Role of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

Role of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) For many countries in the global landscape, its economic situation is perhaps one of the most important concerns which are duly given enough priority by the government. The economic situation of a certain nation is highly indicative of the countrys performance as well as the state of living of its citizens. It is therefore a major concern among national governments to protect the best interest of their domestic economy, as well as local business, in the objective if being able to establish a successful nation. With this, it is a priority for many countries to be proud of many globally operating organizations and economic councils which will not only help them foster a better trading and economic relationship with other nations but will also help them establish global presence. One of such groups would be the APEC or the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. In this research paper, the researcher seeks to examine the APEC in general while being able to provide its background and what it does to be able to help improve the economic condition of its member countries. More importantly, the research will examine some of the issues in APEC and how such were overcome through the policies and recommendations from the said economic body. The impact of APEC on its member countries will also be examined to be able to provide evidence of its significant efficiency. This research would generally seek to discuss the role of APEC in helping its member countries establish a more sustainable and stable economic situation. WHAT IS APEC? The Asia Pacific Economic Forum or APEC is a premiere forum which is primarily responsible for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade, and investment in the region of the Asia Pacific. It was established to promote economic integration around the Pacific Rim and with the goal of being able to sustain economic growth especially among its 21 member nations. The members of APEC are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Peru, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam. An open trade and the establishment of closer economic relation are among the priorities of each member countries in the APEC. Being the primary vehicle in the region to be able to promote trade, investment, and economic cooperation, it is expected that APEC will be able to generate favorable circumstances and activities such as increased employment opportunities and the dev elopment of the local community. Since its inception in 1989 to this current time, APEC has initiated various economic activities which resulted into better business among local nations such as the implementation of reduced tariffs. The APEC is very significant in the global economy primarily because its members, collectively, are acknowledged for being drivers of the growth of the global economy. The individual economic performance of the Asian countries and members of APEC are all seen to have made significant contributions in the success of the international economic situation. Another reason on why APEC is seen to be very significant in the global trading is because its member economies are representative of around 42% of the worlds population while it occupies 43% of the worlds total land area. APEC AND THE WTO Both the APEC and the WTO have been active and demonstrated success in their goals of being able to help in the improvement of the performance of domestic economies by being able to facilitate trading and other economic activities. Both have played active and significant roles in being able to liberalize trading. While the WTO is able to promote trade liberalization on a multilateral level, the same thing was done by APEC, only that it covers only the regional level. This is basically because the very nature of the said economic cooperation is limited when it comes to membership size and economic significance. Although the two organizations both have the same goal of being able to liberalize trade, they have totally different approaches on how to achieve such goals. This makes the WTO to be considered as the locus of negotiations and rule-making while the APEC is considered as the consultative body. the rules of the WTO are absolute and applicable all the members of the group while the APEC is more open to dialogue and it is basically voluntary in terms of participation in their economic and trading provisions and other executions or strategic actions. THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP To be able to effectively reach its goals and to be able to help its member countries build a better domestic economy, APEC has established a framework which serves as its roadmap towards achieving success in its operations  [1]  . The following are the basic principles which are dinetified in the said roadmap: non-discrimination; comprehensiveness; simultaneous start, continuous process, and differentiated timetables; comparability; standstill; transparency; consistency with the World Trade Organization; flexibility; and cooperation. Based on these major principles, APEC is seen to operate based on commitments which are assume to be non-binding, facilitates open dialogue, and practices equal respect fro the views of its member nations or participating countries. The strategic roadmap of APEC is influenced by the initiatives of its member countries like three of the worlds most dynamic economies  [2]  , along with the tiger economies of the Asian continent. The goals of APEC are expected to be achieved through a balanced program of: liberalization to be able to dismantle the barriers towards international economic transactions; being able to facilitate investment and trade to effectively reduce divergences which are not needed for domestic policies which are highly influential of international trade; technical cooperation which enables its members to share information as well as skills which are required to enhance the efficiency and availability of regional infrastructure; and coordination of economic policies to be able to help reduce risks or uncertainties in the economy. TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY The succeeding section of this research will provide a discussion on some of the initiatives of the economic organization through the years since its inception  [3]  . During the annual conventions of the member countries, strategies and new goals are laid out in which the members perpetually work for its achievement. Some of these things will be briefly discussed in the next paragraphs in the goal of the researcher to provide some of the initiatives of APEC towards the establishment of a more sustainable economy and nation. The Blake Island Economic Vision In the year 1993, economic leaders from the member countries of APEC gathered in Seattle to be able to discuss the ongoing economic condition and measures in which such problems could be given resolution for the longer term. During this forum in Seattle, the major problems which have been identified include erosion of multilateral global trading system, rise of inward-looking regionalism, and fragmentation within the Asia Pacific. During this convention, a proposition was made to change the meaning of APEC to Asia Pacific Economic Community but it was not approved for such was not deemed appropriate. Furthermore, $2 million  [4]  was also released to fund the activities of the organization in the following year. The leaders, who attended the meeting from APEC member countries, presented The Blake Island Economic Vision. The vision which they created is reflective of how they see the following years would be. The vision which the leaders created presented a call for an Asia Pacific which can be able to fully harness, utilize, and maximize its diverse economies while being able to have strengthened cooperation and promoting prosperity. Another achievement of APEC in the same year is the initiative to push for the creation of the Pacific Business Forum  [5]  and the APEC Education Program  [6]  . The Osaka Action Agenda The Osaka Action Agenda presents two components of how APEC member countries seek to improve its economic condition and sustainability: trade liberalization and facilitation and economic and technical co-operation. The trade liberalization and facilitation seeks to discus fifteen key areas which are seen to be vital in the economic activities of the member nations. These include: tariffs, review of non-tariff measures, investment, procedural custom activities, rights regarding intellectual property, services, purchasing from the national government, policies affecting the competitive environment, conformance with standards, rules of origin, deregulation, implementation of the results of Uruguay Round, mobility of people in business, mediation between disputes and conflicts, gathering of information and analysis. Furthermore, the economic and technical co-operation covers thirteen areas including: small and medium scale enterprises, the development of human resource, industrial scienc e and technology, transportation, tourism, energy, information and telecommunication, infrastructure of the local economy, promotion of trade, information about investment and trade, fisheries, agricultural technology, and conservation of the marine resource  [7]  . Manila Action Plan for APEC A year after the Osaka Action Agenda was laid out, APEC identified the Manila Action Plan for APEC or MAPA which included individual and collective action plans which could be able to help to bring the Bogor goals  [8]  into reality. The individual action plans of the member countries were compiled to be able to help the group stipulate measures which would be necessary to be undertaken to bring into possibility the achievement of free and open trading by 2010 or 2020. Moreover, it was also during the same APEC conference were the members have identified high priority issues which need their immediate attention for resolution to help sustain their economic conditions. These areas include developing human capital; fostering safe and efficient capital markets; strengthening the economic infrastructure; harnessing technologies of the future; promoting growth and improvement which is environmentally sustainable; and encouraging the prosperity of small and medium scale enterprises whi ch are significant in the collective growth of the member countries and of the region in general. Sustaining Growth, Connecting the Region The APEC Summit which was held in Singapore in 2009 marked the twenty years of the organization in pursuit of its objectives. During the summit, the member countries have acknowledged the fact that many things have changed since the inception of APEC although the organization still remains in its pursuit of supporting the growth and economic prosperity in the Asia Pacific region through various trading and economic activities such as free and open trade and investments. It ahs been identified that the robust policies of the organization have helped its member countries to recover from the financial crisis and economic downturn which hit the global economy. It ahs also been identified that responding to food security has been a top priority the year prior to the summit as evident by the calamities which struck its members. During the summit, the leaders also stressed the need to fight corruption, improve governance and implement transparency. These things are seen to be contributory t o the improvement of domestic economies in the Pacific Rim. APEC CHALLENGES In spite the contributions of APEC to the economic development and sustainability of the Pacific Rim, it is also confronted by a number of challenges. This calls for continued initiatives in order to improve the economic situation and to be able to help the organization establish a brighter economic condition in the future. One of the challenges identified to confront the organization is on how it is going to manage globalization as such is seen to have a significant effect on its member countries. The organization is also facing the challenge of how it will be able to effectively manage regional and bilateral free trade agreements which is very critical in the trading activities of member countries. Another challenge which should be overcome by APEC is its initiative to be able to create a free and open trading to its region. Until now, efforts to be able to help achieve such objective are seen to have remained ill defined. There is a need for APEC to realize that it needs modifications with regards to agenda-setting mechanism and procedures. The organization would need to set it eyes towards goals for the longer years and bring the goals into reality such as the achievement of free trade. This year, APEC faces a greater challenge as the deadline is already set for the achievement of the Bogor goals, which is the establishment of free trade. This is apart from other challenges which will confront the organization in succeeding years such as the threat from protectionism and lack of trust on financial institutions. To be able to recover from the financial crisis which hit the economy in the previous years, there is a great challenge not only to attract dynamic investments to boost the economic situation on the Pacific but also to bring back the trust into institutions of finance. By this way, it is acknowledged that a better business will be on its way. Furthermore, the member countries are also challenged to be able to improve its current standings on the World Banks Ease of Doing Business Index. Through this, it is anticipated that more investments will come in as a means of improving financial condition. Several APEC economies are already included in the top five an din the top twenty of the list which is a good indication of the fruitful years to come for the region. A challenge is also posed to address the growing disparities between the urban and rural regions especially with regards to levels of education, social inclusion, and health care provision. CONCLUSION This research does not disregard the importance of the WTO in the trading relationships and quest for the improvement of the economic situation in the Asia Pacific. However, it necessitates the significance of the role which was assumed by APEC to be able to help improve the condition of its member nations. Since its inception in 1989, the organization has helped identified measures on how to achieve greater economic visibility and improved domestic performance through free and open trade and investments among another factors. Nonetheless, twenty years after its establishment, the organization still remains to be challenged by the uncertainties of the economic situation. In the following years, it is expected that the increased importance of the role of the organization, along with WTO, will be more significant in the achievement of prosperity in the Asia Pacific. APEC has signaled the growth of a new political and economic order in the Asia Pacific region through the years. However, the uncertainties in the economic situation made it harder for the organization to achieve its goals and work its way towards prosperity and improvement of the status quo. The organization has also demonstrated positive effects not only on member nations but also towards non-member countries. The perpetual goal of APEC still remains to be the possibility of being able to establish a seamless market or a single economy for the benefit of the Asia Pacific  [9]  . The organization remains true to its commitment of helping countries be able to establish a more sustainable and economic condition. Through the years, the organization is left with shoes to fill and expectations to fulfill on its ability to bring a free and open trading and attract investments in the region in order to trigger economic activity and condition on individual member countries and the Pacif ic Rim in general.

Armed forces Essay

This section provides information on the soldiers, sailors and airman who gained, maintained and then lost an empire. It must be remembered that the vast majority of the empire’s military manpower was recruited from outside the mother country. It is interesting to note that some of the fiercest resistors to the British went on to become the staunchest allies and defenders of her empire; Highlanders, Sikhs and Gurkhas are perhaps the best examples of this phenomena. The military history of the empire is rich in colour and variety but is also inevitably linked to the darker and more sinister side of the empire through conquest, pacification and destruction. The tentacles of the military spread throughout the empire and beyond, the armed forces were not only the conquerors and defenders of the empire but also provided the garrisons that policed the vast expanses of territory and enabled communication over the vast distances involved. The military was very much the most important institution of the empire. Land forces Infantry The years around 1783 were tumultuous ones for the army and things were about to become even more difficult in the near future. The Army was coming to the end of its actions in the 13 colonies. Political and military defeat hung heavily over Britain at the time. The army had borne the brunt of the unsuccessful campaign and so were associated with the failure. Life was to become even more dangerous and precarious for the British army as it become embroiled in the highly difficult task of containing the expansion of Revolutionary and then Napoleonic France. The army would therefore be forced to expand to an unusually large size and would be strained to its limits. The prominent role played by the British army in ultimately defeating Napoleon would restore its pride and prestige both at home and overseas. In the period following victory in 1815, the British army was regarded as the fire brigade of the Empire – being sent to wherever there were disturbances or problems. It would become involved in countless small wars in far flung corners of the globe, most of which would be successful endeavours. However, the army would be sorely tested by the events of the Crimean war and the Indian mutiny. The problems encountered in these actions provided the rationale for the Cardwell army reforms which were implemented progressively from the late 1860’s to the early 1880’s. The numbering system used by the British army in order to determine precedence was first used in 1751. The year 1782 is interesting because it is the first time that many of these regiments were associated with a specific local area. Theoretically, this was to be where their depot was to be based and their recruiting to take place. However, constant strategical and manpower needs meant that these regiments could be posted anywhere and were keen to take recruits from wherever they could find them. In this period of history, the numbers were the more important of the designations and would be used on a day to day basis. However, the territorial titles would later form the basis of the next major overhaul of the regimental system almost exactly 100 years later: the Cardwell Army reforms. Foot guards Number Title 1st The First Regiment of Foot Guards 2nd The Second (Cold stream) Regiment of Foot Guards 3rd His Majesties Third Regiment of Foot Guards Cavalry First troop of life guards Badge Nicknames The Bangers Lumpers The Cheesemongers The Fly-slicers The Piccadilly Butchers The Roast and Boiled The Ticky Tins The Tin Bellies The Patent Safeties Motto Honi soit qui mal y pense Evil be to him who evil thinks Regimental Marches Millanollo (Quick) Val Hamm The Life Guards Slow March (Slow) Regimental Anniversary Waterloo Day 18th June Colonels 1660 – 1788 Soldiers 1660 – 1788 Successor Units 1st Life Guards (1660 – 1788) The Life Guards (1922 – ) Suggested Reading History of the Household Cavalry by Sir George Arthur (Constable: 1909, 1926: 3 vols) The Story of the First Life Guards (Harrap: 1922) Historical Record of the Life Guards (London: Clowes: 1836) Regimental Museum Household Cavalry Museum Combermere Barracks Windsor More go to http://www.btinternet.com/~britishempire/empire/forces/armyunits/britishcavalry/1sttroopofhorseguards.html Artillery Horse artillery Battery Sergeant-Major The other picture of the Battery Sergeant-major is a coloured engraving from a photo. He has gold braiding. The back end of a 12-pounder is accurately shown. Officer 1890 The Officer is in full dress on his charger. Sergeants with 12 Pounder The Sergeants are in various forms of dress. The one in the forground is in full dress or parade dress, the others are in different combinations of working dress. Mounted SergeantThe gold cord braiding on his jacket indicates that he is a Sergeant. F Battery in Second Afghan War Science and technology Transport Railways The nineteenth century saw many technological changes, but none of them were to have as wide repurcussions as the invention of the train. The power of steam had been known for some time but applying this power to moving heavy goods and people over long distances was one application that would have profound consequences and serve the British and their Empire for well over a hundred years. It was George Stephenson who realised the full power and potential of the steam engine when he designed a machine that could take advantage of narrow copper tubes which could be heated to create the all important steam power. The Rocket was the first such steam engine to take advantage of this new technology as it operated between Liverpool and Manchester from 1830. However, technical change was to become rapid and the train was to change its appearance and technical specifications again and again. Inevitably, it was the mother country that first saw her landscape transformed by this new invention. Navvies from Ireland, Scotland and the North of England scarred the landscape with viaducts, bridges and tunnels in the pursuit of the smooth gradients that trains required to travel at their most efficient level. They were paid a pittance for excruciating and dangerous work. In many ways, these navvies represented one of the largest migrations of Imperial settlers as they moved over from Ireland or as they followed the train tracks around the country and ended up settling in the last place they found work. In 1847 there were a quarter of a million navvies digging and blasting their way over the British landscape, their travels are one of the lesser documented migrations of history. However, the job they did is still plain to see in the British landscape some 150 years later and will be for many more years to come. The amount of track laid in Britain increased from only 500 miles in 1838 to over 8,000 by 1855. This expansion of track also brought down the cost of travel so that all but the poorest could afford to travel by train. In the stagecoach days, a ticket from London to Manchester and back would have cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3 10s but by 1851 the train fare for this same journey was only 5s (a seventh of the stagecoach fare) for a far quicker and more comfortable journey. Of course, the expansion of the railways didn’t just rest on the invention of the steam train. Iron was needed for the rails and its mass production helped to reduce the costs to the railway industry. In addition, iron girders and glass were used to construct magnificent looking railway stations. Even older industries, like stonemasonry were given a new lease of life as vast quantities of stone and rock were needed for sleepers, bridges and stations. The railway age was an enormous boost to the economy of Britain, and would provide the country with one of the most efficient infrastructures for the remainder of the century. It wouldn’t take colonial administrators long to see the benefits that such an infrastructure could bring to the colonies they were in charge of. Particularly, as some of these colonies could be immense in size and with little existing infrastructure. Horses and ships had provided the most efficient means of transport to date, but ships obviously couldn’t reach the interior and horses could not match the speed and power of this latest invention. The old established colonies like India, leapt at the railway opportunities and built a railway structure that would even rival the mother country’s in scope and scale. They were often financed by British industrialists keen to move the primary and secondary products of India to the ports ready to be exported to Britain and her factories. Cotton, spices and teas would all provide the economic model for railway building that would later be copied in other colonies by other crops and industries; rubber in Malaysia, coffee i n South America, grains in Canada and livestock in Australia and New Zealand. In some colonies, railways were used more as the initial spur to encourage colonisation of an area. In Africa, railways were built to provide an infrastructure that would lure white colonists into an area in order to farm the area and turn it into a profitable colony. South Africa, Rhodesia and Kenya all wanted to increase their white population and increase the economic activity of their lands and all spent copious amounts of money and effort into building railways in what were very often inhospitable areas to European settlers. They all had varying degrees of success, but were built nonetheless. Indeed, one of the burning issues of late nineteenth century was Cecil Rhodes’ burning ambition to build a Cape to Cairo railway line that passed through British territory all the way. And this dream, although not realised by a train network, certainly influenced a great deal of Central African colonisation during the period. Another spur to the railway building in the nineteenth century was the British army. They too, quickly identified the advantages in being able to move troops and supplies around in a quick and efficient manner. The army would often try to influence local colonial administrators and get them to build railway lines to places which had little business or economic rationale. Alternatively, the army would build its own railway lines in areas they felt were necessary. In the case of Kitchener’s Sudan campaign in the late 1890’s, the army travelled down the Nile slowly but surely, not just out of tactical considerations, but because they were building a railway line as they travelled. In fact, this railway line is still in use as Sudan’s major railway line over a hundred years after it was built by the British army. Likewise in the Boer war, the British army came to depend on the strategic advantages of the railway network, but would also be exposed to the vulnerability of this network as the Boers transformed themselves into a guerilla army and destroyed bridges and lines at will. Despite this costly lesson, the British army maintained its respect and use of trains for many more years to come. Railways transformed the Empire in many ways, it increased business activity and allowed businesses to flourish in areas that previously would have been impossible to make a living in. It allowed officials to move rapidly over the areas that they governed. It allowed troops to be dispatched over great distances in short periods of time, indeed this speed of response removed much of the burden of having to station so many troops in a colony in the first place. Populations could benefit from access to cheaper goods as the factories of Europe could unleash their products to the far flung corners of the empire: tinned goods, newspapers, boot polish and toys could all be moved at a fraction of the cost from previous days. The people themselves could move around the empire whether for business or for pleasure; families could be reunited more regularly, farmers could travel longer distances to get their products to market, businessmen could entertain clients from further afield. Even within relatively short distances and in crowded areas people wanted to enjoy the benefits of the train system. Therefore, in London, one of the more interesting railway innovations was devised in the 1860’s; the underground system, or the tube. Using Victorian ingenuity and technical engineering expertise an elaborate underground system of trains was built that would be envied and copied by Metropolises the world over. And again, it reinvigorated the economic life of the City of London and allowed for yet another relocation of businesses and housing for the masses of that city. The advantages of the railways were apparent to virtually everyone. These were the days when progress was seen as a universal good and the railways were a prime example of this beneficent progress. Ships England was a small island nation off the coast of the very powerful and dynamic continent of Europe proper. There were three options open to the English ruling classes. First of all, she could immerse herself into European politics and economics. However, the competition on this front was particularly fierce; French, Italians, Austrians and a myriad of other powerful nations would ensure that England would only be one player in a field of many. Besides, wars and religion made dabbling in this arena a very expensive one. Second, she could turn in on herself and try to stay aloof from the goings on of the world. This strategy suited the Japanese in their dealings with their continental rivals. However the English were already keen traders and had acquired tastes and business practices that made this option an unpalatble one. Her third choice was to turn to the opportunities offered by the rest of the world. And it is because she chose this path that first England, and then Britain, tu rned herself into the preeminent maritime nation of Europe and indeed the world. England’s rise as a maritime nation started with the reign of King Henry VIII. His ambitions were guided more to Europe, but he did manage to lay down financial and military foundations that would be taken advantage of by his successors. The Mary Rose is testimony to the size and power that the King sought to develop. He wanted a navy to project his power and influence onto the European political scene. Unfortunately, his plans and schemes were not fully realized during his reign. However, his treasury was full, the ports were protected by new castles and coastal defences and he had started a naval tradition that would bequeath valuable skills and experience to later generations of sea goers. By the time Queen Elizabeth came to the throne, the most powerful maritime nations were Spain and Portugal. These nations had encouraged explorers to find new, exciting and highly profitable trade routes. However, there were deep religious and philosophical divisions between these Catholic nations and the Protestant English. Queen Elizabeth had no love for these religious and economic rivals and basically sanctioned piracy on the high seas as a means of prosecuting war against the Catholic monarchies. Chief amongst her officially sanctioned privateers were Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins. These, and other sailors, wreaked havoc with Spanish and Portugese trade routes to the East Indies and particularly to the New World. The Caribbean became particularly notorious for rampant piracy. This rivalry turned into something of a naval arms race as the Spanish and English tried to outdo each other in terms of offensive power or in terms of speed to escape potential privateers. Military and commercial ships of both nations would benefit from new technologies, techniques and skills. The naval rivalry between these two nations would reach a head in 1588 with the Spanish Armada. This Spanish attempt to stamp out her English rivals was a gamble that did not pay off. Bad weather and English seamanship saw that the Armada failed in its bid to land an army on English soil. More importantly, the destruction of much of the Armada left the English mariners in a very powerful position and particularly in the Caribbean and in the New World. In the East Indies with its spice trade, the English still had to deal with the Portugese and the Dutch as serious competitors. But with the removal of the Spanish, the English were free to develop an unprecedentedly successful economic venture. There were two main commercial activities that allowed the English to maximise there maritime advantage: Sugar and Slavery. In fact, these were two complemantary activities that would work very closely together. Slaves were needed to tend and harvest the sugar crops of the New World. The same ships that transported these slaves could then be loaded up with sugar and brought back to Europe. With the advent of industrialisation in Britain, the third leg of this trip could also be made profitable. Cheap manufactured goods were taken from Liverpool and Bristol to West Africa and exchanged their for slaves, the slaves were exchanged for sugar in the Caribbean, and the sugar would finally be sold in Europe at a huge profit. The profits involved meant that few people overly concerned by any humanitarian or ethical issues. Indeed, the economic success of this trade would mean that even more time, money and skills were ploughed into the British commercial and Royal Navies. The more and better the British ships became the more she took the world’s trade and the faster she developed into the world’s preeminent naval power. By the mid to end of the eighteenth century, the British could claim to have the largest and most successful naval forces in the world: Both militarily and commercially. By this time, naval traditions, experience and expertise had been fully augmented by advances in science and the latest industrial products and techniques. British ships were familiar sites to ports and coastal regions the world over. However, two events would test this faith and confidence in the maritime forces of the nation. Soon, the British would realise that although they were a match for any nation on even terms, a combination of forces might lead to her undoing. The first test of this theory was the American War of Independence. French and Spanish involvement in supplying and maintaining the insurrection. Combine this with Royal Naval ships and sailors fighting on the side of the colonists and the British could see that they were not as invincible as they would have liked to have believed. However, the real test of the strength and importance of the Naval forces of Britain was to come with the rise of Napoleon on the European continent. A brilliant tactician and strategist, Napoleon swept most of Europe before him. As he took effective control over these powers he also took control of their navies. The British tried their best to thwart these plans with some success in Holland and especially Denmark. However, the Spanish and French fleets combined again to form a most formidable force. Unlike the days of the American War of Independence, it was clear that the only way the British could dispense with the threat of Napoleon was to confront and defeat this Navy in an open battle. The stakes for the island nation had not been higher since the days of Drake and the Spanish Armada. Fortunately for the British, a new hero rose to the hour. Admiral Nelson successfully defeated the combined fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. He paid for this victory with his life, but he laid down a sense of security for the island nation that would remain intact for another century. Although disappointments and setbacks did occur, most notab ly in the War of 1812-14, essentially the Royal Navy returned to being the preeminent maritime nation. Indeed, the only serious threat to the Royal and Merchant Navies were the sailors, captains and admirals themselves. Complacency and a lack of serious rivals meant that the British maritime forces lay essentially unchanged for most of the nineteenth century. Half a century after the death of Nelson and the Royal Navy had barely changed at all; even the ships were the same. The only serious innovation that made serious inroads into these traditions was the advent of steam. Even then, the Admiralty were reluctant converts to this latest technology and pined for the days of sail. It would be left to commercial forces and entrepreneurs to explore and develop this means of power. The most important name associated with these developments is that of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. This man built the first steamship to cross the Atlantic: the Great Western. The first ocean screw steamer: the Great Britain. And what for 40 years would be the largest ship ever built: the Great Eastern. And although these ships were not the greatest of commercial triumphs the combination of ingenuity, expertise and industrial technology would mean that Britain would remain at the forefront of maritime power for some time to come. Steam power would open up other avenues for exploration that had previously been difficult if not impossible for mariners to pursue. The ability to power a vessel upstream would mean that many of the world’s rivers could be opened up to European explorers and traders. This would allow for new parts of the world to be explored and new commerical and political relationships to be established. Africa would see this technology employed along its many rivers. Indeed, steamships would even be taken overland to operate on the great lakes of the African interior. One side effect of the introduction of steampower was that coaling stations would become a strategic necessity to the Royal and Merchant Navies. All of a sudden, the Royal Navy became concerned at the placement of Naval bases particularly with regards to how far a ship could steam before it needed refuelling. This new strategic thinking would be augmented and amended by the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The world was becoming a smaller place at a rapid rate and maritime necessities would be prime in consideration for much of the Imperial expansion of the day. Cash crops would be the new cash cows that provided the financial impetus for maritime ventures at the Imperial level. Tea, cotton, rubber, even opium would all take their turn in providing the imperatives and returns in investing in Britain’s maritime fleets. Combine these financial considerations with regular British trade patterns with Europe, Latin America and the United states and the fact that populations were willing and able to move about the planet in unprecedented numbers and the importance of ships and maritime policy to the British Empire is easy to comprehend. The next challenge to British supremacy of the waves was to be by the Germans. By the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries European and imperial rivalries combined to form ominous and powerful blocks of nations. On one side lay the French and Russians, on the other the Germans, Italians and Austrians. Britain tried to remain aloof for as long as possible, but when the Germans declared that they wanted a Navy that was the equal of the Royal Navy, the gauntlet had been laid and the British joined with the French and Russians. A naval arms race between the British and Germans was proving costly to both countries, it didn’t help matters when one of Britain’s own innovations nearly bankrupted the nation. The development of the Battleship Dreadnought in 1906 kept the British at the front of Naval technology but at the cost of making their entire existing fleet obsolescent. The Germans would easily be able to catch up to the British with this new technology and, if it hadn’t been for competing claims on the German military budget, might have succeeded in doing so. As it was, during The Great War, the British were just able to keep ahead of the Germans and successfully bottled them up in their Baltic ports for most of the war. However, another military development would provide fresh worries and portents enough for the British. The submarine did not effect the war as much as their German commanders had hoped, but their potential for disrupting existing Naval balances of power were clear to all. These concerns would be played out at a much more lethal level during the next war. Meanwhile, the interwar period saw cutbacks to both the Royal and Merchant Navies. With little appetite left for armed forces, British politicians cut back defence expenditure on all of the services. The Royal Navy was no exception. These cutbacks came just as new maritime rivals could be seen on the horizon. During The Great War, the Americans had turned their massive industrial might to outfitting her armed forces in a very short period of time. At the same time, the Japanese had been left unchallenged to develop in the Pacific Ocean. When the war ended they quickly sought to establish some kind of parity with the Royal Navy; the result was the Washington conference. This conference established the so called 5:5:3 ratios for capital ships. America and Britain were to be equal in size and number of ships whilst the Japan maintained 60% of these numbers. The effect of the conference was that Britain, for the first time since Drake, admitted that she would only be the equal of another power. No longer would she aim to be the preeminent naval power. In reality, she had also given the Japanese a local superiority in the Pacific region. A superiority the Japanese would use to dismember much of the British Asian Empire. The Second World War was to put Britain in as much, if not more, peril than in the first. Her naval commanders rightly identified submarine warfare as being the biggest threat the island nation. The Royal and Merchant Navies took horrendous losses as these commanders developed ways of dealing with this silent menace. Convoys and ASDIC did most to redress this balance. But it was a long, hard fight and one that left Britain militarily and economically exhausted by the end of the war. Britain would never reclaim its former maritime glory. The United States and Soviet Navies would eclipse the Royal Navy in size, technology and power. Aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and the rise of Air Power in general would mean that the strategic balance had been tipped forever. Withdrawal from Empire speeded up this process even more, bases in the Far East, South East Asia, the Middle East and even the Mediterranean seemed like expensive anachronisms that no longer served any purpose. At a commercial level, the rise of air transport killed off much of the passenger business of the shipping lines. Also, new trade patterns were established as Imperial trade was replaced by much shorter European destinations. The fall from grace of the British naval heritage is only so precipitate when you realise how long and how deep that tradition has been the lifeblood of the nation. Generations of citizens grew up with the unquestioning belief that Britannia Ruled the Waves. Now that she is a middle ranking European nation, it is not hard to see why so many people lament the passing of an era and why it inspires so many more to be fascinated and interested in this area of British history. Communications The telegraph system was one of the technological wonders of the nineteenth century. It transformed communications in a profound way and helped to give the British Army a technological superiority over most of her competitors. Its invention was a product of the enthusiasm and skill of industrial revolutionary Britain. William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone, a scientist and an entrepreneur, teamed up to forge a devastatingly effective alliance that combined the savvy of both individuals to produce the ‘needle telegraph’. Wheatstone came up with the technological aspect whilst the Cooke had the foresight to approach the railway companies in order to run their lines along side the railway tracks. On 25 July 1837 the first experimental line with the new telegraph was started. The Great Western Railway Company connected the stations Euston Square and Camden Town over a distance of 2.4 kilometres. It was an outstanding success that not only amazed Victorians but displayed obvious applications for its use. When it was used to broadcast such news as the birth of Queen Victoria’s second son, or to catch a murderer who had attempted an escape by train, its acceptance and usefulness was plain for all to see. In fact, the only problem with this initial invention was that it the code to transmit messages was rather cumbersome – and in fact only twenty letters were used of the alphabet. Credit for the simplification of the both the hardware and code was to cross the Atlantic to a certain Samuel Morse. Samuel Morse had a mission in life. A devout Christian, his world had turned upside down when he missed the funeral of his wife due to a message being delivered late. He never wanted anyone to go through the pain that he had endured and so set about perfecting an easy to use message system. His revolution centred around the idea of sending pulses of electricity of two fixed lengths – dots and dashes. The subsequent morse code was so much easier to for all to master. He too saw the logic in following the railroad lines and telegraph poles continued their close relationships to the railway lines that were gradually spreading out over the continents of the world. Of course, there were larger scale boundaries that also needed crossing. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean with a submarine telegraph line was one of the holy grails of Victorian technological advances. So much so that Sirus Field, a very rich American businessman, personally financed the hiring of two warships, one American and one British (USS Buchanan and HMS Victoria), to simply start in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and pull the wire to the opposing sides of the Atlantic. After a couple of attempts, they did indeed manage to succeed in their endeavour. The President of the United States and Queen Victoria managed to exchange pleasantries across all those thousands of miles. Unfortunately, the line only worked for just over two weeks. The Victorian scientists had not anticipated the high voltages that were required to send messages across those thousands of miles. The cable simply burnt out. It would be seven years before the line was reconnected. The problem being that the new, low voltage, well insulated wires were just too thick for any ship to be able to carry. Until, that was, the SS Great Eastern was launched. This was a behemoth of a ship that dwarfed all other ships by its size and speed. In 1866 she easily connected the two continents together. Submarine telegraph lines were now spreading across the world as the British government realised the full potential for governing and communicating with its far flung empire. By 1890, of the inhabited British territories, only Fiji, British Honduras, Tobago, the Falkland Islands, Turks Islands and New Guinea had no cable at all. The importance that Britain personally invested in this world wide infrastructure is borne out by the statistic that by 1914, 75% of all the world’s submarine lines were held by the British. Indeed, within hours of the outbreak of the First World War, the first action taken by any of the British and Imperial Forces around the world was actually taken in Melbourne in Australia. A German merchant ship was fired on by coastal batteries as she attempted to leave port. The fact that this took place on the exact opposite side of the world illustrates how much smaller the empire had become with the advent of telegraphy. Before the advent of this technology, the British government had had to entrust a great deal of local powers to its representatives across the world. When it took three months for a message to travel from a colony back to the capital, waiting for a reply was a luxury that frequently could not be tolerated. The man on the spot was a very powerful figure indeed. With the advent of the telegraph, London could have virtually instantaneous contact with the capitals of her colonies and dominions and conduct business from afar. Cables Being Laid in Canada The value of Britain’s world wide telegraphic system actually contributed to Britain’s strategic worries. The cables were kept in British colonies or under British controlled seas as much as possible, but this was not always avoidable. Whenever this occurred the British worried about interceptions of messages or of cutting the link altogether. For example, the link to Australia passed over Dutch Java, the South American cable ran through Portugese Madeira, but probably the biggest headache of all to Britain’s strategic thinkers was the cable that ran from London to Calcutta. In fact, there were three such cables. One ran from Lowestoft to Germany, through Russia, Persia and in to India. Apart from the strategic nightmares of this essential line of communication was the fact that the Germans and Russians were in a position to keep the costs of using this cable artificially high. The second cable was not much better. It ran across Europe to Constantinople, across Turkey to the Persian Gulf and then by cable to Karachi. Little reliance could be placed on the Ottoman empire. The third cable ran from London to Gibraltar to Malta, Egypt to Aden and then on to Bombay. This looked secure enough, but still relied on using Spanish relay stations to boost the signals. Besides, it was generally more economic to send the messages up over France from Malta. To add to the strategic difficulties the vagaries of the currents and weather caused yet further headaches. Storms, winds, silt, even fishermen could all accidentally disrupt the sending of messages. Combined with the distances involved, it is little wonder the tariffs could be so high. 4 shillings per word to India, and 6s. 9d. to Australia. And yet, the British were convinced that the value of the system was worth the price. All over the world, Englishmen were employed laying or maintaining cables or operating booster stations along the line. The cable manager often became a key member of society for the further flung outposts of imperial society. In Australia, Alice Springs actually came to life as the central station for the overland 2000 mile Telegraph line stretching from Adelaide to the North. These 36,000 telegraph poles were built years before any road or railway line crossed the continent. And it could be dangerous too. In 1874, two cable men were speared to death by Aborig ines. The laying and maintaining of this enormous network must rank as one of the most important achievements of the British Empire. It’s scope and utility is hard to imagine in a world where instantaneous communications are taken for granted. Before the invention of the Telegraph the speed of communication had changed little since the time of the Romans. Within thirty years of the first twitchings of Cook’s and Wheatstone’s needle telegraph, the world had been made substantially smaller.

Essay on Heroes Journey for Shrek - 678 Words

Stage in the Heros Journey Film Component Ordinary World The heros normal world before the story begins The woods,The country. Hes an ogre and everyone hates him. He wants to be alone. Call to Adventure The hero is presented with a problem, challenge or adventure to undertake Lord Farquaad sends fairy tale creatures to Shreks swamp, so he leaves the swamp to go to Lord Farquaad. To get his swamp back, he has to rescue the princess Fiona Refusal of the Call The hero refuses the challenge or journey, usually out of fear He doesnt refuse. Meeting with the Mentor The hero meets a mentor to gain confidence, advice or training to face the adventure Shrek†¦show more content†¦Farquaad comes up on the horse. Ordeal The biggest life or death crisis – the hero faces his greatest fear only through â€Å"death† can the hero be â€Å"reborn† experiencing even greater powers to see the journey to the end. The biggest ordeal Shrek faces is hears Fiona talking about herself being ugly. Hes gotten ready to tell her her love her, then he thinks shes saying hes ugly. He leaves her. When he finds out from Donkey, she wasnt talking about him, he goes to stop the wedding and tell her he loves her. Farquaad is about to marry Fiona and Shrek wants to apologize to her. By spending time with Fiona, Shrek has become a better person, with a heart and is able to apologize. Farquaads men attack Shrek. All the people laugh at Shrek being ugly. Shrek doesnt care and still tells Fiona he loves her. Reward The hero has survived death, overcome his greatest fear and now earns the reward he sought. When he says he loves her and kisses her, she transforms into an ogre. The Road Back The hero must recommit to completing the journey travel the road back to the Ordinary World. The dramatic question is asked again. Farquaad says, Arrest them both and now, that makes me king! The dragon, sent by Donkey, swallows Farquaad coming in through the window. Resurrection Hero faces most dangerous meeting with death – this shows the hero can apply all the wisdomShow MoreRelatedBeowulf Versus Shrek1257 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Romean Mr. Newell October 9, 2014 British Literature – D Shrek versus Beowulf (Hero’s Journey) Joseph Campbell dedicated his whole life researching patterns that appear in almost every hero story or movie. He discovered that there are a few basics stages that just about every hero character goes through. This cycle is called â€Å"the monomyth† or more commonly known as â€Å"the hero’s journey.† This paper will compare and contrast Beowulf and Shrek and how each fits into the monomyth. Every story that involvesRead MoreEssay on The Epic Hero Archetype in Films, and Literature850 Words   |  4 PagesAs Beowulf possessed incredible the strength of 30 men, Luke Skywalker the force, and Harry Potter magic, epic heroes continue in every form of today’s entertainment and storytelling. Every culture from the beginning has had their own tales of heroes accomplishing great feats that no one else could. An epic hero is an icon for everyone to relate to, they symbolize different lessons to learn. The epic hero archetype exists as a source of entertainment but also as a demonstrative tool. Their moralsRead MoreRhethorical Analysis Movie Shrek1709 Words   |  7 PagesAP Language October 5, 2012 Shrek Rhetorical Analysis Essay People have always watched fairytales at a very young age, growing up to believe in them. Some watched them to obtain some kind illusion, for pure entertainment, and others for the sake of love. However, not every fairytale has a purpose of giving us an illusion, of entertaining us, or making us believe in love. Shrek is not a typical fairytale. Even though many people see Shrek along with other fairytales as any otherRead MoreFairy Tale Assignment1243 Words   |  5 Pagesthe active external one which we much more often read about.† Many fairy tales deal with courage, both overt and subtle. Does gender play a role in which type of courage appears? What do these stories teach regarding bravery? 5. The Heros Journey duplicates the stages of the Rite of Passage. First the initiate faces separation from his own, familiar world. Once separated, he undergoes initiation and transformation, where the old ways of thinking and acting are altered or destroyed, openingRead MoreSignificance And Significance Of Mythology1743 Words   |  7 Pagesaddition, it was widely believed that the Druids had magical powers. The ancient Celts had a vibrant mythology made up of hundreds of tales. They did not, however, record their myths in writing but passed them on orally. Our knowledge of the gods, heroes, and villains of Celtic mythology comes from other sources—mainly Roman. Yet the Romans sometimes referred to Celtic gods by Roman names, so their accounts were not always reliable. Moreover, because the Romans and Celts were battlefield enemies,Read MoreDfsdfsdfsdf7285 Words   |  30 Pages 2012 | February 28, 2012 | | $19.99US | 6.43 GB | Hasbro Family Game Night 3 | Electronic Arts | June 14, 2011 | June 14, 2011 | | $29.99US | 1.36 GB | Hellboy: The Science of Evil | Konami | January 17, 2012 | | | $19.99US | 4.61 GB | Heroes Over Europe | Ubisoft | March 15, 2011 | March 15, 2011 | | $29.99US | 4.5 GB | Hitman: Blood Money | Eidos Interactive | March 30, 2010 | March 30, 2010 | | $29.99US | 4.94 GB | Homefront | THQ | September 13, 2011 | September 13, 2011 | |

Persuasive Speech Homeless Young Women - 2024 Words

As fundraiser we need to tell the most powerful stories, we need to harness the power of emotion and move donors so that they will want to give. Fundraising has to appeal first to the emotions and logic can then reinforce the appeal (Burnett, 2002). Homeless young women is a demographic that sparks an emotional response in a person. Numbers and statistics are not as powerful as first hand narratives and accounts. To really captivate the interest of donors and spark that emotional response that will lead to action we will have a group of those who have struggled with being homeless in the winter months of New England tell their stories to donors. As previously noted women give causes that support women. We will focus on the stories of young mothers and young ladies fleeing terrible circumstances then show how FHCHI does not just offer hope it leads to change. When presenting these stories and images FHCHI will ensure that the representations are not demeaning, exploiting, or misl eading the public (Burnett, 2002). The organization will also ensure that the dignity of those depicted remains in tact. The sole purpose of telling these stories it to spread awareness and inspire others to take action. It is essential to relationship fundraising that donors do not feel obligated or guilted into donating. Fundraisers should strive to inspire donors and to offer solutions. If we show our donors that there is more depth, substance and sincerity in our communications thanShow MoreRelatedTo What Extent Has Your Personal Response to the Speeches Been Shaped by the Enduring Power of Their Intellectual Artistic Qualities? an Exploration of the Speeches â€Å"Faith Hope and Reconciliation† by Faith Bandler1666 Words   |  7 Pageswith their audience and be persuasive. The first speech by indigenous Australian rights activist Faith Bandler, is aptly named â€Å"Faith, Hope and Reconciliation† 1999, the second speech is â€Å"Funeral Service of the Unknown Australian Soldier† presented by the honorable Paul Keating, 1993. In the following case study I will be exploring and reviewing and evaluating the intellectual and artistic qualities of these two speeches, with ref erence also to Sir William Deane’s speech on the canyoning tragedy ofRead MoreSchwartz-Nobel, Loretta. Growing Up Empty: The Hunger Epidemic in America.1718 Words   |  7 PagesEmpty is a chilling account of the struggle to get enough to eat that confronts far too many Americans, especially children, in what is considered to be the wealthiest country in the world. In her book, Ms. Schwartz-Nobel tells the stories of men, women and children who are confronted with the tragedy of hunger in their lives. In a country where dieting is an art form, people still have a very difficult time believing that there are people in our great nation who cannot afford to eat. Tragically,Read More Criminalization of Poverty in Capitalist America Essay3029 Words   |  13 PagesConcomitantly, the neo-liberals are essentially giving credence to the conservatives position as it pertains to the underclass. For instance sociologist, William J. Wilson, purports, The liberal perspectives on the ghe tto underclass has become less persuasive and convincing in public discourse principally because many of those who represent traditional liberal views on social issues have been reluctant to discuss openly or, in some instances, even to acknowledge the sharp increase in social pathologiesRead MoreMarch On Washington Speech Analysis3210 Words   |  13 Pagescivil rights movement at the time of this speech. Lewis has been involved in politics for quite some time. He was one of the leaders that organized the March on Washington in 1963. All of this leads to the speech he gave on August 28th, 1963. When giving this speech, it is clear that he has the confidence of a strong leader. The larger underlying occasion in this speech, in other words, what is going on in the world that caused Lewis to give this speech, was the civil rights movement. At this timeRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear2504 Words   |  11 Pageslove in Act I, Scene I, but once he leaves, their true personalit ies start to surface when they do not show Cordelia any sympathy for her banishment (Shakespeare, 24). This instance illustrates that even the most heinous can sound virtuous through persuasive speaking. Though capable of powerful discourse, â€Å"as her subsequent speeches [in the play] demonstrate her ability to communicate eloquently† (Green), Cordelia’s morals prevent her from using words as a ruse like her sisters. Additionally, Act IRead MoreWe Need Talk About Kevin8189 Words   |  33 Pagestheir love for us will always be there even when it doesn’t often reflect on us. Personally it’s very hard for me to relate to this text as it doesn t relate to me at all, I personally relate to this text as, I have a friend who gave birth at a very young age. She had to leave school and go through a lot of hardship because none her family members were supporting her. Due to depression she had a tough time looking after her kid because she wasn’t mentally prepared for it. She didn’t take good care ofRead MoreWhat Affects Our Self Concept?4497 Words   |  18 Pagesown self concept is that I am generous and that I love everyone. Now I want to mention that a self-concept doesn’t have to be absolute truth, it is our perception. So with this self-concept of altruism if I were to walk down the street and see a homeless family begging for change and not give them any money this may cause me to reflect on my self-concept and feel guilty. This is when most people will justify their way around their hypocritical behavior, maybe I could say I was in a hurry, or I alreadyRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesHartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform Michael Adas, ed., Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History Jack Metzgar, Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered Janis Appier, Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD Allen Hunter, ed., Rethinking the Cold War Eric Foner, ed., The New American History. Revised and Expanded Edition E SSAYS ON _ T WENTIETH- C ENTURY H ISTORY Edited by MichaelRead More65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays 2nd Edition 147256 Words   |  190 Pagesanalysis Despite using atypical elements like quotes, this essay comes across as incredibly thoughtful and well...organized with enough originality to make the applicant memorable. The essay exudes maturity. The author discusses a challenge that many young professionals facetrying to lead a group with members who possess more experience than the leader. Rather than use his own voice to describe the situ... ation at the Padlock Ranch, the author brings in voices from three different characters in theRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesOverview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do I Know About Organizational Behavior? 4 Myth or Science? â€Å"Most Acts of Workplace Bullying Are Men Attacking Women† 12 An Ethical Choice Can You Learn from Failure? 24 glOBalization! Does National Culture Affect Organizational Practices? 30 Point/Counterpoint Lost in Translation? 31 Questions for Review 32 Experiential Exercise Workforce Diversity 32 Ethical Dilemma