Battle of Saratoga Essays - United States, Battles Of Saratoga

Battle of Saratoga Essays - United States, Battles Of Saratoga Battle of Saratoga Battleof Saratoga In the summer of 1777, over 7,200 British soldiers under the command of Lieutenant General John Burgoyne departed Quebec down the Hudson River to ?sever the head of the rebellion? (Department of Military Science, 2006). In the British?s path were 7,000 poorly trained and poorly equipped American soldiers under the command of Major General Horatio Gates. These two Armies would meet and do battle in Saratoga, New York. Many battles during the Revolutionary War were either won or lost by the Armies that fought in them and military tactics played a role in each battle?s outcome. One battle, however, sticks out as the turning point for American forces that turned the tide of war in their favor. This essay will discuss some of the military tactics used to win the Battle of Saratoga which helped to determine the fate of the United States. First it is important to understand that ?the success at Saratoga gave France the confidence in the American cause to enter the war as an American ally? (ushistory.org, 2012). Without this victory the American cause would not have been successful as the French would not have offered much needed financial and military assistance. For this reason, the Battle of Saratoga is known as ?the turning point of the Revolutionary War? (ushistory.org, 2012). Additionally it is important to understand what military tactics are. Military tactics can be defined as: ?the techniques for using weapons and military units in combination for engaging an enemy on the battlefield in an effort to defeat that enemy? (M. Smith, personal communication, September 17, 1997). Some practices have not changed since the dawn of warfare: ambushes, counterattacks, reconnaissance, creating and using obstacles and defenses, and controlling the supply chain are all tactics still used today. The use of the terrain to the best advantage has not changed much; neither has the use of elevation and natural cover which will all be discussed later in this essay. The first military tactic that will be discussed is the reconnaissance. The reconnaissance is a vital tactic used by military leaders that help them to understand the situation and better prepare for contact with the enemy. Reconnaissance can be defined as ?the process of obtaining information about the position, activities, resources, etc, of an enemy or potential enemy? (reconnaissance, 2012). Good reconnaissance led to the American?s detaching 1000 men (commanded by Major General Benedict Arnold) that engaged and defeated the British force (commanded by Brigadier General Barry St. Leger) along the Mohawk River. It is important to note that BG St. Leger?s forces retreated back into Canada and were not present for the battle of Saratoga. By understanding the importance of the reconnaissance tactic the Americans were able ?to thwart St. Leger's eastward advance along the Mohawk River? (Department of Military Science, 2006), and deny LTG Burgoyne much needed supplies and reinforcement s. By knowing what the British were doing, MG Gates was able to ?set the stage? for the Battle of Saratoga in the American?s favor. Another military tactic that had a significant impact on the Battle of Saratoga is the control of the supply chain. If a military unit is stretched too thin or out paces its supply chain, the unit will lose its combat power or the ability to take the fight to the enemy. During the Battle of Saratoga, ?American general Schuyler proceeded to burn supplies and crops in the line of Burgoyne's advance so that the British were forced to rely on their ever-longer and more and more unreliable supply line to Canada? (ushitory.org, 2012). This is one example of how to effectively disrupt the enemy?s supply chain. Other examples would be to ambush or raid enemy supply wagons in order to deny the enemy vital supplies such as food, water, ammunition, and gun powder. The negative effects of denying the British supplies during the battle of Saratoga were evident during the battles. It is also important to note that Burgoyne was unsuccessful at raiding the American?s supply depot at Bennington, Verm ont. British LTG Burgoyne was ?Overextended, cut off from supply routes, and with demoralized forces (Department of Military Science, 2006). So the military tactic of disrupting the enemies supply chain was one

How to Ask Your Professor to Change Your Grade

How to Ask Your Professor to Change Your Grade At the end of every semester, professor’s inboxes are inundated with a barrage of emails from desperate students seeking a grade change. These last minute requests are often met with frustration and disdain. Some professors even go so far as to set their inbox to auto-respond and not check back until weeks after the semester ends. If you are considering asking your professor for a grade change, consider your actions cautiously and prepare yourself before making the request. Here’s your best chance: Step 1: Do everything in your power not to find yourself in this situation. A lot of requests come from students who have borderline grades. Just a point or two more, and their GPA would improve. However, being on the border isn’t usually an acceptable reason to ask for a grade change. If your grade is 89.22%, dont ask the professor to consider a bump to 90% in order to keep your GPA up. If you think you might be on the borderline, work as hard as you can before the end of the semester and discuss extra credit possibilities ahead of time. Don’t count on being â€Å"rounded up† as a courtesy. Step 2: Act before your professor submits his grades to the university. Instructors will be much more likely to change grades before they submit them to the university. If you were missing points or feel you should have been given more participation credit, talk to your professor before grades are due. If you wait until after submission, your professor will likely have to jump through a lot of hoops to meet your request. In some universities, grade changes are simply not permitted without a significant written explanation of the instructor’s error written by the instructor. Keep in mind that instructors are usually required to submit the grades to the university several days before they are posted for students to view. So, talk to your professor as soon as possible. Step 3: Decide if you really have a case. Review the syllabus and make sure your argument matches up with the instructor’s expectations. A reasonable grade change request might be based on objective issues such as: The instructor failing to count points you earnedA miscalculation on a particular examA problem with the online course’s learning management system that resulted in a point deduction A request might also be made based on subjective issues such as: You feel you should have been given more participation pointsYou believe your role in the group project was not adequately understood or appreciated Step 4: Collect evidence. If you’re going to make a claim, collect evidence to support your cause. Collect old papers, try to make a list of times you’ve participated, etc. Step 5: Discuss your case with the professor in a professional manner. Whatever you do, don’t be overly glib or angry with your professor. State your claim in a calm and professional manner. Explain, briefly, the evidence that backs up your claim. And, offer to show the evidence or discuss the issue in more detail if the professor would find that helpful. Step 6: If all else fails, appeal to the department. If your professor will not change your grade and you feel you have a very good case, you may be able to appeal to the department. Try calling the department offices and asking about the policy on grade appeals. Keep in mind that complaining about the professor’s decision may be viewed poorly by other professors and may have negative consequences – particularly if you are in a small, insular department. However, if you stay calm and state your case confidently, you will have a better chance of keeping their respect and getting your grade changed.

Flying Buttresses and Their Significance in the Structural System Essay

Flying Buttresses and Their Significance in the Structural System Utilized at the Notre Dame Cathedral - Essay Example Even though scholars mention the flying buttress in the late Gothic period, it was until the mid 19th century (1858) that Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Du, a French theorist and architect discussed in details its significance in buildings. Georg Ungerwitter later used graphic statistics towards the late 19th century devoting his effort to the role of flying buttress to the Gothic buildings. Notre Dame Cathedral located on eastern part of Ile de la Cite, Paris France, is the most notable and among the first Gothic buildings in the world to employ the flying buttress, according to Toker (31). This paper seeks to explore the structural significance of flying buttress in Notre Dame Cathedral. Flying Buttress Flying buttress, according to Dietsch, is a masonry structure consisting of a bar that inclines and carried a half arch extending from upper section of a wall to piers (7). Flying buttress mainly carries the vault or the roof and is mainly associated with the Gothic architecture. Flying buttress plays a crucial role in a building in the sense that it provides resistance to the lateral forces thrusting a wall outwards. In this case, flying buttress provides strong resistance by redirecting the lateral forces to the ground, notes Dietsch (8). ... The centering plays a crucial role of proving support to the weight of the building materials used on the walls such as stones, as well as maintain the arch’s shape until that time that the mortar dries up. Carpenters first construct the centering on the ground after which it is hoisted into position and tightened to the piers at both end of buttress. According to Dietsch, the centering is used as temporary flying buttress until the completion of the actual stone arch (9). Analysis of the use of flying buttress in the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris Kleiner claims that the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris is one of the most famous and among the first ever buildings of the Gothic era to use the flying buttress (468). Used as the Catholic diocese of Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral signifies the greatest example of the French Gothic architecture in the world. Kleiner reveals that the building was saved from the verge of collapse during the French Revolution by the French theorist and architect Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Du (468). The construction of the Notre Dame Cathedral spans the Gothic period. The structure of the building shows the great influence of naturalism seen in the manner its stained classes and sculptures are built. As earlier stated, Notre Dame Cathedral Paris was among the first buildings to employ flying buttress. According to Toker, the building was not originally designed to have flying buttress around the naves and choir (32). However, after the beginning of its construction, its thinner walls began growing higher. This created a lot of stress resulting in the development of fractures on the walls. To strengthen the walls and the entire structure, architects introduced flying buttress around the outside walls to provide support to the building structure

Topic 5-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Topic 5-1 - Essay Example The Social Institution and Gender Index (SIGI) is an efficient tool for helping women realize their abilities and develop proper career alternatives. The tool emphasizes on fighting for the rights of women by providing evidence as to the actual levels of discrimination that females face. The only detriment of using the tool is that it may promote overconcentration on feminine gender and encourage discrimination of the masculine gender as already happens in some countries. Ethical concern relating to Social Institution and Gender Index (SIGI) is that it is forgetting and biasing against masculine gender. The tool places much emphasis on promoting feminine rights and doing nothing to the masculine gender. This element of SIGI may lead it in causing further imbalance across the genders. When compared with the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), SIGI performs poorly in promoting gender balance in careers. The ASVAB gives people across all genders opportunity to take career test without any form of discrimination. Qualification of individuals depends solely on their performances. In that respect, SIGI can cause social conflict in the career fields in the long term, while ASVAB can reinforce the perceptions of gender unfairness in career

Ancient Egypt Essay Example for Free

Ancient Egypt Essay What are books? Well the answer is pretty simple which is books are a set of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of ink, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. Books are available everywhere. We can get them at a bookstore, library, school and many more places. They are part and puzzle of someone’s life. There are many types of book like storybooks, fictional, non-fictional, novels, magazines, manuscript, comic books, log books, reference books, textbooks and so much more. When writing systems were invented in ancient civilisation, this system can be written on nearly everything including stone, clay, tree bark and metal sheets. Alphabetic writing emerged in Egypt about 5,000 years ago. Papyrus, a thick paper-like material made by weaving of the stems of the papyrus plant, then pounding the woven sheet with a hammer-like tool, was used for writing in Ancient Egypt. Papyrus sheets were glued together to form a scroll. Tree bark such as lime and other materials were also used. A codex in modern usage is the first information repository that modern people would recognise as a book. In the early 19th century, steamed-powered printing presses became very popular. Books were put to good use by many well-known and famous authors both in the past and present. Author is someone who makes or originates something. Philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Sun Tzu and many more philosophers spread their ideas and messages through books. They spoke their mind through books. This in return introduced and spread ideology over the continent during the rising and falling of great empires like Rome, Greek and China. Books play an important role in the growth of language. There are over 5000 languages in the world. These languages are spread by books. Nowadays, we can get books with different languages so that means you can get a book with the same title but with a different language. There are books such as dictionary that helps people especially students that have troubles in translating from a language to another. This is called bilingual. Besides, books are essential in students’ life. It is constantly needed throughout the learning period of an individual’s life. For example, books are used in kindergartens, primary, lower and upper secondary and even in colleges or institutions. Students no matter where or which phase of the learning period they enter, books are still needed. Furthermore, working people especially those who are involved in teaching and journalism like teachers, lecturers, professors, reporters and many more. They can’t escape from books. One of their source of livelihood is books. As technology progress, books are getting unpopular. This is because that we now are able to read story books and novels through the internet as well as purchase them. People do not have to open their books and flip through pages to find information. Moreover, they can obtain the information they seek within seconds. They also do not need to buy music books anymore because it is available online. In conclusion, books are the very source of intellect and intelligence. They are huge source of knowledge. To read books are endless, even a lifetime is not sufficient. You can never read them finish. During the earlier centuries, books were the key to the growth of advanced civilisation. Therefore, even with the progression of technology, mankind should continue to read books because they are endless with knowledge.

The Simple Pleasures of Life Bring Happiness Essay -- Happiness Essays

"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition." -- Martha Washington "Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions." -- Dalai Lama An emotion is an intense feeling. Happiness is one of the many emotions humans experience. It may perhaps be the most important feeling a person can have and it is the one feeling everyone strives to achieve, yet strangely, for the most part, people seem to only get a glimpse of it. Pleasurable satisfaction, a state of well-being and contentment are the more outstanding elements of happiness. Happiness, known more formally as felicity, is good. A state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy and can be applied to almost every kind of enjoyment. It can be defined and characterized in several ways- metaphorically, by life’s everyday pleasures, and by the behaviors and accomplishments of a happy person. This emotion can be metaphorically compared with expressions such as, the sun shining through the rain and the â€Å"silver lining behind the dark cloud†. These expressions capture the optimistic outlook of happiness, they symbolize hope of a bigger, better and brighter future even in the midst of what could be termed as the â€Å"darkest hour†. Happiness is the essence of life, the wind gently blowing flowers in the open field, the puppies frolicking in a pile of leaves, and is reflected in the merriment of men. It is exciting, playful, full of good cheer and lighthearted and signifies life. It brings the smiles to the faces of children one to ninety-nine. Happiness i... ...e way. Apart from success, good health and longevity are associated with happiness. The lightheartedness that accompanies happiness has been said to lower the chance of strokes and heart attacks. Laughter releases tension and add to persons overall sense of well-being. Happiness is not death, or sorrow. It is not gloom, depression or heavy-heartedness. Happiness does not lament nor does it worry. It is neither moody nor pensive, neither wanton nor pessimistic. Happiness does not mourn for what was it instead rejoices in what will be. Happiness comes through good fortune and through loving and being loved. Eating a good meal, being in good health and enjoying the comforts of life can also achieve it. The simple pleasures of life bring happiness, whether it be enjoying a favorite dessert, smelling a rose or running in the rain. O happiness! our being's end and aim!

Operations Management and Productivity Essay

Service and product design decision is one of the very important issues of operations management. Indeed this decision determines the health and fate of any organization (Krajewski & Ritzman, 1998). A company that designs products and services that are of superior quality and that click with the intended market, definately succeeds. Hard Rock Cafe’s operations management has been successful in designing products and services in entertainment hospitality sector. This sector is one of the most competitive sectors, but they have been able to design and offer quality products and superior services in cafes, hotels, casinos and lately in music venues, Rock museum and Rock concerts (Evans, 1996). To respond to changing customer needs and expectations, they have continuously changed their menus and the services they offer. Hard Rock’s success comes as a result of continuous monitoring of quality of their products and services (Saheli, 2007). Their Quality Management Department has devised techniques to continuously monitor quality so as to improve quality of products and services and also make timely corrective measures and hence reduce quality costs. In the cafe, regular surveys are done to evaluate quality of food and services, where a scale is devised to measure scores (Ibid, 2007). To ensure quality products and services, production processes and capacity have been enhanced by using state-of-the-art equipment in catering, entertainment services in casinos, hotels and music venues. Technology is also embraced to increase production capacity in cafes and hotels (Krajewski & Ritzman, 1998). Hard Rock started its operations in London. However, in 1988 it moved its headquarters to Orlando, Florida as it targeted the booming US market (Evans, 1996). It has later spread its cafes and hotels to more than 40 locations in US. The decision of spreading its wings to many states is to tap into unsaturated markets as well as diversify operation risks (Ibid, 1996). Due to increasing customers and hence operations, Hard Rock has expanded their cafe facilities to handle their clients. For example at Orlando Universal Studios, their cafe serves over 3,000 meals a day with about 400 employees and the number is expected to grow especially during high tourist seasons (Saheli, 2007). To ensure high labor productivity, Hard Rock Cafe has provided their workers with excellent working conditions. This is achieved through good industrial relation management and employee-management relations. Human Resource Management has ensured that the company has the best of employees who are competent, skilled and fit for their positions, hence Hard Rock expects the best out of their labor force (Krajewski & Ritzman, 1998). Productiveness is the main task of the supply chain management in Hard Rock. The department has developed supply chain strategies aimed at reducing procurement costs and value adding the process. Hard Rock has entered into strategic partnership with suppliers to improve efficiency and effectiveness of this activity (Evans, 1996). To effectively manage inventory, the company has inventory management system that guides the managers on when to order inventory and how much (Saheli, 2007). To increase efficiency and reduce costs, they have embraced Just-In-Time philosophy where the materials required are procured in time and used in time (Saheli, 2007). During low season, Orlando Cafe staff is scheduled down to 15-minutes intervals to meet seasonal and daily demand changes in tourist environment. Annual Routine maintenance is exercised in all their facilities. Maintenance department is charged with responsibilities of ensuring that Hard Rock Cafes, hotels, casinos, music venues and rock museum are renovated and machines maintained at good conditions (Krajewski & Ritzman, 1998). The productivity of the kitchen staff and wait staff can be measured by dividing the number of meals they prepare and serve by the number of labor hours they input (Saheli, 2007). During low seasons wait staff may serve fewer meals as demand gets low and also kitchen staff prepares fewer meals. Nevertheless, they will also use less labour hours as they are scheduled and down-sized to respond to low operations (Evans, 1996).

Disadvantages of Fdi Essay

Disadvantages of Foreign Direct Investment The disadvantages of foreign direct investment occur mostly in case of matters related to operation, distribution of the profits made on the investment and the personnel. One of the most indirect disadvantages of foreign direct investment is that the economically backward section of the host country is always inconvenienced when the stream of foreign direct investment is negatively affected. The situations in countries like Ireland, Singapore, Chile and China corroborate such an opinion. It is normally the responsibility of the host country to limit the extent of impact that may be made by the foreign direct investment. They should be making sure that the entities that are making the foreign direct investment in their country adhere to the environmental, governance and social regulations that have been laid down in the country. The various disadvantages of foreign direct investment are understood where the host country has some sort of national secret – something that is not meant to be disclosed to the rest of the world. It has been observed that the defense of a country has faced risks as a result of the foreign direct investment in the country. At times it has been observed that certain foreign policies are adopted that are not appreciated by the workers of the recipient country. Foreign direct investment, at times, is also disadvantageous for the ones who are making the investment themselves. Foreign direct investment may entail high travel and communications expenses. The differences of language and culture that exist between the country of the investor and the host country could also pose problems in case of foreign direct investment. Yet another major disadvantage of foreign direct investment is that there is a chance that a company may lose out on its ownership to an overseas company. This has often caused many companies to approach foreign direct investment with a certain amount of caution. At times it has been observed that there is considerable instability in a particular geographical region. This causes a lot of inconvenience to the investor. The size of the market, as well as, the condition of the host country could be important factors in the case of the foreign direct investment. In case the host country is not well connected with their more advanced neighbors, it poses a lot of challenge for the investors. At times it has been observed that the governments of the host country are facing problems with foreign direct investment. It has less control over the functioning of the company that is functioning as the wholly owned subsidiary of an overseas company. This leads to serious issues. The investor does not have to be completely obedient to the economic policies of the country where they have invested the money. At times there have been adverse effects of foreign direct investment on the balance of payments of a country. Even in view of the various disadvantages of foreign direct investment it may be said that foreign direct investment has played an important role in shaping the economic fortunes of a number of countries around the world.

Roman Lares, Larvae, Lemures, and Manes

Roman Lares, Larvae, Lemures, and Manes The ancient Romans believed that after death their souls became spirits or shades of the dead. There is some debate about the nature of Roman shades or spirits (aka ghosts). The theologian Augustine Bishop of Hippo (A.D. 354 - 430), who died when Vandals attacked Roman Africa, wrote about the Roman shades a few centuries after most of the literary, pagan Latin references to such spirits. Horace (65-8 B.C.) Epistles 2.2.209:​nocturnos lemures portentaque Thessala rides?)Do you laugh at dreams, miracles, magical terrors,Witches, ghosts in the night, and Thessalian portents?Kline translationOvid (43 B.C.-A.D. 17/18) Fasti 5.421ff:ritus erit veteris, nocturna Lemuria, sacri:inferias tacitis manibus illa dabunt.It will be the ancient sacred rites of the Lemuria,When we make offerings to the voiceless spirits. (Note that Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome died in 337.) St. Augustine on the Spirits of the Dead: Lemures and Demon: [Plotinus (3rd century A.D.)] says, indeed, that the souls of men are demons, and that men become Lares if they are good, Lemures or Larvae if they are bad, and Manes if it is uncertain whether they deserve well or ill. Who does not see at a glance that this is a mere whirlpool sucking men to moral destruction? For, however wicked men have been, if they suppose they shall become Larvae or divine Manes, they will become the worse the more love they have for inflicting injury; for, as the Larvae are hurtful demons made out of wicked men, these men must suppose that after death they will be invoked with sacrifices and divine honors that they may inflict injuries. But this question we must not pursue. He also states that the blessed are called in Greek eudaimones, because they are good souls, that is to say, good demons, confirming his opinion that the souls of men are demons. From Chapter 11. City of God, by St. Augustine, Augustine says there were the following different types of spirits of the dead: Lares if good,Lemures (larvae) if evil, andManes if indeterminate. Another Interpretation of the Lemures - Haunting Spirits: Instead of being evil spirits, the lemures (larvae) may have been souls that could find no rest because, having met with a violent or premature death, they were unhappy. They wandered among the living, haunting people and driving them to madness. This corresponds with modern tales about the ghosts in haunted houses. Lemuria - Festivals to Placate the Lemures: No sane Roman wanted to be haunted, so they held ceremonies to satisfy the spirits. The lemures (larvae) were propitiated during the 9-day festival in May named Lemuria after them. At the Parentalia or Feralia on the 18th and 21st of February, living descendants shared a meal with the benevolent spirits of their ancestral (manes or di parentes). Ovid (43 B.C. – A.D. 17) on the Lemures and Manes: Almost four centuries before the Christian St. Augustine wrote about pagan beliefs in shades, the Romans were honoring their ancestors and writing about the ceremonies. At the time, there was already uncertainty about the origins of placating festivals. In Ovids Fasti 5.422, the Manes and Lemures are synonymous and both hostile, in need of exorcism via the Lemuria. Ovid incorrectly derives the Lemuria from Remuria, saying it was to placate Remus, the brother of Romulus. Larvae and Lemures: Usually considered the same, not all ancient authors considered the Larvae and Lemures identical. In the Apocolocyntosis 9.3 (about the deification of  Emperor Claudius, attributed to Seneca) and Plinys Natural History, Larvae are tormentors of the dead. Manes: The Manes (in the plural) were originally good spirits. Their name was usually placed with the word for gods, di, as in Di manes. Manes came to be used for the ghosts of individuals. The first writer to do so is Julius and Augustus Caesars contemporary Cicero (106 - 43 B.C.). Reference: Aeneas and the Demands of the Dead, by Kristina P. Nielson. The Classical Journal, Vol. 79, No. 3. (Feb. - Mar. 1984). Also see Aeneid in the Realm of Hades Odysseus in the Underworld - Nekuia Ovid Fasti 5.421ff Judgment of the Dead in the Egyptian Afterlife Lemures and Larvae, by George Thaniel The American Journal of Philology. Vol. 94, No. 2 (Summer, 1973), pp. 182-187

The History of Hutu and Tutsi Conflicts

The History of Hutu and Tutsi Conflicts Hutu and Tutsi are two groups in Africa that became known to most in other parts of the world through the grisly 1994 Rwanda genocide, but the history of conflict between the two ethnic groups reaches back further than that. Generally, the Hutu-Tutsi strife stems from class warfare, with the Tutsis perceived to have greater wealth and social status (as well as favoring cattle ranching over what is seen as the lower-class farming of the Hutus). The Tutsis are thought to have originally come from Ethiopia and arrived after the Hutu came from Chad. Burundi, 1972 The seeds of resentment for the minority Tutsis were sown when the first elections after winning independence in May 1965 saw strong Hutu wins, but the king appointed a Tutsi friend prime minister, sparking a failed coup attempt by Hutus. Even though this was quickly quelled in the capital, it set off additional violence between the two ethnicities in the countryside. In addition, Tutsis, which made up about 15 percent of the population to the 80 percent Hutus, occupied other key government and military positions. On April 27, some Hutu policemen rebelled, killing all Tutsis and Hutus (estimates range from 800 to 1,200 dead) who refused to join the rebellion in the lakeside towns of Rumonge and Nyanza-Lac. The leaders of the rebellion have been described as radicalized Hutu intellectuals who operated out of Tanzania. The Tutsi president, Michel Micombero, responded by declaring martial law and putting the wheels of a Hutu genocide in motion. The first phase virtually wiped out the educated Hutu (by June, nearly 45 percent of teachers were reported missing; students at technical schools were targeted, as well), and by the time the carnage was done in May about 5 percent of the population had been killed: estimates range from 100,000 to up to 300,000 Hutu. Burundi, 1993 The Hutus won the presidential office with banker Melchior Ndadaye, forming the first government since independence from Belgium in 1962 with elections that had been agreed to by the ruling Tutsis, but Ndadaye was assassinated shortly thereafter. The killing of the president threw the country back into turmoil, claiming about 25,000 Tutsi civilians in revenge killings. This sparked killings of Hutu, resulting in a total death toll of about 50,000 over the next several months. The mass killings of the Tutsi wouldnt be called genocide by the United Nations until a 2002 inquiry. Rwanda, 1994Â   In April 1994 Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira, a Hutu, and Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, also a Hutu, were killed when their plane was shot down. By this time, tens of thousands of Hutus had fled the Burundi violence into Rwanda. Blame for the assassination has been pointed at both Tutsi and Hutu extremists; current Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who at the time led a Tutsi rebel group, has said that the Hutu extremists conducted the rocket attack to set in motion their long-laid-out plans to wipe out the Tutsis. These genocidal plans were hatched not just at cabinet meetings, but spread in media incitement, and capped a long period of ethnic unrest in Rwanda. Between April and July, some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed, with a militia group called the Interahamwe taking lead in the slaughter. Sometimes Hutus were forced to kill their Tutsi neighbors; other participants in the genocide were given monetary incentives. The United Nations let the killings go on unabated after 10 Belgian peacekeepers were killed in the early days of the genocide. Democratic Republic of Congo, Post-Rwandan Genocide to the Present Many Hutu militants who participated in the Rwandan genocide fled to the Congo in 1994, setting up encampments in the mountainous areas akin to fiefdoms. In addition, several groups of Hutu fighting the Tutsi-dominated government of Burundi settled in the eastern part of the country. Rwandas Tutsi government has twice invaded with the intention of wiping out the Hutu militants. The Hutu also battle a Tutsi rebel leader, General Laurent Nkunda, and his forces. Up to five million deaths have been caused by the years of fighting in the Congo. The Interahamwe now call themselves the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and use the country as a staging base to overthrow Kagame in Rwanda. One of the groups commanders told the Daily Telegraph in 2008, We are fighting every day because we are Hutu and they are Tutsis. We cannot mix, we are always in conflict. We will stay enemies forever.

Business risk innovation and change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business risk innovation and change - Assignment Example This model is based on five critical elements (strategy, structure, process, information technology, people and culture) that can be used by the management ensure that its change initiatives are driven by its strategy (Hoogendoorn, Jonker, Schut &Treur, 2007, p157). The failure by The Corporation to adopt an Expert system can be attributed to failure of the management to focus on three important elements of the organization, which include people, strategy, process and structure. For instance, the organization lacked the right people in the management to promote the project after the two major champions left the organization. Additionally the structure of the organization did not address the issue of power and authority with respect implementation of the expert system project. The Marvin Weisbord Six-Box Organizational Model one can certainly establish the extent to which the management of The Corporation failed in promoting adoption of the Expert system technology (Shapiro, 2010, p16 8). Six-Box Organizational Model is based on six important elements namely: Purposes, structure, relationships, rewards, leadership and helpful mechanism (Raoprasert & Islam, 2010, p47). These elements highly emphasize on a number of organization issues, which include incentives and rewards, internal competition within the organization, organization control, accountability as well as hierarchies (Paton & Mccalman, 2009, p55). From the case study, it is evident that the management failed on four most important elements namely structure, leadership, helpful mechanism and rewards. For instance, the project lacked serious leadership as two key champions - the vice president of development and chief information officer (CIO) left the organization even before the project began and their successors were never committed to the success of the project. Furthermore, majority of the top managers did not honor invitation to meetings set to discuss final approval of the project. John Kotterâ€⠄¢s eight-step change model proposes steps that can bring about lasting transformation through power and motivation adequate enough to mitigate dissent (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p18). Kotter’s ideology is based on the belief that successful change comes through talking to people’s feelings, commitment and sense of urgency. The proposed 8-steps by Kotter include increase sense of urgency, building the leading team, develop the vision, communicate the vision, empower action, develop short term gains, consolidate gains, and finally anchor new and winning approaches in the culture (Sabri, Gupta & Beitler, 2007, p176). Based on the Kotter’s eight-step change model it is evident that failure of The Corporation to adopt an expert system was a management fault as there was no commitment, stakeholders engagement, strong leadership, and sense of urgency. For instance, after the Tow top pioneers left the organization the project lack strong leadership as new executives were n ever interested in the project. Additionally there was no sense of urgency on the part of the new executives considering that all the meetings that were often scheduled to discuss implementation of the project were never attended by executives. 1. Dunford, Akin and Palmer propose six perspectives Dunford, Akin and Palmer came up with six perspectives of managing change to help managers remain focused