The Death Penalty Essay -- essays research papers fc

Capital Punishment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Murder is the unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice. This country believes killings someone under certain circumstances is acceptable; this should not be the case. Capital punishment, the death penalty, is the maximum sentence used in punishing people who kill another human being. It is one of the most controversial topics in America today. Capital punishment is still murder, simple as that. The death penalty needs to be abolished in all states. There are too many flaws that come with this punishment. Innocent people can be executed, it is morally wrong, and it does not discourage, or deter crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From 1976 to the present, data from The Death Penalty states one hundred and nineteen death row inmates have been found innocent and set free prior to their execution. Also, at least twenty-three people have been executed who did not commit the crime they were accused of. The average number of years between being sentenced and exoneration is 9.2 years. Paying back someone nine years of their life is impossible; let alone telling someone that is already dead, they are innocent and free to go. These numbers are way too high; errors like this should be caught right away. Wasting years of a mans life, or ending it all together is not what America should stand for. Without the death penalty, an innocent man will at least be able to pick up where he left off, and not be wrongfully executed. Mistakes like these do not need to be made. Another big issue with killing an innocent person is the case remains closed forever. If a case is closed the police will not have reason to look for the real killer. When an innocent person is executed, the real killer is still on the streets, ready to kill someone else. Innocence goes both ways. Innocent murder victims and wrongfully convicted people that are sentenced to death are in the same boat. Both of them had their lives stripped from them when they shouldn’t have. Murdering an innocent person is like executing the wrong person. There is no full proof way of making sure innocent people are not put on death row. Therefore there is no reason for the death penalty, in any state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Any person of any religion can see that the death penalty is morally wrong. There aren’t any religions that pr... ...ot be allowed. Capital punishment is a power that no man or woman deserves to make for another human being. This is taking away the peoples right to live. Capital punishment has no place in today's society. There are too many bad things that can come from the death penalty. Perfectly innocent people can be put on death row, or even executed. It is immoral on so many levels. Also it has never been proven to deter crime. Therefore capital punishment, the death penalty, should be abolished in all states. Innocent or wrongfully convicted people will be able to benefit from this, and stand another chance without the death penalty. Also there is a great chance there will be a decrease in murder rates. Bibliography Works Cited Arguments For & Against the Death Penalty. Death Penalty Curricula for High School. 13 April 2005 . Dieter, Richard. Facts about Deterrence and the Death Penalty. Death Penalty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Information Center. 12 April 2005 . Mitchell, Hayley, ed. The Death Penalty. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2001. Wekesser, Carol, ed. The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Press, Inc., 1991.

Themes of Aldous Huxleys Brave New World :: essays research papers

Aldous Huxley’s wrote the novel Brave New World in 1931. This dystopia novel is mainly narrated in the third person from the characters Bernard or John the savage, but also comes from the view of Lenina, Watson and Mustapha Mond. The time setting for this novel is referred to A.F. 632 meaning 632 years after the ford production of the Model T car. As for the place setting it takes place in a hatchery that is set in England, however, there is also a scene that takes place in New Mexico where the savage is from. The tone for Brave New World is very juvenile, silly, ironic, and pedantic. Within the novel’s themes there are motifs, recurring structures, contracts, or literary devices that help the themes develop. Pneumatic, â€Å"Ford†, sex, and Shakespeare all help the themes to develop the plot for this novel that Huxley has written. Brave New World focuses on the use of technology to control a happy, sexual, and stable society. They use technology in the book to create this society from birth to death. In the very begging of the novel the boy students are taking a tour through the hatchery to see how embryos grow and get conditioned. At the end of the book it is this technology that kills the â€Å"Savage†. Soma, soma is the cure to everything. Nervous, mad, sad, not feeling sexual, just take some soma. It is the cure to all that doesn’t make them happy or feel at ease. In a way the world today uses technology to create a somewhat stable society, but not for a sexual society. The novel also is based on a consumer society that cannot tolerate unhappiness or the truth or what comes next in life’s stages. Brave New World goes to any extreme to make the needs of the people satisfied. The Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and the Epsilons do not know what diseases, old age, pregnancy, motherhood/fatherhood, or regular life is like, but they do not have to worry about life. The ten controllers do not want their people to have to face what the world would be like if it was not controlled by the technology. To not be able to be a mother/father, get old, or have time alone seems unfair. This is not happiness, it only takes away minor problems in life. To grow as a whole we need to have life experiences, whether it is a bad or good experience, we need them to make us, us.

Landscape, Spirit, and Music Essay

Anne Boyd’s â€Å"Landscape, Spirit, and Music: An Australian Story† is a substantive view on the integration of the landscape of a distinct culture represented by aboriginal beliefs and traditions to Australia’s inimitable non-Indigenous music industry. Boyd said, â€Å"it is possible to see something of the significance of music in constructing an ‘inspirited’ relationship with landscape as part of a possible process of ‘aboriginalization’ which is slowly affecting all of Australia’s non-indigenous inhabitants. † Boyd sought to prove her assumptions by presenting various evidences in the works of famous Australian composers such as Ross Edwards, Peter Sculthorpe, and David Lumsdaine, including the artistry of Tommy Barrtjap as a musician. The landscape that Boyd was referring to with regards to the influences of some non-Indigenous Australian composers encompasses the history of Australia, the culture of its indigenous people, as well as the physical landscape or environment that makes the country matchless in beauty and whereiwthal. The history of Australia serves as the backdrop or milieu from which the composers were able to structure their unique, meaningful, and poignant music. Furthermore, the culture of Australia’s indigenous peoples becomes the inspiration for musicians or composers to create something exclusive and distinctive. Thus, the musicians and composers that Boyd mentioned in her discussions were able to create a kind of music that channels mysticism, spirituality, and the metaphysical, representative of Australia’s indigenous culture. Boyd said that â€Å"All three composers [Ross, Edwards & Schulthorpe] have drawn upon birdsong, not literally, but in a mythical and ritual sense; birds thus become spiritual messengers linking human music and landscape. † The great influence of Australia’s history and the indigenous culture of its native inhabitants is expected, as argued by Schultz . Schultz said that the emergence of a unique and distinctive music is most likely, particularly in Australia because â€Å"the existence of diverse immigrant population, a sense of real or imagined isolation, insecurity about the presence of a national character†¦ unique natural features such as climate, geography and flora and fauna, a pre-existing and extant culture with a strong and individual civilization, high standards of education with concomitant levels of artistic self-awareness, and substantial government subsidization of artistic activity† are dynamic and influential factors that would encourage such devotion and revolution in making and producing music for the sake of art. Furthermore, Lim believes that the growing interest of non-Indigenous Australian musicians to the history of Australia and culture of its Indigenous peoples as landscapes to developing music has something to do with the stipulation of these composers to develop a unique kind of music and a pe rsonal identity as a musician or composer. Lim said â€Å"Aboriginal cultures continue to be used by artists as a marker of authenticity in the construction of an Australian identity of sense of nationality. † By and large, Boyd’s discussions as supported by the narratives and arguments presented by Schultz and Lim explicate the great weight or importance of Indigenous culture in Australia as well as its history in helping musicians and composers create music that represents nationalism and establish a unique and inimitable identity. Works Cited Boyd, Anne. 2007. â€Å"Landscape, Spirit and Music,† in The Soundscapes of Australia: Music, Place and Spiritually. Richards, Fiona (Burlington, VT: Ashgate), pp. 11-18. Lim, Liza. â€Å"Crossing Cultural Boundaries and Ecstatic Transformation,† Sounds Australian 26 (2006), 10-11. Schultz, Andrew. â€Å"Other Places, Whose Music? : Some Introductory Comments on Appropriation and Tradition,† Sounds Australian 20 (1991): 8-9.

Evaluation of Early Supplier Involvement in Product Development Essay

I certify that in the preparation of this thesis, I have observed the provisions of Purdue University Teaching, Research, and Outreach Policy on Research Misconduct (VIII.3.1), October 1, 2008.* Further, I certify that this work is free of plagiarism and all materials appearing in this thesis/dissertation have been properly quoted and attributed. I certify that all copyrighted material incorporated into this thesis/dissertation is in compliance with the United States’ copyright law and that I have received written permission from the copyright owners for my use of their work, which is beyond the scope of the law. I agree to indemnify and save harmless Purdue University from any and all claims that may be asserted or that may arise from any copyright violation. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Standing outside the Knoy BS440, I was waiting for the dissertation defense result. Few minutes later, Prof. Schmidt, my committee chair, came to me, gave me one big warm hug and said, â€Å"Congratulations!† Suddenly, the memory in the past two years, all the pains and pleasure at Purdue University, came up to me. This is the moment I had waited for so long, but this is also the moment I was unwilling to face because of the coming goodbye. Nevertheless, I knew things I learnt and people I met there will be the valuable asset in my life and will be with me all the time. For those who have supported the creation of the work, I would like to begin by thanking my principle advisor, Prof. Edie K. Schmidt, who has always encouraged me with her sharp insight and great patience. She is not merely a constant guide throughout my research but also a thoughtful friend. Additionally, I would like to show my gratitude to the members of my committee: Prof. Nathan W. Hartman, Prof. Patrick E. Connolly, and Prof. John A. Springer. Without their guidance, suggestions, criticisms and support, I would not make my thesis possible. One notable faculty in the Department of Aviation Technology I also owe a note of thanks. To Prof. Chien-Tsung Lu, I am grateful for your assistance in reviewing the cultural appropriateness of this research, which facilitated the IRB’s approval process. Thanks are also due to all my colleagues from College of Technology and from graduate office and all my friends at Purdue University, who made my two years life colorful. Having their company was the great encouragement when I felt frustrated. For the numerous industrial contacts and friends in Taiwan, thanks are due to them all. In particular, I would like to thank Yi-Hen Chen for his patience and backing me up. Finally, I am deeply indebted to my parents, who fully supported me when I made the decision to pursue higher education and who never lost faith in me. I love you.

Holocaust: Nazi Propaganda, Anti-Semitism, Auschwitz, Survivors, and Rescue in Denmark

Nazi Propaganda and Censorship While Hitler was coming to power, the Nazis orchestrated a massive propaganda campaign to win the loyalty and cooperation of Germans. All media whose viewpoints threatened Nazi beliefs were either censored or eliminated altogether. In May of 1933, more than 25,000 books written by both Jewish and non-Jewish authors including Helen Keller were burned. On December 5th in 1930, Joseph Goebbels disrupted the premiere of â€Å"All Quiet on the Western Front† with smoke and sneezing bombs because its views were considered â€Å"un-German. Even schoolbooks were censored from classrooms. The Nazi’s controlled the media so they could integrate Nazi racism and ideas into it. On March 13th, 1933, Goebbels was appointed head of the Reich Propaganda Ministry. As the head, he condemned works written by Jews, liberals, leftists, pacifists, foreigners, and many others. New textbooks were put into classrooms praising Hitler and anti-Semitism. Hence, peopl e were taught blind obedience to the Nazi party. Anti-Semitism Jewish people have been faced with prejudices and discriminations throughout istory. They were isolated in Christian societies, which, if you can remember, were almost everywhere. The Church taught that the Jews were responsible for Jesus’s death, and that they also caused the â€Å"Black Death,† which was the plague that killed thousands of people. The ignorance of people never ceases to surprise me. Because of these accusations, Jews couldn’t hold certain jobs or own land. It must’ve been hard not being able to express yourself the way everyone else did. Jews either had to convert to Christianity, leave the country, or be persecuted. Influential people mistakenly defined them as a race, which ultimately meant that even if they did convert to Christianity, they were still Jews by blood. The government either organized or didn’t prevent violent attacks on Jews, which involved murder and then looting. Why was so much hate projected towards the Jews? Auschwitz When educated people hear â€Å"Auschwitz,† a pretty picture does not come to mind. Auschwitz was the largest concentration camp established by the Germans in the 1940s. It was altogether a concentration, extermination, and forced-labor camp. In just five years, over one million innocent people lost their lives. If they could work or were some use to the Germans, their lives were spared. If they couldn’t work, this includes the sick, the elderly, children, et cetera, they were sent to gas chambers. Auschwitz’s four LARGEST gas chambers could hold and kill 2,000 people at once. Afterwards, their bodies were burned. As mentioned earlier, the workers were left alive, but had live in unbearable conditions. They were not insulated from the heat or cold; they wore the same clothes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They were malnourished and were often fed rotten, molded food. Dr. Josef Mengele performed cruel experiments on twins, dwarves, as well as the sick, and then killed them if they didn’t die during the experiments. It really is no surprise that most prisoners survived only a few weeks to months in Auschwitz. Survivors Returning to life before the Holocaust was impossible for victims. Not only was it impossible, but it was also dangerous. People would think that after all the Jews had been through, that they’d learn to take it easy on them. But still, there were anti-Jewish riots and pogroms when survivors returned. Rumors spread about Jewish people killing Polish children and using their blood for rituals. Due to these rumors, even more riots broke out, one in particular where 41 people were murdered, and 50 more were wounded. Even if the people had been peaceful to the survivors, they wouldn’t have had a place to live. Many came home to find that their homes had been looted and/or taken over. With nowhere to live, the Jewish people were put into Displaced Persons’ camps. After being ejected by many countries, the United Nations finally voted to divide Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state. Even the United States changed their immigration policy to allow more Jews to enter. I guess the survivors had found hope after all. Rescue in Denmark Not everyone actively supported and collaborated with the Nazi Germans. Yet again, nor did they take a stand on what was happening and help the Jewish and minority grou ps. Millions of people nationwide stood by as the Holocaust occurred. People told themselves that it was none of their business. Many others were just frightened. Helping Jews was punishable by death, after all. Only one country stood up for their Jewish people, and that was Denmark. They had help from many outside forces to help smuggle almost 8000 Jews, almost the entire Jewish population in Denmark, out before the Nazis could come. Even with all the combined efforts though, about 500 Jews were still deported to a concentration camp. Still, all but 51 survived due to the Danish government pestering the Nazis about the welfare of their people. A French clergyman smuggled about 12,000 Jewish children into Switzerland and Spain.

Consequences of Ethnicity in Nigeria

EFFECT OF ETHNICITY IN NIGERIA CHAPTER 1 1. 0 INTRODUCTION Nigeria  is  by  far  the most populated of Africa’s countries, with more than one-seventh of the continent’s people. The people belong to many different ethnic groups. These groups give the country a rich culture, but they also pose major challenges to nation building. Ethnic strife has plagued Nigeria since it gained independence in 1960. Officially known as the ‘Federal Republic of Nigeria’, she has  a  federal form of government and is divided into 36 states and a federal capital territory.Lagos, (formerly the capital of Nigeria) is the economic and cultural center located along the coast, and inhabited majorly by the Yoruba-speaking tribe. It is also the country’s largest city (in terms of population). The government moved from Lagos to Abuja in 1991 in the hope of creating a national capital where none of the country’s ethnic groups would be dominant. The  land size area  of Nigeria is approximately 923,768 sq km (356,669 sq mi).It was home to ethnically based kingdoms and tribal communities before it became a European colony. In spite of European contact that began in the 16th century, these kingdoms and communities maintained their autonomy until the 19th century. The colonial era began in earnest in the late 19th century, when Britain consolidated its rule over Nigeria. In 1914 the British merged their northern and southern protectorates into a single state called the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Nigeria became independent of British rule in 1960.After independence Nigeria experienced frequent coups and long periods of autocratic military rule between 1966 and 1999, when a democratic civilian government was established Nigeria is very rich in raw materials like crude oil, tin, iron etc but is almost solely dependent on crude oil which is a major source of income for the country. While oil wealth has financed major investments in the country’s infrastructure, Nigeria remains among th e world’s poorest countries in terms of per capita income. Oil revenues led the government to ignore agriculture, resulting in dependence on food importation.Fig 1. 1 MAP OF NIGERIA SHOWING THE 36 STATES 1. 1 The people of Nigeria Nigeria's diversity, both in â€Å"tongue† and â€Å"tribe† makes it a very difficult region to subject to precise classification. This has led to the tendency among many scholars to focus on the three major ethnic or geographic zones in the country viz the Hausa-Fulani (Northern Nigeria), the Yoruba (Western Nigeria) and the Igbo (Eastern Nigeria). These geographic zones are not in any way solely occupied by the three ethnic groups. A plethora of smaller socio-ethnic groups may be located in these zones.The  highest  population densities are in the Igbo heartland in south-eastern Nigeria, despite poor soils and heavy emigration. The intensively farmed zones around and including several major cities of the Hausa ethnic group especi ally Kano, Sokoto, and Zaria in the north are also densely populated. Other areas of high density include Yorubaland in the southwest, the central Jos Plateau, and the Tiv homeland in Benue State in the south central region. Densities are relatively low in the dry northeast and in most parts of the middle belt.Ecological factors, including the prevalence of diseases such as sleeping sickness, carried by the tsetse fly, and historical factors, especially the legacy of pre-colonial slave raiding, help explain these low densities (Encarta, 2009). Table 1. 1: Statistics of Nigeria Population| 138,283,240 (2008 estimate)| Population density| 152 persons per sq km 393 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)| Urban population distribution| 48 percent (2005 estimate)| Rural population distribution| 52 percent (2005 estimate)| Largest cities, with population| Lagos, 11,100,000 (2005 estimate) Ibadan, 3,570,000 (2007 estimate)Ogbomosho, 861,300 (2007 estimate)| Official language| English| Chief rel igious affiliations| Muslim, 50 percent Christian, 40 percent Indigenous beliefs, 10 percent| Life expectancy| 47. 8 years (2008 estimate)| Infant mortality rate| 94 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate)| Literacy rate| 70. 7 percent (2005 estimate)| Source: Encarta Encyclopaedia (2009) 1. 2 Social issues Wealth  and  power  are  distributed very unevenly in Nigerian society. This is due to several factors including corruption, political instability, and unemployment, amid others.The great majority of Nigerians, preoccupied with daily struggles to earn a living, have few material possessions and little chance of improving their lot. Meanwhile, chiefs, rich merchants, politicians, and high-ranking civil servants often accumulate and flaunt massive wealth, which to a degree is expected and accepted in the Nigerian society. Most of these elite maintain power through networks of patronage: They secure and distribute labour and receive political support in return.The syste m allows for some redistribution of income because patrons often pay for things such as school fees and marriage costs for relatives, community development, and charity work. Economic  inequality  has a severe effect on health, especially for children. One-fifth of Nigerian children die before the age of five, primarily from treatable diseases such as malaria, measles, whooping cough, diarrhea, and pneumonia. Less than one-half of infants are immunized against measles, and malnutrition affects more than 40 percent of children under the age of five.Adults are equally affected, although with less deadly consequences. Only 20 percent of rural Nigerians and 52 percent of urban Nigerians have access to safe water. One-third have no access to health care simply because they live too far from clinics or other treatment centres. Many others cannot afford the fees charged by clinics. While  average  incomes are higher and death rates lower in cities, urban poverty is as pervasive as rural poverty. Secure, well-paying jobs are scarce, even for those with considerable education. Food is typically expensive.Housing, too, is costly despite its rudimentary quality, prompting the poor to build basic houses in shantytowns. Sewage disposal systems in most cities are also basic or primitive, with polluted streams, wells, roadside drains, and other bodies of water increasing the risk of infectious disease. Industry, automobiles, and the burning of fuel-wood further pollute air and water. Crime  in  Nigeria  rose in the mid-1990s as a result of unemployment, economic decline, and social inequality, which are abetted by inefficient and corrupt police and customs forces.More than half of all offenses are thefts, burglaries, and break-ins, although armed robberies are also prominent. Nigeria is a major conduit for drugs moving from Asia and Latin America to markets in Europe and North America. Large-scale Nigerian fraud rings have targeted business people in other part s of the world. Nigeria  has  been  wracked by periodic violent clashes between ethnic and religious groups since the 1990s. The reasons behind these clashes have varied from local political disputes to conflicts between fundamentalist Muslims and Christians or moderate Muslims.In many cases, local civic or religious leaders have manipulated these conflicts for political gain. 1. 3 Ethnicity: The Ethnic Composition of Nigeria Ethnicity is a term not easily defined and for proper understanding of the concept related terms requires description; an ethnic group is regarded as an informal interest group whose members are distinct from the members of other ethnic groups within the larger society because they share kinship, religious and linguistics ties (Cohen, 1974). Ethnicism is another related concept used to denote ‘ethnic loyalty’ (Pepple, 1985).The concept of loyalty here indicates willingness to support and act on behalf of the ethnic group. Subsequently, ethnic loyalty or ethnicism usually involves a degree of obligation and is often accompanied by a rejective attitude towards those regarded as outsiders i. e. members of other ethnic group (Salawu and Hassan, 2011). Thus the term Ethnicity can be defined as the interactions among members of many diverse groups (Nnoli, 1978). It is a commonplace fact that Nigeria is a society with different ethnic groups, religions, languages, cultures and institutional arrangements.As a heterogeneous society of several ethnic groups, Nigerians are thus characterized by groups, desires, beliefs, values, customs, fears etc. These diversities in national life manifest in several ways including; music, language, culture, dance, beliefs, religion etc. The fact that over three hundred identified language groups exist in Nigeria has created some confusion as one may equate each language group with an ethnic group (Adejuyibem 1983) and thereby arrive at over three hundred ethnic groups.As Iwaloye and Ibeanu (1997 ) and Anugwom (1997) have argued, however, languages and ethnic groups do not necessarily coincide. One language may be spoken by more than one ethnic group and one ethnic group may have linguistic variations of the same root language. Moreover, while language may be one of the important factors for defining an ethnic group, some ethnic groups in Nigeria may have lost their original linguistic roots, while retaining their identity, as a result of intense interaction with larger socio-ethnic groups.In the same vein, many ethnic groups may use the same language to case communication, as is the case of the smaller ethnic groups in the North of Nigeria, where Hausa has become more or less a lingua franca. Therefore, it has been proven that there is no direct relationship between language and ethnic group in Nigeria. Thus, the 56 ethnic groups identified by Iwaloye and Ibeanu (1997) as the existing ethnic groups in contemporary Nigeria are adopted. It is important to note that the ethnic groups in Nigeria may exceed this number by far, though these 56 groups are both visible and easily identifiable.The 56 ethnic groups are presented in the table below. Table 1. 2: Ethnic group in Nigeria 1. Hausa-FuIani| 29. Buri| 2. Igbo | 30. Balta| 3. Yoruba | 31. Kanuri| 4. Edo| 32. Margi| 5. Bassawa| 33. Delta Minorities| 6. Igala| 34. Gwadara| 7. Idoma| 35. Chamba-Daka| 8. Ora| 36. Mambila| 9. Ijo| 37. Katang | 10. Isoko| 38. Berom| 11. Urhobo| 39. Kadara| 12. Itshekiri| 40. Kurama| 13. Baatonum| 41. Mada| 14. Karnbari| 42. Alago| 15. Dulawa| 43. Migili| 16. Kamaku| 44. Eggon| 17. Ebira| 45. Bokyi| 18. Nupe| 46. Ekon| 19. Gwari| 47. Agoi| 20. Tiv| 48. Efik| 21. Jukun| 49. Ibibio| 2. Chomo-karim| 50. Annang| 23. Jarwa| 51. Mumuye| 24. Angas| 52. Waja| 25. Yekhee| 53. Busa| 26. Karekare| 54. Dendi| 27. Eloyi| 55. Buduma| 28. Gade| 56. Shuwa| Source: Iwaloye and Ibeanu (1997) Nigeria is known for its cultural diversities but while these diversities have been positively harnessed for greatness by other nations of the world the opposite is regrettably the case in Nigeria despite the efforts of heroes past in ensuring that these diversities are harnessed for development; rather they have served as the bane of social, economic and political development.Consequently, Nigeria as a nation has been besieged by an array of social, economic and political problems; these include corruption, tribalism, lack of patriotism, political gangsterism e. t. c (Nduka, 2004 and Omo-Ojugo et al. , 2009). 1. 4 Ethnicity and Marginalisation Before the advent of colonialism, the area now referred to as Nigeria was a large landmass occupied by un-unified people of diverse ethnic groups but for administrative convenience they were fused and merged together by the olonialists. For the duration of colonial rule, the ‘marriage’ of the diverse ethnic groups was maintained and the diversities were united without any problem. With the exit of the colonialists, things started f alling apart resulting in marginalisation and ethnic conflict thus adversely effecting the development of the budding nation. Ethnic conflict has been rightly defined as one of the greatest obstacles to meaningful development in Africa.The ethnic factor did not diminish with the advent of independence; rather, it became a yardstick for measuring contribution to the national development effort and especially for allocating and distributing power and national resources and eventually resulted in the 30- month slaughter in the Nigerian civil war (1967 to 1970) which was anchored on ethnic rivalry. The history of present day Nigeria is rife with cases of ethno-religious conflicts. Since the annulment of the 1993 elections, there have been increased demands and counter-demands for marginalisa1ion by various ethnic groups in the country.Marginalisation stems from a people's perception of their treatment in the allocation or distribution of power and resources. A classic example is made fo r the Ogoni, who despite â€Å"having provided the nation with an estimated $30,000 million in oil revenues, their people had no pipe borne water or electricity, and lacked education, health and other social facilities: it is intolerable that one of the richest areas of Nigeria should wallow in abject poverty and destitution† (Saro-Wiwa, 1992).In this light, the Ogoni ethnic group has concrete reasons to consider itself marginalised, especially since these facilities can be found in other ethno-regional areas of Nigeria. 1. 5 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The general objective of the study is to 1. Investigate the role ethnicity plays in the socio-economic development of Nigeria. 2. Assess the impact of ethnicity on present day Nigeria 3. Examine the effect on day-to-day activities of Nigerians 1. 6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS i. Impact of ethnicity on social and economic development in Nigeria? ii. Role of colonialism in ethnic groups formation . 7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The scope of the projec t envelops the influence of ethnicity in Nigeria’s social and economic development and its impact on present day Nigeria. 1. 8 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The importance of this study is made manifest in the form of understanding the role ethnic diversity plays in the development of a country, in this case Nigeria. 1. 9 CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION ETHNICITY: Ethnicity in this study is referred to as an affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties or the interactions among members of many diverse groupsETHNIC GROUP: For the purpose of this study, an ethnic group is regarded as an informal interest group whose members are distinct from the members of other ethnic groups within the larger society because they share kinship, religious and linguistics ties SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: in this project, socio economic development is defined as a comprehensive process involved in improving social and economic conditions on individual and group empowerment, community, national and reg ional building.

Macro-Economic Policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macro-Economic Policies - Essay Example At the heart of this conflict is not only the politics of Royal and Sarkozky, or the pitting of ideals of the Socialists against the Rightists, but also the more crucial macroeconomic issues the country face, the extent of the government's efforts to provide solutions to these quandaries and the future political and economic stability of the country. It is therefore, crucial to understand the major macroeconomic issues which plague France as a nation and evaluate the actions and the success the government has taken in order to achieve economic stability. One of the key issues, which challenge the nation in recent decades, is the high rate of unemployment. The French government in the past has taken diverse approach and initiatives to spur growth and employment. However, the approach was not feasible to provide solutions to the problem of rising unemployment rate (OECD, 2007). The OECD has encouraged the French government to bring forward measures that could advance structural changes in the economy. The organisation has identified three main problems the government need to recognise: a) guarantee medium-term financial viability and develop the tax system structure to augment benefits and minimize expenditure, b) raise employment rate among low-skilled workers and focus on particular groups through the restructuring of the labour market institution, c) improve the possibility of growth and jobs creation through further economic reforms which in turn encourage competition (OECD 2007). In addition, the current French policy and procedu res for the firing of workers especially permanent labourers are more intricate compared to the dismissal of temporary workers. If a firm wants to dismiss a permanent worker, it has to provide legal justifications which are too rigorous to follow. Thus, redundant workers become a burden and liability of the company as the firms themselves are obliged to help dismissed workers find employment (OECD 2007). This hinders the majority of companies in France to provide permanent contracts to their employees, adversely affecting the job prospects of the youth and the unskilled. In the recent years, the government has come up with a solution by introducing a special contract called the "Contrats Nouvelles Embauches" which gives companies - those which do not have more than 20 workers - the flexibility to terminate the contract in the span of two years. However, the contract requires firms to disburse high severance payments (OECD 2007). Another economic dilemma France struggle to hurdle is the public sector deficit. Although the government has been successful in curbing deficit in the past couple of years, France is not ready for the long-term effects of indiscreet expenditures on health and pension resulting from the ageing of the population. Hence, despite the significant reforms the government has already achieved, OECD recommends that the ratio of public debt to GDP be reduced. GDP or Gross Domestic Products refers to the value of all the goods and services produced within a state or a country in a particular period of time. This is also the sum of consumption, investments as well as other various elements such as government's expenditure and export/output. France's GDP gap widened over the year as compared to government expenditure but GDP growth has becoming stronger over the years moving from 1 percent a year from the year 2000 to about 2 percent