reports | Interview with an SPDC Child Soldier.† Karen Human Rights Group. 26 Apr. 2006. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. . Wild, Ko. â€Å"Mizzima News.† Interviews on Child Soldiers. 7 Feb. 2011. Web. 29 Dec. 2012. . Steel, Michelle. â€Å"Child Soldiers.† Child Soldiers. Vision, 2008. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"UNICEF in Emergencies.† UNICEF. 29 Apr. 2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Uganda, Child Soldiers Trapped in Vicious Cycle of War.† UNICEF. 17 Feb. 2005. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Voices Of Young Soldiers.† Voices of Young Soldiers [Child Soldiers International]. Child Soldiers International, 2007. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. .  © BBC World Service, Bush House, Strand, London WC2B 4PH, UK Privacy Statement. â€Å"Children of Conflict.† BBC News. BBC. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Cover, Concealment, and Camouflage.† Field Manual 21-75 – Combat Skills of the Soldier. US Army. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. . Eaton, Courtney C. â€Å"Child Soldiers.† Teen Ink. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. . Hedemann, Philipp. â€Å"His Head Swimming In Hash, A Former Child Soldier In Burundi Recalls His Many Kills.† Worldcrunch. 29 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . Singer, P. W. â€Å"Experiences of Child Soldiers.† Rowan. 2005. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. . Wakabi, Wairagala. â€Å"Lubanga Trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).† Lubanga Trial, Week 6: Child Soldiers Tell of First Kill  « Thomas. 6 Mar. 2009. Web. 6 Jan. 2012. . â€Å"Child Soldiers of The Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).† Srilanka Terrorist Group. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. . Wessells, Mike. â€Å"Sierra Leone: Child Soldiers.† Pangaea Publishing and Design for Nature & Peoples of the Earth. Nov.-Dec. 1997. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. . Kari, Anna. â€Å"Anna KÃÆ' ¥ri : Ugandan Child Soldiers Freed from the Lords Resistance Army (LRA).† Anna KÃÆ' ¥ri : Ugandan Child Soldiers Freed from the Lords Resistance Army (LRA). Web. 18 Feb. 2012. . Clifford, Cassandra. â€Å"Uganda Child Soldier Awareness Weekà ¢Ã‚ ¦Agreement Signed With LRA.† Uganda Child Soldier Awareness Weekà ¢Ã‚ ¦Agreement Signed With LRA. Foreign Policy Association, 20 Feb. 2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Child Soldiers Global Report 2008 | Produced by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.† Child Soldiers Global Report 2008. 2008. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Facts and Figures on Child Soldiers.† Kindernothilfe. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. . The Road from Soldier Back to Child.† UN News Center. UN. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. . Eisele, Sarah. â€Å"An Exploration of Child Soldiering in Three Countries.† IASSW. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. . â€Å"Child Soldiers | Education | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.† Education – Child Soldiers. UNESCO. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . â€Å"Children and Families in Gulu, Uganda Today.† Child Soldiers in Uganda. SOS CHILDREN’S VLLAGES. 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How to Get an Internship in College When You Don’t Know Anybody

How to Get an Internship in College When You Don’t Know Anybody You know the drill. Good things happen to people who know people. That’s how internships and jobs are landed- personal connections. But what if you don’t know anyone? How are you supposed to get that internship, let alone a job? Here are four proactive and creative things that you can do to beat the odds.Brand YourselfIt’s never too early to craft a unique personal brand. That’s the kind of thing that really sings to recruiters, plus it shows a fluency with valuable social media platforms. Use your favorite apps to create a platform and an atmosphere around yourself and your particular skills and interests. And use web software and blog sites to showcase your best accomplishments online. Think of it as an online portfolio, no matter what your field.And keep it professional. Double-check your e-presence with the help of a site like Reppler.com. Then get involved in any important discussions in your chosen field.Be SpecificWhen you’re working on your resume and cover letter, do yourself a favor and make them as targeted specifically to the job or internship you want as possible. Try printing out both the job description and your resume and then go through both with a highlighter. You want as many keywords to overlap as possible. If you don’t have many, go back through and retool your resume. Then draft a customized cover letter for that particular position. It shows your thoroughness and also your level of investment- before you even get an interview.Go to the OfficeYour college or university has a career office for a reason. Use it. Career advisors are trained to help with general job search strategies, and can be an invaluable resource, but there are also career advisors there who have specific knowledge of the field you’re trying to break into. Go and pick their brains. Have them run a fine-toothed comb over your materials. Ask them for strategic advice. You never know what they could turn up, including companie s searching for candidates just like you!Go Above and BeyondThe rest is up to your professionalism and charm. Read up on the company before the interview. Practice your answers to typical sample questions. Get a good night’s sleep, dress appropriately, always be 10Â  minutes early. Shake hands with everyone. Make eye contact. Stay on your toes. Be personable and warm while making them see how qualified you are. Then write a thoughtful follow-up thank you email and address it to your interviewers by name.