Example of an Compare and Contrast Essay

My grandmother and I are like dust and dawn, complete opposites. We have different points of views; we come from total different generations; we have different interest. My grandmother was born in Atlanta, GA and married at a young age. She and my grandfather later move up to Jersey City, New Jersey when she was pregnant with my eldest aunt. Life was a lot different in the 1940s than it is now. After sitting down with my grandmother, talking to her about different stuff made me see her in a new light. I spoke with her about how the music was then and now was different. She grew up in a Christian home, so all they listened to was Gospel. I asked her â€Å"what do you think of the Gospel music today?† She answered â€Å"I’m not a big fan of it but I only listen to Mary Mary before I would listen to anything else. They add too much into it and think that because you say God or Jesus it’s a Gospel song. Mary Mary are true Gospel singers.† So, I asked her about the Gospel music that she grew up with, and she had a twinkle in her eye as she explained it to me. She truly loved Gospel from the 1950s to the 1980s. she explained how they had a true meaning and how they had a true message. Technology from then and now is really different. My grandmother declared that their television’s looked like big boxes with a screen on them and cameras were huge. Now, in the 21th century, we have flat screen TV’s and small cameras that can fit in your pockets and can print wirelessly from the printer. Phones were all wired and you couldn’t really move around the house with it; presently, we have wireless cellular phone that you can contact someone from half way around the world without an issue. The environment was a lot safer than it is today; also, that prices were more affordable than they are, that’s why more people are depending on public assistants. My grandmother indicated that you could walk in the grocery store with $20 and leave out with about 35-40 items. As of now, you walk in the grocery store with $20 walk out with 3-5 items. During the 1960s the environments setting weren’t as bad as they are now. The crime rate isn’t as high as they are now. That’s why she chooses to leave out early in the morning to run arranges because she feels safer. The generations has changed and progressed in different ways. Things were easier than they are today. Before you don’t really worry about much, now some people fear to leave the comfort or their home. Maybe if I was alive during that time, I maybe would have gone through as much as I am today. If you had a chance to live in that time zone, would you?

Literary Analysis Miss Brill

In â€Å"Miss Brill† the author Katherine Mansfield creates the metaphor of the world being a stage and the character of Miss Brill being an actress. This illusion can determine her to be a round character because she is afraid of being the person that she isn’t. Miss Brill hides her real emotions by hiding behind a teacher role instead of being true to herself. The character Miss Brill arrives at a theme of isolationism and abandonment; by acting Miss Brill can be recognized as a round character by having a hidden emotion by acting a certain manner.To be able to understand why Ms. Brill uses loneliness as a protective wall around her actual personality is because she is afraid of rejection and the reality of denial. â€Å"They were all on the stage. They weren’t only the audience, not only looking on; they were acting. – How strange she’d never thought of it like that before! And yet it explained why she made such a point of starting from home at just the same time each week – so as not to be late for the performance. † (Manfield Page 185).This demonstrates the value of Miss Brill having to put on a â€Å"performance†, she felt as if she has to act to allow people to accept her as an individual. Miss Brill’s character through-out the story shows a side of loneliness, she does not accept herself for who she is, but for who she isn’t. The emotions she feels are not real and dear to her, but performs them as if they are. The orchestra and the music they play in the story are insightful of the way she feels at the park. â€Å"The band sounded louder and gayer. That was because the season had begun.†(Mansfield, 185) Because of the season Miss Brill was in she feels enlightened by the music she was hearing suggesting the way she felt at that time. The fur at the beginning of the story is an article of clothing near and dear to her heart that she carries around with her at the park but is ra ther ironic because she describes it as a â€Å"little rogue†; rogue meaning that she seeks out things, which she isn’t. Miss Brill spends most of her time in her house serving as her protective barrier from the outside world. She envisions at the park people standing up in unison and dancing and she begins to cry at the thought of it.Consequently, she could be feeling a sense of rejection at that time because she knows that it would be unlikely for people to just casually stand up and dance with her. The type of people she perceives at the park are young and not ones to agree Misses Brills personality, which dampens the temper of her. Therefore she converts to her remoteness to hide herself†¦ â€Å"Suddenly he knew he was having the read to him by an actress! ‘An actress! ’ – ‘An actress – are ye? ’ – ‘Yes I have been an actress for a long time’. †(Mansfield Page 185) From this, it could mean she has been hiding a type of personality from people.Evaluating this inference about Miss Brill can be recognized as a type of character that is having difficult time finding herself by having a diverse personality. In order to feel like she is wanted she steps out of her comfort zone by strolling in the park, she does this to include herself with other people by listening in on other conversations many young people have. Miss Brill assumes that all the older people at the park were just strange and quiet, â€Å"looked as though they’d just come from dark little rooms or even – even cupboards. †(Mansfield, 184).We can assume that she is relating the people to her, while she imagines the young characters to in a scene of a play. When she begins to observe the young couple she relates them to a story of a hero and a mistress. In actuality the young couples speak about Miss Brill as an unwanted person but in Miss Brill’s mind she still is imagining the un-real performance that she wants to believe. â€Å"Why does she come here at all-who wants her? Why doesn’t she keep her silly mug at home? † the boy says, â€Å" It’s her fu-fur which is so funny,† (Mansfield, 186) snickered the girl.Miss Brill doesn’t realize the reality of what they say, but she turns the situation into a main act of a play. However, Miss Brill does not show her emotions in her dialog, we can assume that she is lonesome with herself. The way she plays with the fur as if it were part of her shows the reader that she has no other spouse to show her true emotions for, except for the piece of garment. Miss Brill conceives many of her thoughts as a story so she can someway relate to her, â€Å"In reality, Miss Brill is a part of nothing. She sits alone on a bench with her ratty old fur and watches the world pass before her.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Rather than see herself as one of them, she creates a fantasy world to escape facing the truth. Even in this seemingly perfect production, within Miss Brills mind, Mansfield shows us that there is the possibility of evil. † (Miss Brill, Character Analysis). When the young couple is sitting at the bench snickering at little Miss Brill, she has no actuality of what they said, but when she comes to comprehend she walks home sadly, when she gets home she sits in her room, silently and pulls out the fur, she inspects it but it seems to of lost its color and grown faint.Readers can infer that it symbolizes the lonesomeness of Miss Brill and how she is slowly degrading. The fur then is to be put away, when she hears a cry of the fur. The reality behind the story hurts Miss Brill to a point where she has to a find a way to cope with her harms with the people around her; she does this by imagining things that are unreal. â€Å"The theme of estrangement has run its course. Miss Brill has made an ever so passionate attempt to express love, to be a part of the whole of society that means so much to her. Her imagination, though sensitive, has failed from lack of experience.She is left, as she began, in her pathetic solitude. †(Hull, Web. ). In conclusion to this story, the Author Katherine Mansfield accomplishes the theme of loneliness, the scared thought many people have of rejection, and the conception of many people may have and can relate to. The coping mechanism people use to escape the reality of many situations can hurt them if they don’t come to sense with it. The theme of isolation, and the round character the author Katherine Mansfield shows is brought upon by Miss Brill; The thought of getting rejected by society in the story â€Å"Miss Brill†.

External environmental factors affecting the organized retail industry Essay

The external environmental factors affecting the organized retail industry in india are as follows: †¢Demographical Environment – The important environmental factor that need proper and continuous monitoring called Demographical Environment. Demography is the study of population and its characteristics. Even India has over millions of retail outlet, it still has a long way to go with the international standard of retail industry †¢Cultural Environment – they influence the consumer’s beliefs, art, morals, laws, custom. India’s large and dynamic size and economical and cultural diversity which had lead to no proper model or consumption pattern throughout the country. The main challenge the retail industry in India faces is of diverse strategies for different sectors and segments. †¢Social Environment – it has the maximum effect on consumes. Social environment changes the habbits of people. In India brands like Dettol have a higher impact on people because of its burning sensation. Maggi noodles are more of convenient food in Indian Market than a staple food. †¢Legal and Political Environment – Government plays a great role in moderating the role of business in the society through legislation. The legal frame work for relationship between business and consumer is designed to encourage a competitive marketing system to employ and adhere to best business practices. †¢Economic Environment – depends on the type of economic system in which the consumer makes purchases. Oil companies in India have dome compaings when oil prices went high, where they gave tips on how to cut on fuel consumption. Shortages sometimes forces marketers to be allocators of limited supplies. †¢Natural Environment – the finite and non-renewable natural resources are being consumed very fast and there is little likelihood. The resources such as fuel and gasoline are heading towards a big crisis. The supreme court of India has banned the list of industries in New Delhi. The government instead of being a facilitator for industrial growth is promoting industries which are creating less pollution.

Religious Clothing Restrictions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Religious Clothing Restrictions - Essay Example In most cases, the wearers of religious symbols such as crosses, crucifixes and prayer beads, hijabs, burqas and niqabs are genuine religious people with a strong and real personal connection with religion. In other minority cases, people do wear religious symbols especially crosses and crucifixes as fashion accessories while some Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and Jews wear these attire and symbols due to the politics of identity. However, this discussion proves that, a majority of these people who put on these religious clothing are honest followers of their respective religion. It is important for people to respect other people’s religious beliefs, and consequently abolish the restrictions imposed on the wearing of religious clothing; this is because most people wear religious attire as an expression of their respect for their traditions and religion. Wearing these clothes gives people a religious identity, and gives them a sense of self awareness and awareness of the requirements of their beliefs and traditions. Most of these people believe that wearing this clothes enhances their commitment to spiritual life and that affirming this to the public only strengthens their belief (Grimm). It is the work of the followers of a particular religious belief to decide among themselves what religious dress and symbols are appropriate in light of the teachings of their religion. Criticizing people’s policies and religious belief on clothing and religious symbol is usually received as criticism. of not only the individual, but the religion as well. Making observations in a prejudiced and uncourteous manner about the religious and traditional clothes and symbols of certain members of society would appear to be racial or religious discrimination which is against civil and human rights. In a democratic society, people should be accorded many rights, religion included. The right to religion translates to the right to express ones faith through actions, belief and even dress code. In Britain for example, the Government has expressed its social commitment to religious by promoting a diverse society with different faiths whose followers are universally treated as citizens of t he United Kingdom. In France on the other hand, the government officially banned the wearing of facial veils; this comes at an age where most Muslim women are married to domineering men who force them to wear veils. Some of the

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Law - Essay Example The researchers developed a summary of their dataset. They made comparisons between this dataset and quantification approaches of legal rules that had been used before. By using secondary analysis, researchers can gain new ideas from old data2. The researchers also wanted to find out whether corporations from countries based on common law seek funds for running purposes and investment projects from external capital sources, chiefly the stock market, than from internal sources. The researchers performed econometric analyses, in their bid to answer the research questions, test hypotheses, and make conclusions, based on the findings3. In carrying out this empirical research, the researchers used a panel dataset whose main contents had been gathered from a group of developing and developed countries. The researchers used the dataset to carry out econometric analyses. It is also evident that the authors of this article applied various datasets, using the indices that the researchers const ructed to allow them investigate the impacts of legal change as time passes by and to explore the correlation of such legal changes to economic development4. The indices that the researchers used in this study took into account codes pertaining to self-regulation and other sources of norms, with an obligatory effect. The rules that the researchers included in their panel dataset included those that originate from takeover codes and corporate governance codes5. In this research, coding was done for principally noteworthy court rulings, with sufficient information of the legal sources in the documents that comprise datasets. LLSV does not apply this practice when developing datasets for research. The researchers attempted to code using more values as they analysed the impact of an identified legal ruling. LLSV indices do not code using more values during analysis of previous legal rulings. Predominantly, binary variables are used in LLSV coding uses, and assumptions are made that if a rule may either apply or not. This does not take legal rulings which may be applied differently in different or specific situations. Also, this does not consider the likelihood of ambiguity or vagueness while making interpretations of legal rulings. In this study, intermediate scores between 0 and 1 were included by the researchers in their datasets6. The researchers included the codes of ‘comply’ or ‘explain’ within their coding. In addition, longitudinal indices were used by the researchers to assign codes to various judicial ruling, alongside the various changes that such rulings have undergone since their introduction. This research empirical design is subject to various criticisms. For instance, in coding for the evolution of legal rules, legal research tools were used to evaluate and analyse the state of law. However, the information is scarce and may not be retrieved from history. Backfilling the information may be difficult because the information is old and may be out of date, dating twenty or ten years ago, and may not be sufficiently detailed because complexity in regulation has been increasing time and again7. Secondly, the study employed numerous variables so as to increase the accuracy of the research findings. However, it is worthy to note that the use of many variables does not guarantee accuracy in the findings. Instead, numerous variables might lead increase complexity and ambiguity, which might lead to invalid findings. For instance, the study found out

Construction safety and health Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Construction safety and health - Assignment Example Safety brings financial importance to the company. This is because a safer working environment has an effect on the project goal indirectly and directly. Lost costs, insurance cost, workers compensation claims, and legal fees are cut in a work setting that is safe. Indirect costs involved includes lost productivity that occurs when the employees shift their attention to the incident (Barling & Fronde, 2010). Maintaining safety reduces the schedule interruptions that minimize cost. Additionally, a safer working environment boosts the morale of employees, which later, increases efficiency, productivity, and profit margins. This is associated with less staff turnover, improved quality of work, and fewer absence of staff. Therefore, when employee implements and stick to the safety program, the company will incur a less cost-effective decision. When workers implement healthy and effective safety programs, less illness and injury rates will be expected in the company. Also, safety benefit extends to protecting the reputation of the company. When a lot of time is lost, the quality of services will be poor; will lead to client dissatisfaction. It is important to maintain workplace safety. When it is overlooked, workers will be left exposed to

Trading Simulation Instruction Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Trading Simulation Instruction - Term Paper Example This comparison enables me to compare a stock’s per-share price. It has become a major problem to control unnecessary volatility of trade market as seen in portfolio. This has triggered the corporate government to rule out and put in place a process of bringing the patterns to a uniform level. Globally, the economic environment has started taking a paradigm shift with the featured securities. Like for instance, the ‘dot com bubble burst’ and the soaring oil prices. It is very challenging when U.S economy is put into an account (Hamid Faruqee, 2008, p. 265). U.S economy has slowed down making the interest rate appear tightened, and the equation made more complex. To determine the right shares of my portfolio, I needed to have a conservative alternative. Microsoft appeared to have outstanding price Earnings Ratio in its book value. From portfolio performance, the shares I traded are not that bad. Their PE ratios reflect the book value they had. The expected daily returns from shares have a weighted portfolio exhibit significant to non-linear dependence. Shares from Facebook and Microsoft are mostly consistent with previous market research. This research shows complete evidence of non-linear dependence in returns expected from the stock market indexes. The indexes are based on the individual stock in the United States. My justification is based on trading Facebook shares. Facebook has been engaged in global trading of market securities. This has built social products in order to create utility for both its users and developers. Facebook shares have appreciated in the recent years. It is true to say the stock is currently upward trading to approximately high rates. Summary and analysis of the Facebook share price shows the price trend is strong. Price trend can be made strong by use of simple moving averages. Key moving averages are seen in the daily chart shown in the portfolio. Facebook trading is not a bad move

Medical School Application Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medical School Application Question - Essay Example It is seen that the government has a lesser share than the private entities in the field of health care. Insurance policies have however been given out to individuals who are needy by the government from programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. If I had the opportunity to change the health care system of the United States I would firstly change the whole set up of the facilities provided. The government share in the health care facilities would be increased by me so that a monopoly is not created in the health care of United States. I would create hospitals which would be designed for the overall general public and not only for a particular segment. The health care professionals would be given such expertise by me that they would change the system as a whole. They would be given the expertise to research on certain diseases and would be given the charge of finding out the root cause of the disease. This way the health care in United States might find a breakthrough in decreasing the n umber of patients. Not only this, but several other health care facilities would be formed by me which would help to decrease the load of patients on a single hospital. The healthcare of the United States is proficient in spending as it is spending much more dollars on a person than any other healthcare in the world. The number of uninsured in the United States is much more than many countries as the percentage uninsured are almost 45%. The insurance policies issued in Canada are much more effective and funded by the government than those of the United States. It is seen that the insurance coverage of the United States is not as perfect as it should be but the new health care reform introduced by Barack Obama might prove to be a success for many uninsured individuals. The health facilities are not adequate enough yet in the United States to

Efficient Xml (extensible Markup Language) and AJAX Essay

Efficient Xml (extensible Markup Language) and AJAX - Essay Example n be used all the way through the organizations, allowing the description, communication, corroboration, and interpretation of data among applications and between organizations. XML has also verified its usefulness for connecting inherited information to the Web, for the reason that the XML tags are utilized to describe data as it is configured in the legacy data lay up, therefore eradicating the necessity to reconfigure it. XML is quickly turning out to be a standard for e-commerce content. While HTML, documents oversee the demonstration of data and information in a Web browser, XML deals with the configuration and handling of the data engaged. Consequently, XML makes it feasible to store data objects that are constantly established all the way through the businesses, and XML is turning out to be the standard for e-commerce data exchange. XML is not substitute for HTML; however it performs its job with HTML to assist the transmission, exchange, and handling of data. Therefore, all c ategories of content can be arranged by means of XML, such as images files and sound files. Data that need to be distributed outside the organization should stick to widely defined XML framework. On the other hand, inside data should be defined particularly in XML (Hoffer, Prescott, & McFadden, 2007) and (Hoffer, Prescott, & McFadden, 2007, pp. 399-400).The trend of using XML as a constant storage arrangement is becoming more and more widespread for the configuration of data and information, as a transitional database layout, as well as for semantic annotation (MSDN, 2007). The procedure of standardization is itself an enormously complicated one. If one planed a standard too soon, the standard does not regard as sufficient information and is consequently not assumed. If the standard is planned excessively late, as well a lot of people will have assumed their own methods, and the standard will be unnoticed. A number of instances of standards that came too soon or too behind include,

Euthanasia Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Euthanasia - Article Example physical or mental pain without prospect of relief† and have â€Å"provided a medical practitioner, while appearing to be lucid, with two written requests more than 10 days apart expressly stating the person’s free and informed consent to opt to die†. Organizations opposed to the idea of euthanasia aver that the contentions were weak and insufficient. In particular the phrase: â€Å"appearing to be lucid† is subject to scrutiny and subjective assessment of its veracity. Euthanasia has been specifically defined as â€Å"the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. The key word here is "intentional". If death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia.† (Euthanasia.com 1) The problem has been a source of controversial debate since people from diverse parts of the world hold various beliefs and values that run counter to the objective of euthanasia. Killing, has been viewed, as a criminal act and whatever purpose it deems to be achieved, it is still regarded as contrary to human law. Organizations and states which supported and legalized euthanasia have done so on the grounds that patients who are in pain and suffering without any recourse for recovery should be accorded with the right to die with dignity. The issue therefore continues to be debated upon with an impending bill seeking amendment to the Criminal Code to permit the â€Å"right to die with dignity†. The author concluded the article through inferring that despite identification of particular circumstances allowing euthanasia, it still could be subject to loopholes. Collier (2009, 464) specifically emphasized that the phrase â€Å"appearing to be lucid† is easily contestable given the state of physical and mental condition of the patients. In this regard, he is most likely arguing against euthanasia as a way to end a patient’s misery and pain. The author identified what the particular circumstances are in considering medical practitioners

Revise Persuasive Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revise Persuasive Speech - Essay Example In this regard, I seek to demystify an understanding of the BOTOX procedure; the serious side effects posed by the procedure, and create awareness reiterating that BOTOX injections are harmful to one’s health. III. Today I would like to enlighten you in understanding the BOTOX procedure; the serious side effects posed by the procedure, and create awareness reiterating that BOTOX injections are harmful to one’s health. 1. The term BOTOX refers to a purified type of botulinum that is a neurotoxin. Evidently, the neurotoxin when injected results to a medical situation called botulism. In this regard, it is normally injected in small amounts so as to relax the facial muscles and minimize wrinkles. 3. In this regard, scientific information indicates that a single gram of BOTOX could result to the death of as much as one million people. On the other hand, a couple of kilos could result to the total wipeout of all humanity as we know it. B. According to the medication guide of the Food and Drug Administration, it states that BOTOX may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. These include difficulty in breathing or swallowing and spread of toxin effects. Moreover, the effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas of the body away from the injection site and cause symptoms of a serious condition called botulism. These evidently include loss of strength and muscle weakness all over the body, double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, hoarseness or loss of voice, loss of bladder control among others. 2. Moreover, according to the New York Post in December 16th 2013, Gwyneth Paltrow was quoted in an interview that, â€Å" I won’t do BOTOX again, because I looked crazy. I looked like Joan Rivers!† Also in another confession, the queen of BOTOX, Nicole Kidman admitted that, â€Å"I did try BOTOX, unfortunately, but I got out of it and now I can finally move my face again.† Such shocking confessions and lamentation just further

Leadership in the African American Community Essay Example for Free

Leadership in the African American Community Essay African American community had many problems, such as freedom, economic, education, transportation, being unemployment, lack of self defense; lack of power and †¦ therefore different leaderships and organizations were established to help African American. African American wanted to be free because they were USA citizen and they did not like someone call them nigger or free of slave. They wanted to have freedom of speech, vote,, human rights, self defense, they wanted to be free to go to school and be educated, and they did not like people look at them down because of their color. Black people were the last one got hire and the first one got fire when they applied for job. They had very bad situation because they could not find a job easily. That’s why most of them become unemployment and the rest who had job their salary were low. Black people had problem with transportation because most of them did not had a car so it was hard for them to apply for job. Black people wanted to go to school like white people, they wanted to show them they are smart and they can be educated too. They wanted to be educated so they can learn all the law and learn how to talk and have self defense when someone attack to them. Black people were lack of power because of their skin color. White people could be president or having good positions, and they treat Black people as slaves. Black people had to work in white people’s farms like a slaves, and always respect them and say, ‘‘YES SIR’’. Therefore different leadership and organization stand up to defend them in from of all of these problems for example Martin Luther King in her speech said he has a dream and talks about freedom and how Black and white should be equal, he said Black people should vote, and should be free and go to school. Ella baker also helped Martin Luther King in different way, she established different organization, and she moved to different states and having different conference with different people. There are other leadership and organization which help them out which I am going to talk about it later. Work cited Ransby, Barbara. Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement. The University of North Carolina. Press, in Chapel Hill and London 2003. The Video: FUNDI http://moodle. wolfware. ncsu. edu/file. php/33965/FUNDI. m4v Hodak, George. Martin Luther King Assassinated. ABA Journal 97. 4 (2011): 72. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. Brooks, Gwendolyn. Martin Luther King Jr. Storyworks 17. 4 (2010): 3. Primary Search. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. Haskins, Jim. Martin Luther King, Jr. Cobblestone 31. 1 (2010): 28. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. (Cover Story). Scholastic Action 27. 7 (2004): 4. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. Tutashinda, K. , and D. C. The Grassroots Political Philosophy Of Ella Baker: Oakland, California Applicability. Journal Of Pan African Studies 3. 9 (2010): 25-42. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. Baraka, Amiri. Black Theater Movement The Black Consciousness Movement. Kola 24. 1 (2012): 104-119. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. Stafford, Tim. The First Black Liberation Movement. Christianity Today 44. 8 (2000): 42. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. Taylor, Gardner. Black Freedom Fighters. Christian Century 112. 24 (1995): 777. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 12 Apr. 2013.

Comparative Analysis of Management Theories

Comparative Analysis of Management Theories Fayols management functions, Mintzbergs roles and Katzs skills are still important for the modern day manager. Discuss. The pivotal nature of management theory has seen various trajectories throughout the ages which has caused for discrepancies between administrative theorists who claim to possess the utmost beneficial theorem behind the functions of business activity. As Abedi justifiably proffers; the conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work. The paradigm of proficient management is developing the employees and people of the organization through work, as it is this unification of the people; to impel rather than compel; which will ultimately cause for the augmentation of the business entity as a whole. Management is the development of a bureaucracy that demands strategic planning, co-ordination, directing and controlling of complex decision-making processes (Olum). Interestingly, the foundations and heritage of contemporary management can be traced back to as far as 5000 BC; seen in ancient Sumerian records, the construction of the Egyptian pyramids and rise of the Roman Empire. Additionally, social change during the time of the industrial revolution and the work of Frederick W. Taylor, the father of scientific management (Frederick Winslow Taylor)worked to inscribe the foundations of management theory. This antiquated legacy of management provided Henri Fayol (1916), Henry Mintzberg (1973) and Robert Katz (1955) the knowledge to construct their individual approaches to management. Indeed, Fayols management functions, Mintzbergs roles and Katzs skills are still important for the modern day manager; however, it would be naÃÆ'Â ¯ve for a manager to espouse a particular management theorem due to the changing nature of society and the global economy, but rather to acquire the knowledge of a multitude of theorems and work to manipulate them to suit their individual requirements and business circumstances. Thus, contemporary managerial theory is central to modern managers engineering complex or ganizations, as it cultivates in the rapid contingency of todays changing economy. Henri Fayol (1841-1925), first established the functional approach to management in the early 20th century (Drucker). Fayol outlined the five key functions of management in his treatise, General and Industrial Management, which typified a superior approach to management thinking. Fayols five functions were collectively to forecast prevoyance, organize, command, coordinate and to control the business entity these functions are still relevant to the roles and actions of the modern day manager. During the 1920s, Henri Fayol earned the title of being the father of management (Mote), as scientific management principles were displaced by the classical management school of thought. Classical management emphasized the identification of universal principles of management which, if adhered to, would lead to organizational success (Mote). These universal principles systematically created two broad categories being the identification of business functions and the structuring of organizations a nd management of employees. In addition to Fayols acknowledged five functions of management, he also established 14 principles of management. The legacy of these principles continues to influence modern management theory. Interestingly, Wren (1994:193) stated; Fayols elements of management provided the modern conceptualization of a management process; his principles were lighthouses to managerial action. Fayols model for the functional approach to management was design was the coal-mining business he owned and managed. At that time, the coal mining company was a large business in the early 20th century; however, in todays age would have been considered fairly small (Drucker). This idea of functional organization is still, arguably the best way to structure in particular a small manufacturing business. In the same fashion, and arguably the precedent of functionalism, is its clarity and stability. Therefore, his approach to management through functionalism performs exceedingly well for the simplistic kind of business it was designed for. However, the functional model does not possess the performance capabilities needed to deal with anything more dynamic or complex a crucial factor in demand from the modern day manager. Additionally, Fayols functional principle leaves little scope for innovation and is thus, inadequate when working to develop, test and prepare employees. Peter Drucker, author of the book Management: Tasks, Responsibilities and Management, importantly outlined that; In businesses that exceed Fayols model, in size, in complexity, in innovative scope, functional design should be used only as one principle and never as the principle (Drucker). Finally, functionalism is immensely uneconomical, which is the result of its rigid design nowadays, the development of a business even to a mere moderate size, will cause for friction to build and end up being costly and resource inefficient. Thus, Henri Fayols principles of functionalism is an excellent approach for a small business, and especially small manufacturing business like Fayols own, however the idea of functionalism on its own, is not a practical approach for a business exceeding Fayols model and it was not until Mintzbergs roles that sought a new trajectory in the field of management theory. The pivotal nature of management theory sought a new direction in the early 1970s as experts began to question the rigidity of Fayols fundamental principles. Henry Mintzberg argued that Fayols principles of management did not embody the turbulent nature of managerial work. In contrast to Fayols systematic perspective on management theory, Mintzberg conducted empirical research, which involved observing and analyzing the activities of CEOs from five private and semi-public organizations (Ten Managerial Roles). Mintzberg composed his studies on real word business managers as opposed to Fayol, who consolidated his managerial principles through the study of organizational structure. Additionally, Mintzberg identified ten separate managerial activities that fall into three categories: interpersonal, information processing and decision making (Chapter 9: Marketing Information Systems). Mintzbergs empirical research on the nature of managerial work (Ten Managerial Roles), typified several f laws from Fayols management functions. Mintzberg wrote; the pressures of the job drive the manager to take on too much work, encourage interruption, respond quickly to every stimulus, seek the tangible and avoid the abstract, make decisions in small increments, and do everything abruptly. (Mintzberg) Mintzberg realized the changing world that confronted the modern day managers which worked to consolidate his strategic approach towards management. Interestingly, Mintzberg expressed that effective managers must be proficient at responding to numerous and varying problems without responding too abruptly, and working the tangible information into a comprehensive picture (Mintzberg). Mintzberg furthered this approach through stressing the importance of a broad picture; the manager is challenged to deal consciously with the pressures of superficiality by giving serious attention to the issues that require it, by stepping back in order to see a broad picture, and by making use of analytical inputs. (Mintzberg) Finally, Mintzberg found that although individual capabilities influence the implementation of a role, it is the organization that determines the need for a particular role, addressing the common belief that it predominantly a managers skill set that determines success. Effective managers develop protocols for action given their job description and personal preference, and match these with the situation at hand. In 1974, Robert L. Katz proffered the importance of skill amongst all administration. Katz stressed the importance of skill under varying conditions; a skill implies an ability which can be developed, not necessarily inborn, and which is manifested in performance, not merely in potential. So the principal criterion of skillfulness must be effective action under varying conditions (L.Katz, 1974). Additionally, Katz advanced this broad notion of skill and concluded that effective administration depends on three basic skills, categorized as technical skill, human skill and conceptual skill. First of all, Katz studied the notion of technical skill, in which the manager must possess an adequate magnitude of technical skill in order to master the mechanics of the particular job for which he will be culpable. Secondly, is the idea of human skill; in which it is essential for the manager to work cogently as a group member whilst being collegial within the organization he is leading. Finally, Katz stressed the idea of Conceptual skill, being the ability to visualize the enterprise as a whole (L.Katz, 1974). Sound conceptual skill enables managers to decipher the consequences of change in any section of the entity on other areas of the organization and how the differing functions of administration must unify and work in synchronization of one another. In fact, Katz extended the idea of conceptual skill to include a sound relationship of the individual business to external relations affecting the business entity and hence, should enable the business to achieve inclusive affluence. Interestingly, Katz wrote on the paradigm of skill, defining it as an ability to translate knowledge into action (L.Katz, 1974), and hence, facilitate in the differentiation of these complex skills. Additionally, the importance of the skills varies with accordance to the level of managerial responsibility. Human and conceptual skills, although important in all levels of management seem to be of greatest use in the higher levels of administration, whilst technical and human skills are most important in the lower levels. However, it is the notion of conceptual skill that becomes most important for the top managers when working to achieve prosperity. Katz emphasized that; This three-skill approach emphasizes that good administrators are not necessarily born; they may be developed (L.Katz, 1974). The idea that good administrators may be developed rather than born is important for the modern manager as it gives managers the incentive to advance their skills in order to advance their business output. Additionally, the categorization of Katz skills, and the identification of the skills needed at the differing levels of management, provides an instrumental starting point for the training, and advance of executives (ArticlesBase). Thus, Katz skills will enable the modern day manager to achieve the optimum level of output labor and business efficiency. Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them. Paul Hawken Paul Hawkens idea on good management is without a doubt significant to the progression of a modern manager. It is important to note, and, as mentioned earlier, management is the development of a bureaucracy that demands strategic planning, co-ordination, directing and controlling of complex decision-making processes (Olum). In essence, management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individuals, working together in groups, efficiently accomplish selected aims (Koontz and Weihrich 1990, p. 4). With this in mind; and, to varying degrees, it is believed that Fayols management functions, Mintzbergs roles and Katzs skills are still of importance to the modern day management. In fact, according to Pearsons textbook on Management, an exceptional manager is separated from an average manager through the recognition, acceptance and mastery of managing paradoxes the ability to cope with forces that pull managers in different directions. Great managers do not avoi d these tensions but embrace them, harness them and use them (Hitt, 2007). Management theory has seen a significant change from the classical approach, through the behavioral school and then into more recent developments in management theory with the systems approach, contingency theory, chaos theory and team building approach to management. Agreeably, each management approach contains its advantages and limitations, and the manager must interpret the variables before practicing the differing approaches on the business. In this manner, the dexterity of Fayols management functions, the influence of Mintzbergs administrative roles and the usefulness of Katzs skills are all of fundamental importance for modern managers and interestingly simplistic businesses still advocate Fayols classical approach to management. However, it is the manager who strives to convert the theory behind Fayol, Mintzberg or Katz, whilst systematically integrating the appropriate management approaches, will unq uestionably increase the level of productivity within their business rather than the manager who adopts an experimental or trial and error approach to management. This will enable managers to achieve a common objective; being to create a business surplus through increased productivity. Written by Hamish Farquhar

Travel And Tourism Industry Is Growing Tourism Essay

Travel And Tourism Industry Is Growing Tourism Essay Preparation First and foremost, the angle is preparation. Preparation is an important thing for people that want to travel. A good preparation before travel will lead to a much enjoyable trip. These days travel and tourism industry is growing very fast. Firstly, to prepare for the trip, researches are first done to know more about the country. Nowadays, all the travel agencies are well connected to various hotels, airlines, and railway agencies. So, the tourists of tour do not have to spend extra time preparing the itinerary. Besides that, travel agencies serve their clients by providing best tour packages at cheaper rates. Thats why, these tour packages is very much in fashion these days. These packages have their own benefits. On the other hand, if tourist prefers to travel in the FE method, researches regarding accommodation, food, travel spots, or transportation have to be done personally through the internet or by personal experience from others. Other than that, the checklist of that tour and free and easy preparation are different. If go with a tour, travelling agencies has taken the courtesy to come up with a check list of necessary documents and necessities before travelling. Furthermore, travel agencies will always remind the tourist to bring the necessities before go for travel. In this case, tourist may travel comfortably. But for FE, checklist must be created by you, if you remember to create one. One of the benefits of creating your own personal check list is clearly because it would be more personal and intimate. Anyway, tourist that travels with free and easy have to always bear in mind to bring things in the checklist before travelling because no one will remind the tourists unlike tour. Time Second angle would be time. Time is very crucial element. This is because every second wasted during the trip, is every second lost, therefore time management is very important. By following a tour, tourist is guaranteed to enjoy the trip to the fullest extent. The whole trip is scheduled specially for different types of tourist, for example, shopping tours, historical tours, and relaxing tours. But, there is always a price to pay for all this convenience. The scheduled is so packed that sometime, only a short limit of time is applied to each travel spot. Hence tourists do not have the option to stay back or just go. Punctuality is most likely to be favored. However, in the FE tour, the whole trip is literally, prepared and done by the same tourist. Thus, tourists are able to provide a looser schedule or itinerary. Besides that, sudden change to the trip is always applicable. In this case, punctuality is not an effecting variable. Cost Next the third angle would be cost of expense. The cost of these two trips varies greatly. It can be different in two different aspect, flexibility of cost and budgeting the cost of expense. Tour is said to be less flexible because tourist have to pay a fixed amount of money for any relevant package they chose. Example, if a tourist wanted to visit Indonesia, if he is taking a tour he is only had a choice to pay RM2000 to go to Jakarta. As for the FE tour, it is much more flexible. Tourist may cut off and add in any expenditure during the trip and just travel the place they wanted to visit. For example, another tourist that wanted to visit Indonesia and he doesnt want to follow by tour he can choose where ever place to visit other than Jakarta. As for the budgeting of the cost of expense, the tours travelling package has already included everything from accommodation, air ticket, foods and others with a fix amount of money. The only budget to work out is for shopping or emergency use. But if following the FE, all of the above cost included in the tour has to calculated and figured out carefully because of its tight budget so that we wont over spend our money for unnecessary things. Safety Fourth angle would be safety issues. Safety is a very important factor when travelling. Visiting foreign places exposes the tourist into danger constantly because, due unfamiliar with the new place. Travelling by tour is said to be more secured because a tour guide is much more familiar with the trip and is responsible to put their clients safety as first priority. On the other hand, travelling in FE tourists safety is not assured to the maximum. Furthermore, cheaters usually pick on small group of foreign tourist to cheat on for their money, properties, and sexual violations too. Moreover, travel agencies make it a must for every client of theirs to first purchase travel insurance before travelling with them. Normally the insurance fees are already included together with the tour package. Therefore, obviously, there is much more level of protection. For FE insurance is an option to choose. Experience The experiences that tour tourists gain are different from free and easy tourists. Firstly, the people that tour meet are different from free and easy. In a tour, tourists are travelling in a big group, tourists have the chance of making new friends during the trip. Other than that, the fact that they all originated from the same country, communication is not a problem. After the trip, they are possible to become good friends. For free and easy, like hitch hiking it is normally done in a small group and usually good and close friends. Thus, they may not have the opportunity to social actively with the people of the country, but free and easy tourists have more opportunities to interact with the locals. For example, free and easy is more flexible though out the whole trip, they can choose things that they want to explore base on their desire and their time are always adjustable compare to the tour that is fully scheduled by travel agency, so free and easy tourists have more chances to interact with the locals peoples and explore the locals culture. Next, the commercial experience for tour and free and easy are not similar. When travelling with a tour, usually the travel agencies have a contract with local business in the country to make extra income that can lead to a raise in the economy for the particular country. Business for example, restaurants, shopping malls, galleries, local product shops will be a must stop for the tour. But for the free and easy, like hitch hikers normally look forward to the countrys beautiful scenery, local delicacies, local people, local culture and a whole new different experience. Ordinarily, tourist that takes this trip is to escape from the urban stress and not to face commercial promotions. Benefits The last angle is which method of traveling is most beneficial. Most of the time tourist will prefer travelling with the most convenient and discount rates. Convenience is very important when travelling because tourist expect to have least amount of stress and prefers to just sit back and relax. For that result, taking a packaged tour is most likely to be the best choice. By just choosing which country and they wish to explore any time of the year will do the deal, the else are all taken care by the agency itself. Furthermore, travel agencies has already commercialized into franchise retailers. In this modern era, everything can be done with the internet too, simplifying the whole process into just a click from a finger. On the other hand, FE will not be as convenient as the packaged tour. Air ticket has to be book much earlier for a cheaper price, and same goes to the hotel bookings too. All of the transaction have to be made via internet paying through credit card services. Any sud den changes will not be permitted as a fine will be charged. Next, travel agencies have connection all a around the world, hence having special promotions and price rates, according to the season. Tourist which prefers to enjoy everything with a simple decision will prefer it very much. Hence, travelling by tour is much more pocket- friendly. FE also has special promotions but only limited to a very short period of time only. In a nutshell, according to the article is most clearly stated that the benefits of taking a tour are much more compared to FE travelling. From six of the angles in the articles, specifically during the preparation of the trip at the beginning, the time consumed for preparation and processing the transaction, all the cost and expenses for tour package or FE tour, safety measurements for the trip, experience comparison among the methods of travelling and benefits awarded during the trip.

Lowering Tuition at Iowa State University Essay example -- Colleges Ed

Lowering Tuition at Iowa State University The Background of the Costs of Tuition at Iowa State University Iowa State University is a land grant school which, among other things, means that the university gets money from the state of Iowa from the taxes that residents pay to the state. Because of this in state residents who choose to go to the university do not have to pay a large amount of money while out-of-state residents have to pay almost twice as much. Iowa State University does not have reciprocity, meaning that even residents from the surrounding states, Minnesota, Illinois, etc., have to pay full out-of-state tuition. Out-of- state residents have to pay about $9000 a year for tuition, while Iowa residents pay only about $2500 per year. (See fig1 for semester costs) Undergraduate Cost of Attendence Fig1. Semester Cost Resident Non-Resident Tution $1393 $4673 Room/ Board $2085.50 $2085.50 Books/ Supplies $342 $342 Fees $109 $109 TOTAL $3,929.50 $7,209.50 Source: Iowa State University Homepage, www.iastate.edu/~fin_aid_info Tuition helps to pay for all of the services and programs of a University. However, some universities put more money into one or two programs or colleges to make them stronger areas of study within the university. Not all colleges or departments throughout a university have the same quality of classes or facilities. For example, Iowa State University invests a great deal of their money in the engineering and agricultural programs and so increases the quality of those programs. This is how students choose which university is best for them. A student bases his decision on what college to attend by looking at what programs a particular universit... ...more information and email addresses of the offices go to the Iowa State University web page at www.iastate.edu. From there you will be able to reach any office or department of the University. Just keep in mind that it is the student’s job to voice their opinions to the University, and it is the university’s job to listen. Without us, there is no Iowa State! Works Cited Hauser, Andrea. "Regents Increase Tuition by 4.3 Percent." Iowa State Daily 22 Oct. 1999: 1. Iowa State University Office of Financial Aid. (No date). How Much Does It Really Cost? [Online]. (1998). Available http: http://www.iastate.edu/~fin_aid_info/ General Topics/cost.html [1999, October 29]. Iowa State University Office of Institutional Research. (No date). ISU Fact Book [Online]. (1998-1999). Available http: http://www.iastate.edu/~inst_res_info/factbk.html [1999, October 29].

Resistence to Genetically Modified Foods Essay -- GMOs, Genetically Mod

Introduction This report seeks to examine the causes for resisting genetically modified (GM) food in the world. There have been resistance to genetically modified food have been going on since is commercial production began in early 1990’s (Glass-O'Shea, 2011). The European Union has been delaying decision to allow farmers to introduce GM food crops in their farms or importation of GM foods without labeling as compared to the North American counterparts. This report investigates the major causes of sustained resistance to GM food, the effects of this issue and possible recommendations to soften this position. Causes of resistance to genetically modified food There have been fears that genetically modified food could have far reaching health effects in after a prolonged time of consumption. Several studies indicated that other organisms are affected by the genetically modified food (Macek, Kotrba, Svatos, Novakova, Demnerova, & Mackova, 2008). Many leaders especially in developing countries are concern that genetically modified food is a ploy to enrich some certain corporations in developed countries. These are main reasons for resisting genetically modified food Risky for human consumptions There is a growing concern that the companies that are involved in production of genetically modified food do not conduct extensive research on adverse effect to humans. This contributes heavy why the European Union (EU) is particularly very slow in deciding to allow farming of genetically modified food crops. Since foods may contain other materials that do not have any nutritional values, there should an independent study on effects to humans after consumption (Kuiper, Kleter, Noteburn, & Kok, 2001). It is not clear who sponsors the r... ...3. Glass-O'Shea, B. (2011). The History and Future of Genetically Modified Crops: Frankenfoods, Superweeds, and the Developing World. Journal of Food Law and Policy, 7. Kuiper, H. A., Kleter, G. A., Noteburn, H. P. J. M., and Kok, E. J. (2001). Assessment of the food safety issues related to genetically modified foods. Plant Journal. 27, 503–528 Legge Jr, J. S., & Durant, R. F. (2010). Public opinion, risk assessment, and biotechnology: lessons from attitudes toward genetically modified foods in the European Union. Review of Policy Research, 27(1), 59-76. Qaim, M. (2009). The economics of genetically modified crops. Annual Review of Resource Economics, 1. 665–693 Macek, T., Kotrba, P., Svatos, A., Novakova, M., Demnerova, K., & Mackova, M. (2008). Novel roles for genetically modified plants in environmental protection. Trends in biotechnology, 26(3), 146-152.

Youth and Economic Development in the 21st Century Africa

Youth and Economic Development in the 21st Century Africa By: Ikechukwu D. Ikerionwu Dept. of Peace & Conflict Studies, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, USA. Preamble In the context of youth and economic development, leadership is a multi-layered phenomenon characterized by two main features: 1. The economic challenges facing African youth warrant responsible leadership by governments and international partners; 2. As leaders, youth can themselves play an important role in the promotion of economic development.This paper seeks to address these aspects of leadership by exploring seven main issues of economic development that are central to the well-being of youth in Africa: education and training; employment and migration; entrepreneurship; access to information and communication technology; health and HIV/AIDS; environmental and sustainable livelihoods; and participation in economic decision-making. The paper looks in particular at how governments have responded, how internationa l partners have supported efforts, and how youth themselves are taking the lead in addressing these issues.The main message is clear: while African governments are increasingly putting youth concerns at the heart of the development agenda, a lot more remains to be done. Both governments and international partners should commit to fully engage young Africans in all aspects of their programmes and initiatives that target youth and economic development. Youth have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness and an ability to contribute to the development process from the identification of issues to implementation and monitoring.However, to reap full benefits of their contributions, youth participation in programmes such as NEPAD, MDGs and PRSs needs to be strengthened. As motivated and inspired citizens, young people are agents of change with the potential for taking a leading role in tackling Africa’s development challenges for themselves, their families and the society. The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Education and Skills Training for African YouthYoung Africans need access to both decent formal education and opportunities to acquire a range of vocational and life skills to actively participate in all spheres of an increasingly knowledge-intensive society, today as young citizens and tomorrow as the continent’s future leaders. Unfortunately, young people in Africa struggle to acquire an education that provides them with the right set of skills and knowledge. As a result, the transition from school-to-work is a major challenge such that many young Africans end up either unemployed or underemployed in the informal sector with little protection and prospects.Governments and international partners have made concerted efforts in recent years to improve this situation. In particular, to achieve the goal of universal primary education, many African countries have directed much effort and resources to improving primary school enrolment. The abol ishing of school fees at the primary level has been a major driving force to achieve this goal. In Malawi, for example, free primary school education has considerably increased the youth literacy level. Even while enrolments have been increasing, the quality of education in many African countries appears to be on the decline.Inadequate infrastructure and training facilities, poor and inappropriate curricula, and lack of well-trained and motivated teachers are among the main reasons explaining this decline. The Nigeria government is still having issues with the labour unions over the implementation of the N18,000 ($115. 38) minimum wage. Though access to primary education is a necessary first step and a fulfilment of a human right, it is also clear that it does not provide needed skills for a young African to compete in an increasingly competitive labour market.Moreover, at the country level, a critical mass of secondary and higher education graduates are required in order to acceler ate economic development. In most African countries, secondary schools are limited in capacity, which is largely due to inadequate budgetary resources for this sector. Consequently, the chances of young people proceeding to secondary school, not to mention tertiary institutions, are significantly hampered. To deal with this predicament, African governments and international partners must take a more holistic approach to education, broadening their focus from just primary education.In this context, African girls and young women need special attention. Overall, in most of Africa, gender disparities continue to impede young girls’ acquisition of a decent education and employable skills. This keeps young African girls away from their rightful place as agents of development and leaders of tomorrow. Fortunately, the gender situation has greatly improved in recent years in some African countries. A number of them, such as Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Swaziland, Nig eria, Zimbabwe etc, are in fact on track to achieve the goal of eliminating gender disparities in primary education. 1] Other countries have turned to a range of measures to reduce the gender disparity in access to education – one illustration is the provision of free uniforms and books to girls in Kenya. There are also considerable regional disparities within countries in terms of education and educational attainments. In this regard, the uneven distribution of educational infrastructure in most African countries reflects the weak commitment of governments in addressing this issue. Most secondary schools and tertiary institutions in Africa are located in the cities, with rural pupils struggling for access.This situation contributes to the persistent urban-bias that has so much distorted Africa’s development. The difficulties of the school-to-work transition would be reduced if young people end up with skills that are demanded by employers. One approach is to design cu rricula to suit the changing needs of the labour market, or alternatively, to combine formal education with workbased training as has been adopted in Egypt. Different forms of training are also needed to address the limited skills of young Africans once they have left formal education.In this context, African governments can provide public funded training or financial support for private provision of such facilities, which could focus on either general training or more specific vocational skills. Apprenticeships have been utilized in a number of African countries as a measure to address skills and employability of out-of-school youth for example the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme in Nigeria. In 1987, the Government of River State in Nigeria launched an innovative programme dubbed the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS) as an attempt to link education and training with the workplace.The scheme provides vocational education and training to unemployed youth. It utilizes fac ilities such as workshops and technical instructors from private industries, government institutions, and by way of subcontracting arrangements, way-side craftsmen and tradesmen in the informal sector. Under this scheme, unemployed youth and school leavers are trained for a period of 6 to 36 months under reputable master craftsmen. They are also taught management, business and administrative skills.The scheme has succeeded in training over 600,000 unemployed youth in over 80 different trades out of which about two-thirds started their own micro-enterprise. A mobile training scheme dubbed School-On-Wheels programme introduced in 1990 has provided vocational training to over 21,000 school leavers and other unskilled persons in rural areas. The programme is of a three-month duration, after which graduates are absorbed into the NOAS. Another related scheme is the Waste-to-Wealth Scheme under which youth are trained in the techniques of converting waste material into useful objects.At le ast 8,000 people have been trained under this scheme. [2] Besides the provision of training, the private and non-profit sectors also have a role in providing formal education at all levels. For example, religious bodies are actively involved in the educational sector in Africa, even at the tertiary level. Since governments are constrained by limited financial resources, African leaders need to explore the use of pubic-private partnerships (PPPs) to overcome shortfalls in the education sector.PPPs can also enhance the linkages (forward and backward) between the formal education sector and the private sector. This can in turn ensure that curricula are demand-driven, helping to improve the skills match between school leavers and requirements of employers. Trained and motivated young people can themselves play a substantial role through peer education initiatives. Peers can reach out either in an organized manner or informally to other youth, imparting information and knowledge on issue s such as health and well-being.Peer education can happen in small groups or through individual contact, and can take place in a variety of settings such as in schools and universities, clubs, churches, workplaces, on the street or in a shelter. In Africa, peer education has been used successfully for raising HIV/AIDS awareness and developing life-skills amongst vulnerable youth. Initiatives of development partners. Development partners have also played a major role in pushing the education and skills agenda forward in Africa and in promoting initiatives to increase education access and attainments throughout the continent.One innovative project developed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) together with the Canadian Bureau for International Education aims at providing education and training to participants in a number of African countries. Known as the CIDA Youth Education and Training Awards – Africa, the project focuses on young people already involved in non-governmental organizations and community groups. The education and training provided to winners of the awards include short courses and academic programmes.Having these programmes in the country also helps stem brain drain. Youth Employment and the Challenges of Migration Having a job provides one not only with a source of income but also a basis for dignity and self-respect. To be leaders in the context of their families and in the broader community, young Africans need to secure a decent job. However, young people have a hard time in African job markets; with inadequate education and skills and few opportunities, most young Africans face a future of low-wage employment, unemployment and underemployment.An increasing youth population adds to the pool of job seekers every year, worsening the situation. In Nigeria, over 300,000 youth participate in the National Youth Service Corps scheme annually, but sadly, only about 5% secure decent jobs. The rest are either unemployed or u nderemployed. In Northern Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa, young women also face particular barriers in the labour market, much of which is attributable to cultural attitudes towards them.The expansion of employment opportunities is far below the growth in the youth population because of a lack of appropriate technologies and investment. For example, Africa’s continued dependence on rain-fed agriculture causes much underemployment among rural youth for most part of the year. With little access to land, these youth lack educational, economic and cultural opportunities. As a result, young people consciously decide to move to the towns in the hope of greater chances for employment, as well as a more exciting life, causing massive urban drift.Sadly, once in the big city, African youth lose hope of finding a decent job and are compelled to cross dangerous paths and waters to better pastures, with all too tragic consequences. It is no longer news that less than one-third of the tho usands of young Africans who attempt to reach Europe through the Sahara desert and other illegal channels make it to their dream destinations. Another problem is the rising incidence of youth poverty, crime, prostitution and drugs among youth, as well as the involvement in armed conflict – direct consequence of the lack of decent jobs.In Nigeria one we have the Boko Haram sect, the Niger Delta militia etc. This is of particular concern, not only due to its profound impact on the lives of young people but for society as a whole. Tackling The Challenges Of Youth Employment For many decades, governments and international partners focused on macroeconomic stability and structural adjustment as a means to promote economic growth and thereby create jobs. The underlying faith in this approach was that these measures alone would lead to job creation and poverty reduction, for youth and adults alike.There is now a growing consensus among governments and development partners that speci fic policy measures are required to tackle the main barriers to employment generation for Africa’s youth. One relatively effective measure is the public works programme, which has been implemented in a number of African countries with some success in creating jobs for unskilled youth. Public Works Programmes in Senegal With the assistance of the World Bank and the African Development Bank, the Senegalese government set up in 1989 a US$33 million public works programme that targeted the growing number of unemployed youth.The main objectives of the programme, which was administered by the Agence pour l’Execution de Travaux d’Interet Public contre le Sous-emploi (AGETIP), were to provide short-term employment to these young people through labour-intensive public works projects such as construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of public services, and provision of essential services. The work was subcontracted out to small and medium-scale enterprises. During the first phase of the programme, around 80,000 jobs were created for young people in 416 projects in small-scale enterprises.Overall, AGETIP has implemented 3,226 projects resulting in the creation of 350,000 temporary jobs annually. More importantly, the projects also led to the establishment of 6,000 permanent jobs, an outcome that is not usually associated with a public works programme. [3] The International Labour Organization (ILO) is involved in a number of projects that target job creation for young people as part of their Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIPP). EIPPs are public works-type projects in the area of infrastructure, and have been implemented in over 20 African countries.Under the umbrella of this initiative and with assistance from donors, a number of projects in labour-based road construction and maintenance have been supported on the continent. Facing a dire situation in the labour market, many young people stop actively searching for a job. A South Afri can survey in 2000 revealed, for example, that 39 per cent of unemployed youth had stopped searching for employment. [4] Job-search assistance can be provided or funded by the government to help encourage African youth to re-engage with the labour market through activities like writing job applications and curriculum vitae, and preparing for interviews.A number of global initiatives have been set up to accelerate efforts in tackling youth unemployment and underemployment. For example, the United Nations, along with the ILO and World Bank, established the Youth Employment Network (YEN) in 2001 to provide support to the global commitment of â€Å"developing and implementing strategies that give young people everywhere a real chance to find decent and productive work† as embedded in the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 2000.National and regional programmes aside, young people continually demonstrate their own ability to cope with the situation they face in the labour mar ket. Promoting The Benefits Of Migration While Mitigating The Costs While migrating to an urban area is a rational act for a young person in search of a job and a better life, too often, the end result is poverty and exploitation. To rectify this, governments must look at job creation in rural areas, though these initiatives need to be both intensified and expanded.At the same time, very little effort has been made in Africa to reduce emigration or to promote the return of emigrants. It is unreasonable for so many Africans living outside Africa (who are making giant strides) to return home. In response to this situation, the African Union has established a â€Å"Strategic Framework for a Policy on Migration† with the goal of addressing the causes of internal and international migration and its challenges.The ILO together with the European Commission has also set up a project on â€Å"Managing Labour Migration for Development and Integration in the Maghreb, West Africa and Ea st Africa†. This project has increased awareness of stakeholders on different aspects of labour migration, promoted understanding of its causes and consequences, and collected data and information, which are critically needed to develop comprehensive policy frameworks and labour migration management measures.Youth and Entrepreneurship Given the right combination of motivation, ideas and opportunities, youth are more than able to establish productive and creative businesses. Engaging in entrepreneurship shifts young people from being â€Å"job seekers† to â€Å"job creators,† and also from social dependence to selfsufficiency. Many self-employed youth also contribute to the upkeep of their family, sometimes in a leading role in the absence of parents.Despite these potential benefits entrepreneurship, the majority of youth continue to look up to the state for employment rather than creating their own jobs and employing others. This failure of young people to engage in entrepreneurship has also been attributed to a range of factors: sociocultural attitudes towards youth entrepreneurship, lack of entrepreneurial training in the school curriculum, incomplete market information, absence of business support and physical infrastructure, regulatory framework conditions, and in particular, poor access to finance.The youth strongly recognized their involvement in small business development as an important vehicle for national development but lack of financial resources has always been a major constraint for youth entrepreneurship and business development. Owing to the lack of collateral and business experience, young people are considered a very high risk by lenders. The limited number of micro-finance institutions that target young people in business continues to constraint the development of youth entrepreneurship. On the gender front, very few young women in Africa engage in establishing and running their own enterprises.For instance, in Zambia onl y around 5 per cent of females aged 15-19 are running enterprises as proprietors compared to 15 per cent among their male counterparts. While 25 per cent of female youth aged 20-24 are engaged in running enterprises in Zambia, as much as 40 per cent of male youth are self-employed. The Effect of Combination of Training And Funds Providing capital alone to young potential entrepreneurs is only part of the solution. Studies have shown that what is more effective is the provision of capital together with training in managerial and entrepreneurial skills.In South Africa, for example, the Umsobomvu Youth Fund (UYF), a government-created development finance agency for skills development and employment creation for youth, has developed a number of initiatives such as micro loans for young entrepreneurs, the creation of a venture-capital fund underwritten by a mainstream bank with the UYF providing guarantees, and the development of a voucher programme to access business development service s. Private institutions, especially non-profit organizations, also play an important role in training and funding young entrepreneurs.One example of this is TechnoServe’s business plan competition: ‘Believe, Begin, Become’, which is supported by the Google Foundation, and now active in Ghana and Swaziland. Since 2002, TechnoServe’s competitions have helped launch or expand 165 small and medium-scale enterprises that have generated US$8. 2 million in additional revenues and created more than 1,000 new jobs. In the international policy context, the Youth Employment Network (YEN) and the Commonwealth Youth Credit Initiative (CYCI), for instance, help promote youth entrepreneurship in a number of African countries.Partnerships between such international institutions and the private sector have seen the creation and development of young entrepreneurs Young Africans can also benefit from the experiences of established business leaders. Through mentoring schemes, internships and training opportunities, young people can gain an insight into setting up and running a business, and importantly, how to avoid the potential pitfalls in the real world of business.Governments need to encourage the private sector to take on this role. As with other areas of economic development addressed so far, one key weakness in the formulation of youth entrepreneurship initiatives is the inadequate involvement of youth in their design and implementation, which will be discussed later. Youth and ICT – A Powerful Combination for Promoting Leadership The information and communication technology (ICT) revolution has radically changed the world we live in.Young people in particular have demonstrated an aptitude in developing, adopting and disseminating such technologies, and their leadership role in this sphere is evident throughout both the industrialized and developing world. In fact, it is common practice for adults to learn ICT skills from youth. ICT Is Cro ss-Cutting ICT adoption can be used both as a tool to promote youth as leaders in the ICT sector and to foster broader youth leadership. With an impact that is cross-cutting, ICT can, therefore, contribute to youth participation in a wide range of economic, social and political activities.For example, new technologies can be used for improving access to and quality of education for African youth. With the necessary infrastructure, technologies like online learning can bring a high standard of education to remote, rural communities. Moreover, in a global economy characterized by skill-intensity, young Africans increasingly require a range of ICT skills in order to get a decent job. Equipping youth with such skills can also have a catalytic effect on innovation and entrepreneurship, contributing to economic development.ICT entrepreneurship is evident on the streets of all African cities in vending kiosks, where young people provide such services as mobile phone calls, sale of recharge cards and repairs. The number of tele-centres in countries like Senegal and the proliferation of Internet cafes across the continent have also been a source of employment opportunities for youth. In Nigeria, we have computer village in Lagos, GSM village in Abuja etc, engaging thousands of youths in different spheres of ICT, thereby providing job opportunities for them.Besides these small, informal businesses, ICT-related youth enterprise opportunities include: producing/reselling hardware, software and telecommunications products; data entry services; ICT-based business services; software customisation; distance learning; computer training; consultancy; content provision; communication (e-mail/Internet/mobile); data processing (small business information systems) and ICT-based manufacturing systems. African Youth also employ ICT to develop social enterprises.For instance, the Mobile for Good (M4G) programme in Kenya. M4G is a social franchise project designed to use mobile technol ogy to improve the lives of people in Kenya, the majority being young people. It aims to send essential health, employment and community content via SMS on mobile phones in order to inform and empower disadvantaged individuals. The pilot project, which started in September 2003 in Kibera, an informal settlement situated on the outskirts of Nairobi, has successfully evolved into a self-sustainable Kenyan owned and managed venture.The project seeks to empower marginalized individuals by offering a unique SMS-based information service to disadvantaged communities. The services that have been developed include: Kazi560, a job information service for the casual jobs sector, Health Tips, which provides daily tips to subscribers about Breast Cancer, HIV/AIDS, and Diabetes, and a Community News service, which provides free, locally sourced news to those living in informal settlements in Kenya via SMS.The Community News service reaches over 5,000 people in Kibera. The information is collecte d by a group of 11 Youth Mobilizers who are all residents in the community. Information can vary from events, to health clinics, to jobs on offer. All the information is designed to promote economic and social development in communities and to provide a means of accessing information otherwise costly or unavailable. The success of M4G has been staggering.The project has fulfilled its subscriber targets considerably ahead of schedule, with the number of subscribers now exceeding 30,000. Hundreds of people have found employment through the jobs service, Kazi560. [5] ICT also facilitates youth participation in civic discussions, providing young people with a voice on a range of topics. Electronic fora involving African youth have been successfully undertaken by international agencies like the United Nations.Such initiatives not only assist young people to exchange and develop ideas, but also help inform policy makers and practitioners. The success of the struggle for leadership change in Egypt and other places by the youth can be attributed to one of the effects of ICT. ICT Adoption In Africa Remains Insufficient Despite its advantages, ICT adoption in much of Africa remains low. For instance, there are only 0. 75 computer users per 100 inhabitants – this is to say that only a small proportion of young Africans have access to the Internet.Moreover, due to differences in income and access to infrastructure, the digital-divide on the continent is demarcated not only by national boundaries but also within countries. Fortunately, decreasing prices and recent advances, particularly in mobile telephony, have helped expand access to ICT on the continent, especially amongst the youth. Nonetheless, governments and partners have a lot more to do to eliminate disparities in ICT adoption. Governments should focus on: a pro-poor ICT policy; promotion of ICT investments in rural areas and public-private partnerships; financial and trategic support of ICT youth-led enter prises; career counseling for young people on ICT opportunities and different areas of specialization; promotion of affordable ICT rural infrastructure and local content; development of multipurpose community tele-centres in rural areas; and dissemination of best practices. One way of building capabilities and networks between public institutions (governments and universities) and the private sector is the support of technology parks and business incubators for the ICT sector, in particular to nurture youth-led ICT enterprises.Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia are pioneers in promoting ICT-youth led enterprises through such initiatives. International partners are also playing an important part in the promotion of information and communication technologies for development, known as ICT4D. For instance, the African Youth and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) Network – AYIN- (www. ayinetwork. org) was established in 2005 as a pan- African platform for youth input into the African information society agenda.It is a vision of a â€Å"networked generation of young Africans empowering themselves and contributing to the continent’s active participation in the Information Society†. The network has commenced the implementation of its Action Plan with the development of strategies to promote youth involvement in policy development on the continent. Improving Health and Fighting HIV/AIDS Through Youth Leadership The ability of African youth to contribute to economic development and become leaders in all walks of life critically depends on their health status.In Africa today, young people are, however, vulnerable to debilitating illnesses and health problems such as malaria, tuberculosis, water-borne diseases, maternal complications, and above all, HIV/AIDS. Consequences of HIV/AIDS for Development The HIV/AIDS pandemic, especially in Southern Africa, poses one of the greatest economic, social and politic al challenges of our time. AIDS reduces the earning capacity of affected individuals and increases their medical expenses, pushing families and households further into poverty, creating a icious cycle of material deprivation and health problems. The disease leaves behind a generation of orphans, many of whom are left to be brought up by other relatives or are forced to fend for themselves. Besides the tragic consequences of the pandemic for individuals and their families, HIV/AIDS remains a major burden for affected countries; it severely hampers efforts of governments to improve the health status of the countries and achieve sustainable economic development, in particular by diverting scarce resources from other development priorities.HIV/AIDS also reduces labour supply and productivity levels, which in turn have a negative impact on economic growth. This is nowhere more evident than in the education sector, where the disease is cutting back the numbers of trained teachers and dimi nishing aspirations for achieving the Millennium Development Goal II of universal primary education by 2015. Young African Women Are The Most Vulnerable To HIV/AIDS Young Africans are more vulnerable to HIV infection than adults with young women being at the highest risk of getting the virus.In terms of the vulnerability of young women, the figures are quite alarming – young women (aged 15-24) in sub-Saharan Africa are two and half times more likely to be infected than males in the same age group. In some areas, up to six times more women than men are affected in the 15-24 age group. [6] The vulnerability of young Africans to HIV infection stems from both physical and social aspects of their lives. Physical vulnerability results from the damaging effects of malnutrition and ailments such as bilharzia.A weakened immune system, particularly for adolescence during growth spurts, significantly increases their susceptibility to becoming infected. HIV prevalence can also be attribu ted to a range of socio-economic factors such as: poverty, inequality, and social exclusion; low levels of education and lack of information; poor access to health services; and societal attitudes. Young women are especially vulnerable because of migration, poor living conditions in informal settlements, isolation and proneness to sexual exploitation and abuse.The Need For Targeted Interventions The conventional approach to tackling HIV/AIDS focuses on changing people’s behaviour in order to reduce HIV infection rates. Young people have been targeted by such campaigns via the media, youth centres and peer education. The most well known initiative using this paradigm is the ABC campaign (Abstain, Be faithful and use a Condom). However, ABC initiatives fail to address the physical and social environment that creates the conditions for high infection rates.The United Nations Secretary-General’s report on young women in Southern Africa recognized this limitation and called for broader measures that also aim at creating safe places for young women, amongst other actions. [7] Youth As Key Partners African youth and their organizations have been already at the forefront of tackling HIV/AIDS in terms of raising awareness and developing life skills, and also supporting others such as orphans. In this respect, youth centres and peer education have proven to be one of the most effective initiatives undertaken by African youth.For example, the Anti-Aids Youth Clubs in Ethiopia, with UNICEF support, youth clubs have sprung up in the country to fight stigma, discrimination and ignorance about HIV/AIDS. There are now more than 230 such clubs alone in Ethiopia’s Somali region, where the stigma of the disease and societal attitudes make it particularly challenging to get the message out. In this region, the use of condoms is estimated to be as low as 0. 5 per cent, and female genital mutilation, a major factor behind HIV transmission, is almost universal a mongst women.Youth clubs are more successful than government interventions because young people can more effectively influence their peers by using appropriate media to target them. A comment by one member of a club about music written for this purpose captures this point: â€Å"Young people don’t stop in the street to read a banner they don’t understand. But they listen to the music and the lyrics†. The songs written address such themes as prevention, stigma and friendship.Other clubs use poetry and drama to get the messages across to other youth. Besides promoting HIV/AIDS awareness, these clubs also give young people a sense of responsibility and pride in regions where jobs are few and far between. [8] One limitation of peer education in the area of HIV prevention is that it often fails to reach young women, who are the most vulnerable. To rectify this situation, governments, partners and youth organizations need to consider targeted measures that focus on yo ung vulnerable women.Moreover, attention must also be given to addressing the causes of their vulnerability so that some of the contributing factors are tackled, including the danger of sexual exploitation and abuse. While there is a compelling need to focus on HIV/AIDS in many African countries, there must also be a concerted effort to improve the overall health situation of young Africans including improving access to sanitation and drinking water, increasing nutritional levels, and expanding preventive health programmes.Broadening the focus of health services can help reduce stigmatisation and the subsequent reluctance of youth to use these services. In all initiatives, full participation of young people in the development and promotion of health-related policies and programmes must be encouraged to enable them to become agents of change in their communities. Above all, continued international cooperation and a collective global effort are necessary for the containment of the HIV /AIDS pandemic and other health challenges affecting young people in Africa.The Role of Youth in Protecting the Environment and Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods As heirs to the environmental risks and hazards the world is producing today, ‘it is imperative that the youth take on a leading role in protecting the environment and promoting sustainable livelihoods. [9] Africa faces a number of environmental risks and hazards that disproportionately affect young people, not only because they result in deteriorating physical conditions for both rural and urban dwellers. Erosion, pollution in all its forms, reduced biodiversity, over-exploitation f natural resources such as water and forests, and desertification, among many others, also severely compromise economic development and prosperity. Already, forest size in Africa has been drastically reduced over the last century, due to human activity, contributing to desertification and water scarcity. In many countries on the continent, access to clean drinking water may soon become a reason for conflict. In addition, the rate of urbanization in Africa poses an environmental challenge in waste management, access to water and sanitation facilities.With only an estimated one-third of the total municipal waste on the continent formally disposed of, the amount of waste generated in African cities far exceeds the capacity of most municipalities. Already exposed to economic hardship, the youth need to take responsibility for the state of the environment by becoming full participants in society. But the question remains: Are young people sufficiently engaged? The voice of youth is an invaluable asset to environmental conservation and management.Some governments and non-governmental organizations in Africa are committed to advancing the role and active involvement of youth in the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development. Initiatives include youth participation in advisory bodies such as y outh councils within the context of Chapter 25 of Agenda 21, adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg in 2002.The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) also recognizes the importance of a healthy and productive environment and the role that the young people of Africa can play within this agenda. But commitment does not always mean action. For example, even though many African countries are signatories to various UN conventions, many have yet to be implemented. And, even in cases where conventions have been adopted and implemented, youth involvement has been at a minimum. Youth Taking Leadership The best prospect for the environment in Africa is an empowered youth.The involvement of youth in environment and development decision-making at the local, national and regional levels is critical to the implementation of sustainable development policies. M any youth organizations are already taking a leading role in the area of environmental protection. For example, in January 1993, Environment JEUnesse (ENJEU, or Environment- Youth), Quebec's youth environmentalist network, took the initiative to create a Francophone network of youth organizations for environment and development.The essential aspect of ENJEU's action plan is to mobilize and encourage youth to come together regionally in each major pocket of the Francophone world, including Africa. Some youth organizations in Africa such as Tensing, Internationally Committed Youth (ICY), YMCA/YWCA for Africa, Organization for International Resource Management, and Friends of the Earth clubs, have carried out education campaigns, tree planting and waste management exercises in their respective communities, especially during the commemoration of the World Environment Day.Other best practices of youth involvement include â€Å"For the Love of Water† in Botswana, â€Å"Uniting You th across Northern Africa†, â€Å"Students on the Move† in Uganda, ‘Painting Ghana Green† and â€Å"Ecological Youth of Angola† among others. To improve awareness across the board, governments must integrate environmental issues into school curricula and training programmes for teachers. Youth in schools, communities and organizations must be educated on sustainable ways of living such as recycling and the sustainable use of environmental-friendly technologies.An example is the efforts of the Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa and Friends of the Earth clubs in the region. In Angola, Juventude Ecologica Angolana (JEA) (The Ecological Youth of Angola) is a non-profit environmental NGO, which was established in 1991 with the primary purpose of promoting environmental conservation and sustainable development through the involvement and participation of young people in environmental education and active learning processes and activities . JEA now has over 5,000 conservation volunteers and environmental educators based in eight of Angola’s provinces.These young volunteers address different environmental issues facing the country: sanitation, biodiversity loss, soil erosion, desertification, and urban solid waste. The organization has developed programmes and projects such as the Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) initiative, capacity building, database management, clean-up and waste recycling campaigns, research and environmental assessment, and tree planting. In June 2002, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recognized the contribution of this organization by awarding it the UNEP Global 500 Youth Environmental Award. 10] Environmental And Sustainable Livelihoods Is Cross-Cutting Promoting environmental and sustainable livelihoods has a number of indirect, but nonetheless important benefits for countries in Africa. For example, there is a double dividend from developing sustainab le technologies in the area of renewable energies. On the one hand, these technologies reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, while at the same time they can be generators of employment for vulnerable youth. Creating Jobs Under the SunThe Kibera Community Youth Project (KCYP) produces solar panels in a small workshop in the middle of Kibera, Kenya’s largest informal settlement. Using skills and equipment passed on to them by a British volunteer, young people in this project are involved in all aspects of production. The solar panels are sold to power radios and charge mobile phones and rechargeable batteries, services that are in high demand in an area where electricity supply is erratic at best. [11] Many of the young people involved in KCYP have never had a job before and often live in jobless households.This project provides them with an opportunity to earn an income, while the simple technology helps improve people’s lives in a sustainable way. To further enhance such synergies, governments in collaboration with youth organizations should initiate programmes that promote the participation of African youth in reforestation, combating desertification, waste management, recycling and other environmental practices. Youth participation in such programmes would provide training and encourage awareness and action, while also generating potential income-generating activities and employment opportunities.Youth Participation in Economic Decision-Making Youth in Africa face specific challenges in the areas of education, employment, migration, entrepreneurship, ICT, health and environmental and sustainable livelihoods. To address these issues, African governments must prioritize youth in policy-making, or forego the chance of meeting their development goals. Until recently, policymakers rarely included youth in the decision-making process or even consulted with them on their concerns. Cultural attitudes have been a major stumbling block to establishing inter-generational dialogue, not just in Africa but also globally.Traditionally, wisdom was seen as an increasing function of age, and subsequently, adult leaders and policymakers took it upon themselves to make decisions on behalf of youth. But such policymaking largely resulted in inappropriate policies that failed to address the requisite needs and aspirations of youth. Having incidentally proven their ability to take leadership in the area of economic development, acting as agents of change, this traditional attitude requires urgent modification. Justifying youth participation It would appear to the onlooker that the case for including youth in policymaking is compelling.Nonetheless, it has been necessary to argue why economic decision-making should be both inclusive and youth-focused. For example, the UNFPA’s report â€Å"The Case for Investing in Young People as Part of a National Poverty Reduction Strategy† offers a number of arguments: 1. Equitable distributio n of resources – Young people make up a large proportion of the population and the poor; 2. Achieving the MDGs – Five goals explicitly refer to young people in terms of educational attainment, gender balance in education, improved maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases, and developing decent employment opportunities for young people; 3.Economic benefits – By investing in education and health, governments can increase productivity and economic growth; 4. Youth poverty requires special attention – Young people experience particular vulnerabilities that make them prone to suffering from poverty, unemployment, etc; 5. Long-term benefits – Through investing in young people, it is possible to embark on the demographic transition by lowering population growth; and by improving the situation of youth, countries can decrease the chance that they will later become involved in criminal activity and civil conflict.Youth participation in major d evelopment strategies – PRSPs, MDGs and NEPAD New initiatives now dominate the development agenda on the continent, including Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), the quest to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). These approaches are a departure from the past with a shift to a focus on pro-poor policies, participatory and consultative processes, and ownership by countries. Though youth often figure prominently on paper, their involvement in any of these initiatives has usually been limited.For instance, in a review of 31 completed PRSPs, over half mention that youth were consulted as a group as part of the PRSP process. However, the initiatives targeting youth have been piecemeal and inadequate in their scale and impact. [12] It is encouraging that the more recent PRSPs are more likely to have a major youth focus. In terms of youth employment, another analysis of PRSPs found that out of 21 Afri can PRSPs, only 11 had at least one core section analyzing the issue. [13]Clearly, there is a lot more governments could do to improve youth participation in the PRS process, particularly as part of the next generation of strategies. African governments should complement efforts of both the UN and youth organizations to achieve these goals. A good example of this is the TPT scheme below. Tackling Poverty Together (TPT) aims to enhance the role of African youth in poverty reduction strategies. The project was established by the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs’ Programme on Youth together with the National Council of Swedish Youth Organizations (LSU).Other UN agencies and the Economic Commission for Africa provided technical support to the project. The TPT project brought together teams of youth from six African countries, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, along with a youth team from Sweden. Through workshops and ongoing support, thes e teams developed strategies and action plans consisting of concrete steps to improve the inclusion of youth in poverty reduction efforts in their respective countries. [14]Youth have also been actively involved in the MDG agenda as reflected by their participation and articulation of ideas at various international fora including the World Youth Summits. For instance, in 2005 a group of international youth leaders representing a range of non-governmental organizations, including representatives from Africa, prepared a report, â€Å"Youth and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Challenges and Opportunities for Implementation†. [15] This report outlines how young people can be included and empowered as part of strategies for achieving the MDGs.The aim is that the report can be used as a lobby tool and guide for programmatic action, but ultimately, it is also a call to all member States, UN specialized agencies, and civil society to create mechanisms for youth to participat e in the implementation of the MDGs and take advantage of the work and activities youth are already leading. In 2005, the NEPAD Youth Summit was organized to launch a broad social movement to promote youth participation in the implementation and monitoring of NEPAD at the country level.The establishment of NEPAD e-Africa Youth Programme is another platform that aims to promote youth involvement in the implementation of NEPAD. This initiative seeks to build a cadre of young people who will raise awareness on the issues of the information society and serve as active participants in building an inclusive information society in their countries. Conclusion Young people in Africa have enormous potential that could be harnessed for promoting economic development on the continent.African governments and international partners, therefore, need to focus policy initiatives and resources on improving the leadership role of African youth. The success of such interventions depends on the particip ation of young people in all aspects of the public policy process from the crafting of economic policies to their implementation, and subsequently, monitoring and evaluation. In particular, youth need to be part of the current development agenda in terms of poverty-reduction strategies, meeting the MDGs, and implementing the objectives of NEPAD.Young people need to have opportunities to carry out their activities. At the same time, governments and international partners can provide technical and financial support to youth in order for them to fulfil their potential as agents of change. To achieve this goal, practical and achievable measures need to be put in place by both governments and international partners, including: – Strengthening the capacity of youth clubs, associations and organizations at community and national levels; – Promoting interaction between economic policy makers, international partners and youth to learn about their problems and experiences; Insti tuting regular consultations with youth organizations to get their inputs into the development process; and – Promoting youth leadership at local, national, subregional and global levels through regular interface with community and national authorities. References 1. Agenda 21, adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg in 2002. 2. du Toit, R. (2003) â€Å"Unemployed youth in South Africa: the distressed generation? Paper presented at the Minnesota International Counselling Institute, 27 July – 1 August 2003. 3. Kanyenze G. , Mhone G. , and T. Sparreboom (2000) â€Å"Strategies to Combat Youth Unemployment and Marginalisation in Anglophone Africa,† ILO/SAMAT Discussion Paper, No. 14. 4. Mabala, R. (2006) â€Å"From HIV prevention to HIV protection: addressing the vulnerability of girls and young women in urban areas,† Environment and Urba nization, Vol. 18(2). 5. Sarr, M. (2000) â€Å"Youth employment in Africa: the Senegalese experience,† Background Paper No. , UNO-ILO-World Bank Meeting on Youth Employment, New York, 25th August 2000. 6. United Nations (2004) Report of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Task Force on Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa: Facing the Future Together, United Nations, New York. 7. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) (2002) â€Å"Youth and Employment in Africa†, Paper prepared for and presented at the Youth Employment Summit, Alexandria, Egypt, September. 8. UNECA (2005a) the Millennium Development Goals in Africa: Progress and Challenges, UNECA, Addis Ababa. 9.UNECA (2005b) The Economic Report on Africa 2005 – Meeting the Challenge of Unemployment and Poverty in Africa, UNECA, Addis Ababa. 10. United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) (2005) Africa Environment Outlook for Youth: Our Region – Our Life, UNEP, Nairobi. 1 1. United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) (2005) The Case of Investing in Young People as part of Poverty Reduction Strategy, UNFPA, New York. 12. uk. oneworld. net/section/mobile 13. World Health Organization (WHO)-AFRO (2003) HIV/AIDS Epidemiological Surveillance Update for the WHO African Region 2002, WHO, Regional Office for Africa, Harare. 5. www. un. org/esa/socdev/unyin/TPT 16. www. un. org/esa/socdev/unyin/mdgs. htm 17. www. kcyp. kabissa. org ———————– [1] UNECA (2005a) the Millennium Development Goals in Africa: Progress and Challenges, UNECA, Addis Ababa. [2] UNECA (2002), â€Å"Youth and Employment in Africa† A Paper prepared for and presented at the Youth and Employment Summit, Alexandria, Egypt, September 2002. [3] Sarr M. , â€Å"Youth employment in Africa: the Senegalese experience†, Background Paper No. 3, UNO-ILO-World Bank Meeting on Youth Employment, New York, 25th August, 2000. 4 ] Kanyenze et al. â€Å"Strategies to Combat Youth Unemployment and Marginalization in Anglophone Africa,† ILO/SAMAT Discussion Paper, No. 14, 2000. du Toit, R. â€Å"unemployed Youth in South Africa: the distressed generation? † Paper presented at the Minnesota International Counseling Institute, 27 July-1 August 2003. [5] uk. oneworld. net/section/mobile [6] Mabala, R. (2006) â€Å"From HIV prevention to HIV protection: addressing the vulnerability of girls and young women in urban areas,† Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 8(2). [7] United Nations (2004) Report of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Task Force on Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa: Facing the Future Together, United Nations, New York. [8] World Health Organization (WHO)-AFRO (2003) HIV/AIDS Epidemiological Surveillance Update for the WHO African Region 2002, WHO, Regional Office for Africa, Harare [9] Agenda 21, Chapter 25 United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) (200 5) Africa Environment Outlook for Youth: Our Region – Our Life, UNEP, Nairobi. 10] United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) (2005) Africa Environment Outlook for Youth: Our Region – Our Life, UNEP, Nairobi. [11] www. kcyp. kabissa. org [12] United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) (2005) The Case of Investing in Young People as part of Poverty Reduction Strategy, UNFPA, New York. [13] UNECA (2005b) UNECA (2005b) The Economic Report on Africa 2005 – Meeting the Challenge of Unemployment and Poverty in Africa, UNECA, Addis Ababa [14] www. un. org/esa/socdev/unyin/TPT [15] www. un. org/esa/socdev/unyin/mdgs. htm