Gulf Cooperation Council's Foreign Policy Essay

Gulf Cooperation Council's Foreign Policy - Essay Example This paper aims to examine the GCC’s changing foreign policies towards leading players in the region, especially, the GCC’s primary mandate being to promote, protect and pursue the interests of its member states. The Gulf Cooperation Council is an alliance of countries with similar political and economic interests, whose primary focus is to foster the political and economic development of its member states.1 The GCC seeks to strengthen the regional relations through increased collaborations between national states in the gulf; unity in political and economic associations between national states within the region is just a means to an end for the member states- the end itself is political and economic prosperity that is backed with strong currencies and a host of natural resources. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as a political and economic alliance, has been in existence for over 30 years now since its inception; the alliance dates back in history to 30 years ago when it was founded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 1981.2 The GCC alliance has been operational since then up to date, and the founder countries converged based on two main strategic reasons- promotion of political stability and economic prosperity. In other words, the alliance was formed purely out of the need by member states to join efforts to becoming politically and economically stable; the alliance was thus a strategic move to strengthen the political and economic stability of the region. The Gulf Cooperation Council is made up of six Middle Eastern countries that are found in the gulf region; these six countries include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar.3 Being a regional alliance, all the member countries have a number of things in common, and are subject to similar socio-economic, political, environmental and

Muslim Night Essay Example for Free

Muslim Night Essay An event called ‘Muslim Night’ was held on Saturday, May 7, at MLIC 3rd Floor, IUJ. This annual event starting from 7 pm was initiated and implemented by Muslim Student Association (MSA). Some of students at IUJ come from Muslim countries; they are from Soth East countries : Indonesia and Malaysia; Middle East : Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan; South Asia : Bangladesh, Pakistan; and Africa Sudan. Those countries have a value or culture influenced by Islam. Entitled ‘Muslim heritage in our world’, the event is expected to be cross-cultural understanding and value sharing for Muslim. Muslim culture has many heritages to the world, especially some inventions that still used till today. The inventions are from many aspects such as economy, science, engineer,etc. A short opening speech was delivered by Professor Ahmed. He said that more than 3 billion people in the world hold Islam. â€Å"This contributes significant influence to enrich world culture† added he. Islamic values cannot be separated from the way of Muslim life. Islam which means submission brings peaceful to any human beings. This is reflected from Islamic greeting ‘Assalamual’aikum’ which means to give peace upon to the addressee. The President of MSA – Nur Adib Najamuddin in this occasion said that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (mohon diisi ya mas, maaf waktu saya lagi moto di luar) President of IUJ, Masakatsu Mori through his email is welcome this event. However, he was absent due to his scheduled appointments in Tokyo. This event is open for all IUJ’s community. More than 250 participants student, staff, and faculty members were joining in. Much information about Islamic values and culture are available in the form of booklet and poster. Nasheed song describing Islamic culture was heard during the event. The Muslim Night 2011 provided some activities such as (1) a short movie presentation with the title â€Å"1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets’ which tells about pioneering scientists and engineers from the history of Muslim civilization, such as Al Zahrawi, Al Jazari, and others. The film starred by Sir Ben Kinsley has won Cannes Festival France 2010 for best educational film and New York Film Festival 2010 as the best movie. (2) Islamic corner provided a free writing name in Arabic calligraphy for the participants and it was recorded that almost 200 participants wanted to be written their name in Arabic, (3) and ethnic food and drinks from various Muslim countries, such as South East Asia, Middle Asia, and South Asia.

The influence of communication climate in workplace

The influence of communication climate in workplace Introduction Organizations today are influenced by many factors attempt to achieve a goal or gain a reputation. Dwyer (2005) explains that effective and efficient communication is just as essential to the successful operation of any organisation .Indeed, communication is used frequently in almost every aspect of business, such as: in meetings, discussions, interviews, e-mail or teleconferencing. Pomeroy (2006) also explains that successful company practice great communication. Based on some previous literature study, In order to face the uncertainty change and need of organization, communication becomes one of the most important competences to use in workplace. Additionally, organizational communication refers to communication climate as a whole of organization and the use of different instruments for communication. It can decidedly affect the quality of relationship and organization`s effectiveness. A positive communication climate may contains many Factors, such as the climate that mutual trust , effective communication mechanism, praise each other, humors, Mind magnanimous and sincere and the mentality of communication. On the contrary, a negative communication climate may contains many barriers, such as personal barriers, physical barriers and language barriers. Definition Communication is a conscious or unconscious, intentional or unintentional process in which feelings and ideas are expressed as verbal and nonverbal messages; sent, received and comprehended'(Berko, Wolvin Wolvin ,1998). Verbal communication can be defined as a way for people to communicate face to face or communicating people`s thoughts through words. It is an ability that every one should develop to improve interactions and relationships. Yoder et al. (1996) define non-verbal communication as all non-language aspects of communication behaviour. Some key aspects of nonverbal communication are: proxemics, artifacts kinesics, oculesics, haptics, vocalics, and chronemics. Putnam and Cheney (1985) define communication climate as the atmosphere in an organization regarding accepted communication behaviour.Usually use supportive and defensive communication climate as distinction for the key factors in the communication climate (Hoof Ridder, 2004). A supportive climate is nonjudgmental so that the other person does not feel defensive by communication. It encourages open, constructive, honest and effective interaction. Defensive climate can define as makes the other person feel self-protective and leads to competitive or destructive conflict. Therefore, the competent communicators will attempts to maintain a supportive communication climate. According to Dr. Gibb (1961) describes six dimension of behaviour to warm up or chill the communication climate (See Appendix A). The pole of these dimensions creates a defensive climate and supportive climate. They applied equally in every small group. Positive communication climate A positive communication climate is very important to the people, so how to build a positive communication climate. 1. Creating the organizational climate that mutual trust There is a well-known bank, the managers of the bank decentralized to the middle-level employees that they can spend enough money to marketing which they dont have to care. Some people may worry that(Joyce E. Bono; Hannah Jackson Foldes,2007) the employees will overspend, but in fact that the employees did not overspend, but to maintain a lot of customers. In contrast, some managers see the money very strict, they fear that other people overspend, but the employees are in the dark by all means seeking their own interests. In another company, the managers office is placed in an open hall the same as the general staff so that every general staff can see what the manager is doing. When the staff went out to buy daily office supplies, in addition to normal claims, the company also paid a number of additional hard costs, this move put an end to the employees who want to get virtual sham. In this two cases we can see that mutual trust for each member organization is very important. 2. Establish an effective communication mechanism Understanding and trust is not empty talk, sometimes a small misunderstanding may caused endless trouble. There is an employee who wants to resign, but the manger said: you shouldnt leave, you are so outstanding, what I did before is just want to exercise you. However, the employee thought what the manger said is just a pack of lies. He dedicated (Yoder, D., Hugenberg, L. Wallace, S. 1996) himself to work, but the incomes he gets are less than the bootlicker. The manger would like to reuse the talent; the enterprise wants to play to their talents, but just because the poor communication, the all get nothing. So establish an effective communication mechanism is very important to a company. 3. Praise each other Praise is almost a well-tested communication lubricant. In this world, there is on person who dont like to preceiving recognition, so iinstitute of praise will be smooth sailing in any communication. 4. Communicate with humours Humours not only are the steps to harmony and a springboard for dialogue, but also a panacea for resolving the conflict. The ugliest girl in the class walked onto the stage that runs for the Class Flower, she said to the female students: Please vote for me, after a few years, you can say to your boyfriend pointing at me, look! I am more beautiful than the classes flower. So, she was unanimously elected. Humour can be a miracle to make the impossible possible. 5. Mind magnanimous and sincere Many entrepreneurs (Ali D Akkirman and Drew L Harris,2005) like to entertain customers in bathing place, because that can get a closer relationship with customers, in the bathing place people meet all sincerity, no one will put on airs. This is also a non-verbal signals, a number of non-verbal signals used by Human beings are all in this intention, such as salute, handshake are all in order to communicate with each other that they do not have a weapon. 6. Adjust the mentality of communication With the rapid develop of the modern communication technology and information networks, the way of people communicate are more and more manifold. Even if two people far apart, communication between them will be fairly easy. On the surface, The communication between people is indeed more frequent. But in fact, most of the communication has become a the surface behaviour that driven by material interests of society, which the effect can be imagined. But most people in modern company lack of a sincere attitude of communication. So the organization communicator of modern enterprises should not only do business operation procedures of communication, but also should pay attention to the hearts of communication between members. There is such a case: The management of a factory hope that the staff can bring coffee their own, and in order to save time, they hope the staff can drink coffee not in coffee shops, but beside the machine. The company has been very frank and candid. In the staff meeting, The management had shown the electricity consumption tables of the factory, the tables illustrate that when the staff drink coffee in the coffee shops, the factory will waste much electricity. They give this case in order to proved prolonged work stoppage would result in loss of profits. So the staff readily accepted the new rest system finally. This case illustrates that in an organization, communication has its essential value. It is need to communicate to disseminate information and exchange ideas between Management and management, management and staff or staff and staff. Information transfer between people is to communicate, and the goal is to make the recipient understand the meaning of information. Managers an d team leaders to convey the instructions, Colleagues Grasp the progress of work each other, no matter upper and lower layers or the same layers, they all must take the power of communication to ensure the normal operation of collaborative work so that ensure the members within the organization can keep dynamic link with others, and the overall and promote the development of the organization. Negative communication climate There is a case that shows the negative communication climate: Damian (accounting manager) and Jenny (marketing director) interviews with a number of audit positions of candidates together. Then they and three other department heads together to determine the final candidates, when Jenny proposed that a candidates shortcomings what she had seen, Damian immediately sharply questioned Jennys ability to evaluation of audit skills, Jenny is natural felt very angry about the attack by Damian. Although Damian apologized to Jenny and said she was very remorseful about this matter, but Jenny has been brooding on this matter. This case shows that negative communication climate will do great harm to relationships. Even if the receiver can receive the information, various kinds of interference will limit the understanding of information. These barriers like noise, it will obstacles to communicate, It may occur in the physical environment, or arising from personal emotions. Noise will make communication can not be entirely, or filter out some of the content, or distorted information intended. There are three types of communication disorders (Daisy Saunders,2007): personal barriers, physical barriers and language barriers Personal barriers is due to peoples feelings, values, or bad listening habits which caused communication barriers, It also includes the level of their education, race, gender, socio-economic status, and other communication barriers. Personal barriers often associated with the psychological distance between the people. It is very similar to the actual physical distance. For example, A talk to B with domineering tone, which makes B very offensive. The offensive has led to the psychological distance between the two. Physical barriers refers (M. Sandy Hershcovis; Nick Turner; Julian Barling; Kara A,2007) that the barriers present in the environment of communication. A typical physical barrier is that the noise suddenly appears which interferences the talk. Other physical barriers include the distance between people and so on. When the physical barriers appear, people will realize and take appropriate measures to compensate. In the language of communication, Team members from different cultural backgrounds because used to using the different mother tongue, which lead to language difficulties. It indeed exist communication problems in a multicultural cross-cultural team. Even if team members can keep using a common language, such as English, However, for those team members who are not native to that language, They express the feeling in the team communication is often not in place. This will cause misunderstanding with other team members. In addition, the members affected with different cultural backgrounds, they may have different ideas, ways of thinking and world view. So the language barriers will be more obvious in team. Conclusion A pleasant working atmosphere is a very important factor for highly efficient team work, positive communication climate played a significant role on improving the motivation of employee. Therefore, if managers can master the skills to create positive communication climate, and used it in their own work, then the manager will be able to identify the behaviour is efficiency or not, and be able to change it effectively so that can efficient and easy to get creative achievements. Positive communication climate not only can bring to the enterprise the smooth flow of information, but also provide basic protection for the organizations decision-making and execution. All organizations should be fully aware of the importance of positive communication climate, and eliminate the obstacles blocking, finally reached a good communication environment

Body Dysmorphic Disorder :: Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Northeastern University sophomore Terri* spends at least a few minutes a day critiquing her body in the mirror. â€Å"I have this extra fat on my stomach that I hate,† she said, squeezing her abdomen with both hands. Terri is an articulate, responsible, political science major and sociology minor who looks and sounds mature beyond her years. She is well-respected by peers and authority figures alike, and she recently landed a co-op job at a prestigious law firm in Boston. This girl has got herself together. Today, wearing a business-casual purple turtleneck, gray peacoat and glasses, this confident, capable woman points to the area under her chin. â€Å"I’ve just noticed this,† she said, running her fingers under her jaw, across a section of her neck that she believes is dangerously bordering on a double-chin. Like most people, she sees nothing unusual about her physical concerns. â€Å"Everyone worries about aspects of their appearance,† she said as she turns her attention away from the mirror and finishes getting dressed. Many people have concerns with the way they look, but some have obsessive, irrational concerns. Like most people, Terri has never heard of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Although Terri’s body concerns may not constitute the disorder, there are people among us living with the secretive, shameful reality of BDD. WHAT IS BDD? Few people have ever heard of BDD, but virtually everyone has exhibited the characteristics of the disorder in its most basic form: a heightened concern with a particular part of their body that they deem â€Å"less than perfect,† something that they would like to improve upon and even something that they try to hide. Unlike normal appearance concerns, however, BDD is marked by an intense preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance. A severe and debilitating psychiatric disorder, BDD is characterized by an obsessive fixation on one or more parts of the body that a person perceives as disgusting and unnatural. If a slight physical abnormality or inconsistency exists in a BDD sufferer’s physicality, their concern is excessive – even to the point of experiencing social withdrawal and suicidal tendencies. Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a clinical psychologist at the McLean Hospital in Boston and teaches psychology at Harvard Medical School. A specialist in BDD and Obsessive-Compulsive disorders, in general, he acknowledges that BDD symptoms are often mistaken as â€Å"normal† fears. â€Å"With BDD there are many, many people walking around in the U.S. who have it that you never know have it. For a lot of people, you don’t know what it is that you have, but you know that life is not normal,† said Dr.

24th Amendment

The amendment was one of the last legal vestiges of segregation that tried to keep the black population and the poor people from participating in the vote. As today, the 24th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees that no person can be denied the right to vote due to an inability to pay a tax prior to voting. The â€Å"poll tax† is now considered unconstitutional. The poll tax was levied on an individual used as a prerequisite for voting. Poll taxes are the same for all persons subject to them, regardless of their income, property or other taxes paid.It was grateful that this amendment is in the constitution. It was needed because the poll tax was keeping certain individuals from voting because of their income and/or their race, and that is unconstitutional according to the Fourteenth Amendment. It is so ridiculous to have to pay to vote for something especially when you are voting to see who is going to run your own country. Voting is one of the many rights of every America n citizen and as long as you are an American citizen you should be able to vote without paying. This amendment is a step forward in equal rights and you can really see that today.Without the Twenty-fourth Amendment the Americans citizen cannot vote regardless of his or her race or financial status. Therefore, we need to thanks for this amendment. As today, every American citizen is allowed to vote as long as he/or she are eighteen and registered. I do not think that this amendment could go much further. I think it has gone as far as it cans because nobody has had to pay to vote for an election since. I am a USA citizen and I did not realize that in the old days the poll tax was based on racism and that you could be barred from voting because you did not pay taxes.I have read articles on men and women that have never been able to vote until this amendment was passed because they were poor and could not afford it. Some people were in their forties before they could vote and it would n ot surprise me if there were people that had not been able to vote until they were much older or someone who never have a chance to vote at all. I think today the younger population is taking advantage of being able to vote at eighteen and not having to pay a tax to do so.Hopefully with time my generation will see the importance of voting and will do so in the future. It is a great honor and privilege to vote and to have the freedom to voice your opinion in a free election. I love my country because every four years we have a mini revolution where the powers of the white house are either changed or stayed the same without a single shot being fired, without a single life being sacrificed, without races, religion, ethnic background, political stance and social status being road blocks to keep us from voting backed by the Constitution and this amendment.In conclusion, it is a shame that so many people do not realize the value of voting. It’s sad that they do not exercise their r ight to vote. Just imagine that we still have the poll tax, I believe that we would be right where we are today. On the other hand, I know that the poll tax to me was unconstitutional and that no matter what, the Twenty-Fourth Amendment was a must to bring American civilization together. In some way, that makes us all equal. This is what this country has been trying to do for a long time.

Aristophanis essays

Aristophanis essays By most accounts Aristophanes was the greatest comic writer of his day. On his shoulders alone rests an entire age of comedy. By the time Aristophanes began to write his comedies, the people of Athens were increasingly demoralized by the ongoing conflicts of the Peloponnesian War. That is why in most of his plays there are tones of apprehension and grief. Lysistrata was written twenty-one years into the Peloponnesian War. Although the play is light-hearted, it was written out of the writers grief over the thousand of men who died in the terrible defeat that the Athenians suffered in Syracuse. The play begins in a public square in Athens. There Lysistrata awaits the other women to explain to them the details of her plan to bring peace in Greece. At the time Athens was at war with Sparta and other cities. Most of the men where at war, a lot of them died, and the rest would come back only to relax for a few days enjoy the pleasure of their wives and go back to war. To Lysistrata that was unacceptable, so she gathered the women from Athens, Sparta and the rest of the cities that were at war and made them take an oath that they will not sleep with their husbands until peace was made and the war would be finally over. The other women were against it at the beginning, but soon they realized that a sex strike was the only thing that they could use to convince their husbands to make peace. At the same time that the meeting was going on the elderly women of Athens took over Acropolis. Acropolis then became their fortress, all the women gathered inside and would not come out until peace was made. They were constantly threaded by the men to stop their strike but with no results. Some women did break but Lysistrata was always there to convince them that this had to be done. Her plan worked and Aristophanes used the example of Myrrhine and her husband Cinesias to show us how the women tortured the men and made them get toge...