Sectarianism in Pakistan

Sectarianism in Pakistan INTRODUCTION The decade of the 1990s witnessed a frightening upsurge in the Shia-Sunni sectarian violence in Pakistan, both in terms of scope and intensity. Recently, sectarian strife has engulfed even those areas, which were previously unaffected, largely because of the emergence of organized terrorist groups along sectarian lines. Besides target killings, these groups hit even ordinary members of each other’s sects. The problem, therefore, is no more of an occasional nature, or limited to isolated localities.Rather, it has now become a national concern with serious implications for the state and society. The paper argues that though the Shia-Sunni conflict is not new to Pakistan or even to the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent, the ongoing phase is distinct in several ways:  · Firstly, the level and intensity of violence is high because of easy access to weapons and training facilities in Afghanistan.  · Secondly, certain Islamic states such as Iran and Saudi Arabia sponsor the activities of sectarian groups. This adds a regional dimension to the domestic sectarian conflict. Thirdly, the social base of the sectarian conflict has significantly expanded because of factors including: a) Use of print media, school textbooks, religious literature, posters and banners; b) Accessibility to means of electronic communication; c) Better transport services which increase mobility of sectarian activists. To argue thus this paper is divided into following three sections: 1) Sectarian Violence and its origins; 2) Causes of Sectarian Violence in Pakistan; and 3) Failure of State. SECTARIAN VIOLENCE AND ITS ORIGINS This section discusses the history of sectarian violence.Sectarian violence and religious extremism is an unpredictable menace. History is replete with incidents of such sorts in various countries. The bigots and the evil minded selfish natured people are behind this abhorrent act relating to the security concerns of many nations. Unfo rtunate is the fact that usually the third world Muslim countries have been and are being constantly threatened by these evil acts. Sectarian Violence in Muslim History: Since the very beginning, the Shia-Sunni sectarian conflict has been one of the major characteristics of Muslim history.Different factions in the respective Muslim societies have also closely interlinked it to the struggle for the acquisition of political power. Syed Amir Ali remarks: â€Å"Alas! That the religion of humanity and universal brotherhood should not have escaped the internecine strife and discord; that the faith which was to bring peace and rest to the distracted world should itself be torn to pieces by angry passions and the lust of power. â€Å"1 At the centre of sectarian strife has been the Shia-Sunni conflict.Immediately after the passing away of the Prophet of Islam, a division emerged on the question of succession. â€Å"A small group believed that such a function must remain in the family of the Prophet and backed ‘Ali’, whom they believed to have been designated for this role by appointment and testament. They became known as his ‘partisans’ (shia) while the majority agreed on Abu Bakr on the assumption that the Prophet left no instruction on this matter; they gained the name ‘The People of Prophetic Tradition and consensus of opinion’ (ahl al-sunnah wa’l-jama‘ah). â€Å"Besides the political dimension, there also existed a difference of opinion about the merits and functions of the successor to the Prophet. â€Å"Sunni Islam considered the Khalifah to be a guardian of the Sharia‘h in the community, while Shi‘ism saw in the ‘successor’ a spiritual function connected with the esoteric interpretation of the revelation and the inheritance to the Prophet’s esoteric teachings. † In contrast to the Sunnis, the institution of Imamate is fundamental to the Shia Islam. â€Å"The Imam, 1 Syed Amir Ali, The Spirit of Islam (Karachi: Pakistan Publishing House, 1976), p100. esides being a descendant of the Prophet, must possess certain qualities—he must be Ma‘sum or sinless, bear the purest and most unsullied character, and must be distinguished above all other men for truth and purity. † Whereas, the Sunnis believe that the â€Å"Imamate is not restricted to the family of Mohammad. The Imam need not be just, virtuous, or irreproachable (Ma ‘sum) in his life, nor need he be the most excellent or eminent being of his time; so long as he is free, adult, sane, and possessed of the capacity to attend to the ordinary affairs of State, he is qualified for election. 2 Later, both the Shia and Sunni schools further split into several sub-sects on different issues related to succession, interpretation of scriptures and political theory of Islam. Sectarian conflict in the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent: Fearing persecution by Ummayeds and later Abbasides, some of the Shias had moved to the distant parts of the Muslim Empire. Sizeable Shia communities had been established in Punjab and Sindh after their conquest by Muhammad bin Qasim.Under the early Abbasides, the governor of Jhang, Umar bin Hafas, was a clandestine supporter of Fatimid’s movement and it was under him that the Batinya influence spread into the areas between Shorkot and Sindh. Later, one of the Shia branch, the Karamata, was able to set up its independent dynasty in Multan. The Karamata had established contacts with the Fatimides in Egypt and continued to rule Multan and 2 Syed Amir Ali, The Spirit of Islam (Karachi: Pakistan Publishing House, 1976), p103. urrounding areas, which included parts of Jhang, until Mahmud Ghaznavi defeated and destroyed their â€Å"heretical† dynasty. With this, the Karamata movement was wiped out in the Indo-Pakistan context, as it could not survive the loss of political power. However, it left a deep religious imprint on the local population. This is one of the reasons why even today southern Punjab inhabits a sizeable Shia population. In southern India, the Bahmani and Adil Shahi dynasties which ruled for quite some time and acted as a bulwark against Marhattas, professed Shia doctrines.These dynasties were brought under the control of Mughals under Aurangzeb (d. 1707), which opened the way for the rise of Marhattas. Aurangzeb was allegedly hostile to the Shia dynasties, largely because he considered them heretical. As the Shia dynasties were receiving support from the Safavides of Iran, who were hostile to the Mughals, he had made an offer of alliance to Bukhara. The weakening and disintegration of the Mughal Empire, after the death of Aurangzeb Alamgir, paved the way for a qualitatively different era in the Muslim history of the Sub-continent.The new era witnessed, on one hand, the onslaught of the British with both colonial and western agenda and, on the other, the rise of Marhattas and Sikhs. Mean while, the early successors of Aurangzeb had come under the influence of their Shia courtiers, the Sayyids of Barha. It was in response to these developments that Shah Waliullah (1703-1762) started his reform movement to reassert Islam. Another was the Wahabi movement of Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd al Wahhab (1703-1787), which started in Saudi Arabia, but had a great impact on the religious scene of India.Both these movements played a major role in the making of today’s religio-political scene of India and Pakistan. The Wahabi movement emphasised essentials, preached reverting back to the original sources of Quran and Sunnah, and rejected many of the innovations and cultural adaptations made over centuries in the Indian context. It was vehemently opposed to the Sufi tradition and other divergent schools of thought such as Shia‘ism. Essentially, this movement was exclusionist, and far less tolerant and accommodative of divergence, heterogeneity and variations in religious ma tters.It lambasted the corruption and laxity of the Muslims’ attitudes and rejected the accommodations and cultural richness of the medieval empire. Its sole emphasis was on the classical law, which, in the view of its champions, was the sum and substance of the faith. It was, despite the fact that many leaders of the jihad movement were not blind followers of Muhammad Ibn, ‘Abd al Wahhab to warrant the term â€Å"Wahabi† for them. Given their extremist credentials, however, the term was widely accepted and is still used in Pakistan3 for the people with similar puritan views.They are also called Ahl-i-Hadith. Shah Wali Ullah, however, started the most significant reform movement, in the 18th century. Like Wahabis, Shah Waliullah strongly condemned the corrupted Sufi customs and practices, but he was a Hanafi and his version of purified Islam was not completely rejectionist. He himself was a Sufi. He tried to postulate an interpretation of Islam that would coalesc e into a purified Sufism with a purified Sunnah. The Shah Wali Ullah’s movement later crystallized into the Deoband movement, founded by 3Qeyamuddin Ahmed, The Wahabi Movement in India (New Delhi: Manohar, 1994), p203. Maulana Qasim Nanotawi, in the then United Provinces of British India in 1867. In 1857, Maulana Nanotawi had actively taken part in the rebellion against the British. Through the Deoband movement, however, he and his colleagues sought to achieve their goals through peaceful resistance. The goal, under the circumstances, was nothing but cultural and religious freedom and political independence. In the following years, the Deoband movement adopted the attitude of peaceful resistance and non-co-operation towards the British.They refused to learn the English language and modern knowledge, and emphasised Arabic and teachings of Islamic classics. In religious terms, the Deoband movement continued to largely profess Shah Waliullah’s teachings with puritan empha sis. Originally, the Deoband School had a policy of non-involvement into sectarian controversies, but later, especially under Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, the Hanafis became divided into rival groups. Among others, it was because Maulana Gangohi had condemned â€Å"the annual gatherings at the tombs of saints as well as the prevalent rites of fatihah and milad†.These differences were a manifestation of dissatisfaction of the Deoband School with the things as they existed and its determination to improve them. The puritan emphasis of Wahabis and Deobandis generated tensions among Muslims. The followers of Sufi Islam did not accept the puritan emphasis which, in their view, amounted to renunciation of mystic conception of Islam. It was, however, Maulana Ahmad Raza Khan (1856-1921) who founded the Brelvi School4 by setting up a 4 Usha Sanyal, Devotional Islam and Politics in British India: Ahmad Riza Khan Barelwi and His Movement, 1870-1920 (Delhi, Oxford University Press, 1996 ), p44. adrasa at Breli in the United Provinces. Unlike the puritans, the Brelvi school expressed and sustained â€Å"the social and religious customs of a decadent people: the civilization, or lack of it, into which India fell after the feudal Mughal culture had succumbed and before a new culture arose under the imperial British penetration. † Meanwhile, Lucknow had become the centre of Shia activism. The confrontation between these schools later spread to the whole of the Indo-Pakistan Sub-continent. In particular, it resulted in increased incidents of Shia-Sunni violence.Later, however, the emergence of Amada movement, whose founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, claimed to be the prophet, prompted a unified reaction from all of the above mentioned schools. The Ahmadis, who are also called as Qadianis and Mirzais, were declared non-Muslims by all of the above groups. This declaration was formulated on the basis that they do not believe in the finality of the prophet hood of Muhammad . This controversy overshadowed the differences among the rest of the sectarian groups for decades until they were formally declared non-Muslims through a Constitutional Amendment in Pakistan in 1974.The nature of Shia-Sunni violence under the British was radically different than it had been under the earlier Muslim empires or caliphates. Previously, it was always a conflict either between the established Sunni authorities and anti-status quo Shia denominations or between the Sunni and Shia dynasties or caliphates. Under the alien rule of the British, the conflict declined to the communities’ level, involving the general public and theologians alike in sectarian violence.The role of the government was limited to that of arbiter, enforcer of law or manipulator, if so required, in the larger colonial interests. However, the state was secular and largely unrepresentative and, therefore, the use of sectarian idiom was limited to the purpose of selfidentification. The problem of s ectarian conflict in the post-independence years can be analyzed both in terms of the continuation of old historical pattern with certain new characteristics and, as a direct consequence of crises of identity and governance in Pakistan.It may be noted that the political discourse at macro level has revolved around the issues of Islamization vs. modernization, centralization vs. provincial autonomy, and democracy vs. authoritarianism in Pakistan since independence. The persistent ambivalence towards these issues has led the Pakistani State into a crisis of identity, causing frustration among almost all the sections of society including modernists, Islamists and various ethnic communities.The frustration has become further intensified in view of the failure of successive governments on the performance front, especially in terms of giving due representation to the marginalized sections of society in the top state institutions. Sectarian Conflicts in Pakistan: There are numerous sectari an divisions in Pakistan. One source puts the total number of Muslim sects and sub sects at 72. 5 The Sunni population subdivides into four major streams–Deobandis, Barelvis, Ahl-e Hadith and Wahabis–and within these there are 5 Sectarian Division of Muslims† (Bureau Report), The Times, London, 28 Sept. 1998. reportedly dozens of subgroups6. Despite these divisions, the majority of Sunnis in Pakistan follow the Hanafi School of Islamic jurisprudence7 The Sunni population is estimated to be 74 per cent of Pakistan's population. The three Shia streams in Pakistan are the Ismailis, the Ithna Ashariyya and the Bohras. 8 Estimates of the size of the Shia population vary widely, from a low of 5 per cent to a high of 25 percent; most sources put it at 15-20 per cent. During the Pakistan movement, the essentially secular leaders of the Muslim League had used the idiom of ‘Muslim identity’ to mobilize masses and to justify a separate homeland for them. Intere stingly, almost all the major religious parties of that time had opposed the demand of Pakistan either on the grounds that the concept of separate nationhood was not tenable from the perspective of Islam, or that the secular leadership of Muslim League could not be trusted to sincerely fulfill the promise of the creation of an Islamic state.Nonetheless, the Muslim League succeeded in creating Pakistan, despite the opposition of religious parties. As a result, the Islamic identity of the migrant communities, which settled mostly in the urban areas of Punjab and Sindh, was reinforced and they began to act as the major vehicle for the Islamization campaign in Pakistan. It was, in contrast to other ethnic groups such as Sindhis, Baluchis and Pakhtuns who, while de-emphasizing the ideological debate, championed the cause of decentralization and provincial autonomy. 6 7 The Sub-Sects of Muslims† (Report), The Economist, London, 28 Jan 1995. Daniel Pipes, Islam and Islamic Groups (De troit: Gale Research, 1992), p184. 8 Ibid. p185. 9 Muhammad Qasim Zaman, â€Å"Sectarianism in Pakistan: The Radicalization of Shi‘i and Sunni Identities†, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 32, No. 3, July 1998. Gradually, groups emerged out of the existing religious parties, which started emphasizing the sectarian differences with the professed aim of persuading the state to accept their particular views into legislation and its policies.In the following years, Punjab was to become the major victim of sectarian violence. Today sectarian violence has become widespread, particularly between Shi’a and Sunni militants in areas bordering Afghanistan, while dozens of tribal elders were murdered by militants in Waziristan. CAUSES OF SECTARIAN VIOLENCE IN PAKISTAN This section discusses the main reasons which led to sectarian violence in Pakistan. Pakistan, one of the largest Muslim countries the world, has seen serious Shia-Sunni sectarian violence. Almost 70% of Pakistan's M uslim population is Sunni, and another 30% are Shia.However, but this Shia minority forms the second largest Shia population of any country,10 larger than the Shia majority in Iraq. In the last two decades, as many as 4,000 people are estimated to have died in sectarian fighting in Pakistan, 300 in 2006. 11 Amongst the culprits blamed for the killing are Al Qaeda working â€Å"with local sectarian groups† to kill what they perceive as Shi'a apostates, and â€Å"foreign powers †¦ trying to sow discord. â€Å"12 10 Vali Nasr, The Shia Revival (Newyork:Norton, 2006), p160. â€Å"Shiite-Sunni conflict rises in Pakistan,† by David Montero, February 02, 2007. 11 12 Shiite-Sunni conflict rises in Pakistan,† by David Montero, February 02, 2007. Since 2004, there has been intense violence in the FATA. What started in South Waziristan, slowly spread to North Waziristan in 2005 and then later to Bajaur and Mohamand Agency during 2006 and 2007. For the last two years, this violence has spread to the settled districts of the Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa including Bannu, DI Khan, Peshawar and Swat. Led by the Taliban and its local supporters in the FATA and Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa , this violence is posing a serious threat to the process of governance, challenging the writ of the State.Referred to by media as Talibanization, these developments has been the subject of intense academic, media and policy interest. Many factors contributed to the growth of sectarian violence since the 1980s and 90s. While some were direct causes, others indirectly deepened the sectarian fault lines. Some of them are: Sectarian Politics: The following factors increased the sectarian divide, which was embedded in Pakistani society in the 1980s, especially in Punjab. First, the formation of Shia and Sunni militant organizations which were not representative of their respective communities although there was support from them.The formation of the militant Sunni Sipah-i-Sahaba, Pakis tan (SSP) and the Shia Sipah-i-Mohammad, Pakistan (SMP) was the main factor underlying the escalating conflict between the two communities. Apart from the Sipah-i-Sahaba, other Sunni organizations like Sunni Tehrik were formed in Sindh. Later some SSP activists led by Riaz Basra organized the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ), named after the founder of the SSP. The LJ was more militant and has been banned. These organizations widened the sectarian divide and both groups started using violence against each other. The strength of these militant sectarian organizations increased in the 1980s nd 90s, and they were only banned by General Musharraf in January 2002. Second, factionalism within the religious parties and militant organizations deepened the sectarian divide. The Jamiat-ul-Islam (JUI) got divided into two factions led by Fazl-ur-Rahman and Sami-ul-Haq and both factions attempted to build their foundations on anti-Shia tenets with each trying to be more virulently anti-Shia. Even the mil itant organizations on both sides (the SSP and the SMP) faced divisions, and these factions, devoid of effective leadership, were involved in arbitrary killings of the other community.Religious parties like the JUI provided indirect support to militant organizations. It is essential to understand that sectarian violence is largely limited to Punjab, especially in the district of Jhang, where the mainstream religious parties never enjoyed popular support. Baluchistan had been free of sectarian violence and so was Sind, except for Karachi. The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP), which enjoys support at the popular level in Punjab belongs to the Brehlvi faith and does not share the antagonism of the Deobandis and Wahabis towards the Shias.In fact, unlike the latter two, the JUP considers them to be Muslims and a part of the Islamic world. Third, sectarian violence in Punjab was primarily due to Shia-Sunni economic, social and political relations. For example in Jhang, where sectarian violen ce is high, the Shia community forms the upper class, being landlords and enjoying political power; the majority Sunni community forms the lower stratum in the social, economic and political hierarchy. When the Sunni middle class grew, especially in the 1970s as a result of better education and remittances from the Gulf, they demanded their share of ocial and political status, which was resisted by the Shias. Maulana Nawaz Jhangvi, assassinated in 1990 by Shia militants, formed the Sipah-i-Sahaba in Jhang in1985, largely to fight the Shia landlords. Anti-Shia groups: Anti-Shia groups in Pakistan include the Lashkar i Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, offshoots of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI). The groups demand the expulsion of all Shias from Pakistan and have killed hundreds of Pakistani Shias between 1996 and 1999. 13 As in Iraq they â€Å"targeted Shia in their holy places and mosques, especially during times of communal prayer. â€Å"14From January to May 1997, Sunni terro r groups assassinated 75 Shia community leaders â€Å"in a systematic attempt to remove Shias from positions of authority. â€Å"15 Lashkar i Jhangvi has declared Shia to be `American agents` and the `near enemy` in global jihad. 16 Islamization policies of Zia: Islamic policies introduced by Zia-ul-Haq were also responsible for the growth of sectarian violence inside Pakistan. An in-depth analysis would reveal that these policies were cosmetic and peripheral, as they did not impinge 13 Ahmed Rashid, Taliban: Islam, oil and the new great game in central Asia (London: Tauris, 2000), p194. 14Vali Nasr, The Shia Revival (Newyork:Norton, 2006), p166. Vali Nasr, The Shia Revival (Newyork:Norton, 2006), p167. Ibid. p168. 15 16 on the bureaucratic military oligarchy or the feudal structure of the society. In fact, these policies were aimed at gaining legitimacy within Pakistan and were not meant to challenge the existing social and economic institutions. However, the Islamization policie s exerted a negative influence on the two communities. The Sunni religious parties led by JUI and JUP became active vis-a-vis the Shias, as they wanted the State to introduce the Sunnization of Pakistan, which the Shias feared.This made the Shias defensive and they started supporting the PPP. In July 1980, 25,000 Shia portested the Islamization laws in the capital Islamabad. Besides, the changes made by Zia led to intense competition amongst the various Sunni groups, especially the Wahabis, Deobandis and Brehlvis, as they wanted the State to enforce their own version of Islam, especially the Islamic laws, though they were united in their opposition to Shias. However, the Islamic reforms introduced by Zia, especially relating to the legal field, alarmed the Shia community.The Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Fiqh-iJafriya (TNFJ) was formed in 1979 to enforce the Jafri fiqh; earlier in the same year Zia had declared that the Hanafi fiqh would be enforced. The formation of TNFJ was the political respo nse of the Shia community. In its early years it fought to get concessions such as exempting the Shia community from paying zakat and ushr. Jihad in Afghanistan: Pakistan’s Afghan policy in the 1980s and 90s aggravated sectarian violence inside the country. Afghan resistance against the Soviet Union in the 1980s resulted in the proliferation and easy availability of small arms in Pakistan. 7 The emergence of and subsequent growth of the Taliban in the 1990s and 17 Michael Klare, â€Å"Redefining Security: The New Global Schisms†, Current History, Vol. 95, No. 604, 1996, p161. their support to Sunni organizations such as the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen impinged directly on sectarian violence. The Sipah-i-Sahaba cadres were trained in Afghanistan and most of them fought the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Shias inside Pakistan. Iran-Iraq War: The impact of the emergence of the Khomeini regime in 1979 in Iran and the subsequent Iran-Iraq war in the early 1980s on sectarian violen ce in Pakistan has generally been underestimated.It is no coincidence that the TNFJ, the main Shiite party in Pakistan, was formed in 1979. When the Iran-Iraq war started, the Muslim world got divided into two camps and started funding their faith. As a result, enormous funds flowed, especially from Saudi Arabia and Iran, into Pakistan to support the various Sunni and Shia organizations and the madras as run by them respectively, which were directly responsible for the growth of organized opposition and violence. Iranian Funding: Exacerbating tensions is Iranian funding of Shia extremists in Pakistan, who not only exact revenge against Sunnis, but have also been used to violently uppress Iranian dissidents in the country who are critical of the Iranian regime. Shia formed student associations and a Shia party with the fundings from Iran, Sunni began to form sectarian militias recruited from Deobandi and Ahl-i Hadith madrasahs. Preaching against the Shia in Pakistan was radical cleri c Israr Ahmed. Muhammad Manzour Numani, a senior Indian cleric with close ties to Saudi Arabia published a book entitled â€Å"Iranian Revolution: Imam Khomeini and Shiism†. The book, which became â€Å"the gospel of Deobandi militants† 18 in the 1980s, attacked Khomeini and argued the excesses of the 8 Vali Nasr, The Shia Revival (Newyork:Norton, 2006), p164. Islamic revolution were proof that Shiism was not the doctrine of misguided brothers, but beyond the Islamic pale. Pakistan is the only Sunni majority country where Shias have been elected to top offices and played an important part in the country's history and nation building. The founder of Pakistan Muhammed Ali Jinnah, Muhammad Ali Bogra and the Bhutto family are Shia Muslims, as is Asif Ali Zardari, Abida Hussian, Faisal Saleh Hayat and several other top ranking Pakistani Politicians and Generals such as Yahya Khan,Musa Khan andIskander Mirza. Jihad in Kashmir: Pakistan’s support and involvement in Kas hmir was also responsible for sectarian violence. While the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Hizbul Mujahideen do not indulge in sectarian violence inside Pakistan, the same cannot be said about other jihadi groups, especially the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and, its later incarnation, the Jaish-eMohammad. Both these groups were trained in Afghanistan under the Taliban and were close to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the most violent Sunni organization. Before the Musharraf regime started its rackdown on sectarian organizations in 2001, these three were involved in collecting funds for jihad in Kashmir. The security agencies could not do much, as they could not differentiate which organization was involved. Tribal Conflict in the khyber Pakhtoonkhawa : Tribal clashes between Pashtun tribes in the Northwest Frontier Province have also taken on a sectarian nature, with the Shia Orakzai tribe often battling with their Sunni neighbors. These clashes are centered around the town of Bannu, and have often turned dead ly.However, the conflict is rooted in centuries' old land disputes, and has only taken on a sectarian nature since the fanatic Taliban regime came into power in nearby Afghanistan in the 1990s. The Madrassas: Various madrassas, especially in Punjab and Karachi, accentuated existing sectarian cleavage. Each Sunni schism (Deobandi, Brehlvi, Wahabi) and Shias ran their own madrassas for providing basic education. The curriculum was decided by the madaris. As a result, when sectarian fault lines got pronounced, a hate campaign was introduced vis-a-vis the other sect.Besides, the madrassas also provided manpower for these sectarian organizations, leading to sectarian engagements on the streets and dividing them further. About one-third of the 2,50019 registered madrassas in Punjab are known to impart military training to their students, and to be directly involved in sectarian attacks. The communities started defending their faith by protecting and supporting the offenders instead of con demning their violence. This support took the form of political, personal and financial patronage, which only accentuated the cycle of violence. 19Iqbal Quadir, â€Å"Madrassa Culture in Pakistan†, HRCP Journal, Vol. 8, No. 3, Nov 1998. FAILURE OF STATE What has been clear since the beginning of this sectarian conflict in Pakistan is the complete failure of the State, from Zia’s period onwards. It was unfortunate that during Zia’s period in the 1980s the Turis of Kurram Agency became the pawns in Pakistan’s larger game in Afghanistan. The State failed to understand Turi fears and insecurity, and has failed to understand them ever since. The emergence of the Taliban and the growth of sectarian politics in the 1990s further aggravated the situation.Given the sensitivities the State forces should have taken extra care in preventing the movement of battle hardened Sunni Taliban with their sectarian streak into sensitive places. Unfortunately, the State was ne ver keen in enforcing its writ in the tribal agencies. The questions of State’s failure should be seen in the context of its wider historical lack of interest in maintaining its writ in the FATA. It allowed its writ to erode in the name of maintaining tribal customs and traditions. It even exploited the same customs and traditions to pursue its larger strategic interests in Afghanistan.The Pakistani state has failed to understand that the situation has been dramatically changing over the last decade. A section within the FATA, especially amongst the younger generation, is highly influenced by the Taliban-al Qaeda brand of Islam, and prefers to adhere to their Islamic principles, rather than the age old secular tribal customs of the Pashtuns, referred to as Pashtunwali. Another section, within the young generation, exposed to modern education and democratic ideals, prefers the xpansion of State’s functions into tribal regions. Though both the above streams of youths are highly anti-American, they don’t agree with how they are being governed. While the Taliban supporters prefer to be governed under Shariah, the more modernminded others want the State expand its governance process. Thus, both sections want to repeal the archaic FCR, but for different reasons. More importantly, in the above two schools of thoughts, what is also gradually eroding is the influence of elders and jirga politics.The jirga provides a prefect excuse for the State to keep away from the problems and provides an instrument to maintain law and order. Failure of governance also provided space for other groups to express the local sentiments. While in other parts of the FATA, this expression has taken a religious (orthodox Sunni version adopted by Taliban) course, in Orakzai and Kurram, it has also assumed a sectarian nature. The influence of these sectarian organizations can be fought by the State only by expanding the governance process inside these regions.CONCLUSION Si nce the late 1980s, the Shia-Sunni sectarian violence has engulfed almost the entire province of Punjab and certain parts of the North-Western Frontier Province (Khyber pakhtoonkhawa ). Though sectarian conflict is not a new phenomenon, the scope, intensity and the continuity of the ongoing violent phase are unprecedented in the history of Pakistan. Jhang in Punjab province was the first district to fall prey to the increased and persistent nature of sectarian violence in the 1980s.The Shia-Sunni sectarian conflict cannot be explained in religious and ideological terms alone; notwithstanding the fact that the religious and sectarian idiom is frequently used by religious leaders from the pulpit to encourage violence, mobilize their followers and achieve political goals. In the context of sectarian violence, the local contextual realities have been of critical significance. The external stimuli might have played some catalyst role in terms of triggering off and accelerating the proces s of shift from the dormant sectarian conflict to the violent one.But what is important to note is that the potency of external stimuli and the nature of reaction they might provoke are determined at the local levels. The likelihood of a shift from dormant to violent conflict, however, increases if the institutional and legal structures in a given state fail to adjust and accommodate to the changing socio-economic realities and/or lack capacity to effectively respond and check the external stimuli. Shia-Sunni conflict is primarily a manifestation of the socio-economic changes at the grassroots level, which have given rise to political tensions among different classes of society.Selected Bibliography Secondary Sources Books: Ahmad, Mumtaz. `Continuity and Change in the Traditional System of Islamic Education: The Case of Pakistan'. (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2000). Ahmed, Qeyamuddin. The Wahabi Movement in India (New Delhi: Manohar Press, 1994). Jafri, S. H. M. The Origins an d Early Development of Shia Islam (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2000). Kraan, J. D. Religious Education in Islam with Special Reference to Pakistan: An Introduction and Bibliography (Rawalpindi: Christian Study Centre, 1984).Nasr, Vali. The Shia Revival (Newyork:Norton, 2006). Nasr, Vali. Mawdudi and the Making of Islamic Revivalism (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996). Rashid, Ahmed. Taliban: Islam, Oil and the New Great Game in Central Asia (London: Taurus, 2000). Rashid, Ahmed. Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia (Lahore: Vanguard, 2002). Sanyal, Usha. Devotional Islam and Politics in British India: Ahmad Riza Khan Barelwi and His Movement, 1870-1920 (Delhi, Oxford University Press, 1996). Newspaper:Ahmed, Khalid. `The Power of the Ahle Hadith', The Friday Times, Lahore, 12-18 July 2002. Journal: Haqqani, Husain. `Islam's Medieval Outposts’, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 82, No. 1, 2002, pp58-64. Klare, Michael. â€Å"Redefining Security: The New Global Sc hisms†, Current History, Vol. 95, No. 604, 1996, P161 Seminar paper Sectarianism in Pakistan Submitted to : Professor Dr Naseem Submitted by: Mati ullah Tareen IR 4th Department of International Relations Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan.

Jamestown and Massachusetts Bay Essay

Both the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Jamestown were different in that Massachusetts Bay consisted of mostly puritans; Massachusetts Bay was settled by Europeans. Both settlements struggled to survive at first. They both also encountered natives living there before they arrived. In Virginia there were the Native Americans and in Massachusetts Bay there was a large number of Puritans. Although there were many differences between the two colonies it comes to no surprise that they are very much so related, mostly in their hardships. Such as in Virginia there was disease, famine and continuing attacks of the neighboring Native Americans which took a tremendous toll on the population. Only sixty out of the original two hundred and fourteen settlers at Jamestown survived. While at the Massachusetts Bay, the settlers had their hardships too. The long, harsh winters, the unfertile soil, and the unfriendly relationship with the puritans surely made the population shrink. Both colonies struggled with finding nourishment. They survived mostly on the crops that they grew or wild berries and vegetables found in the wilderness. In the winter the crops soon started to die and there was nothing for the settlers to eat. This famine therefore, being the main cause of the population decrease. In the winter, the temperature would drop so low that if you didnt wear several coats of animal fur to keep you warm, you wouldnt stay alive. In Jamestown (Virginia) the settlers were being faced with the danger of the being under attack every day. The Native Americans did not take kindly to the settlers and found it an invasion of land. They were under the impression the settlers were only staying a short time, and would not take over the territory. The settlers had other plans however, to claim the land for King James. In summary, the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Jamestown were alike in their hardships. Their population downfalls were also quite similar. They were different, in the people in which they had living in each colony, also the enemies that both colonies established. Jamestown and Massachusetts Bay  were great civilizations that started our society as a whole, where would we be without them? Sources http://www.nps.gov/jame/historyculture/jamestown-and-plymouth-compare-and-contrast.htm

International Political Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Political Economy - Essay Example Markets are used in the distribution of resources in the capitalist system but some States that use the capitalist economies distribute their services and goods in nonmarket ways. Gilpin and Gilpin (2001) stated that in the United State of America, for example, some services such as distribution of food via stamps to the needy population and fire, police and park services are done basing on the needs of the citizens and not focused on certain market exchanges. The statement according to Gilpin that states, â€Å"Marxism survives as an analytical tool and critique of capitalism and it will continue to survive as long as those flaws of the capitalist system emphasized by Marx and his followers remain† is true considering what is currently happening in the World. This paper is going to discuss the flaws of the capitalist system described by Marx and his followers such as Harvey and it will additionally discuss the recent economic crisis that proves that Marxism is still alive. Gilpin and Gilpin (2001) stated that the capitalist system leads to the loss of democratic, economic, and political power for majority of the people in the society because capitalism encourages large concentration of property and money in the hands of the few countable individuals of the human population hence leading to an increase in the gap between majority population and the elites. The wealth and income inequalities makes few individuals in the society to enjoy the ownership of wealth and live healthy lives as others remain poor and struggle to acquire their basic needs by working for the rich. The dominance of large bureaucratic corporations in the capitalist markets that are required by the shareholders to generate more profits make the lives of the citizens miserable because sometime their costs do not favor the social welfare of the people. Gilpin and Gilpin (2001) criticized the corporate capitalism where the large

DQ Questions 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DQ Questions 5 - Essay Example Personal ethics is also applicable in both personal and professional environment while professional ethics is limited to a profession. In a professional environment, personal ethics is applicable as long as it does not contravene any of professional ethics provisions while professional ethics is not applicable outside the profession even if it is not contradictory to a personal ethics’ provision (Harris, Pritchard and Rabins, 2008). In case of a decision by my employers to which I am ethically opposed, I would respond by applying utilitarianism ethics towards a decision to comply with the decision or to oppose it. Based on the theory’s provisions for decisions that maximize benefits to a majority of stakeholders to a case, I would consider every stakeholder and determine effects of the decision that the employer has made and effects of application of my ethical value. A review of benefits and harm of each position would follow and I would adopt the option that maximizes benefits. if the employer’s decision has more benefits to a majority of stakeholders then I would implement it. Otherwise, I would try to convince the employer against the decision. If they refuse to change their position then I would resign and inform relevant moral authorities of the case (Trevino and Nelson,

Research Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Research Method - Essay Example ompetencies as per the job requirements and the analysis of the reward structure and their effectiveness on the job satisfaction, motivation and job performance of workforce. Hence, the study is focused on discussing the suitable and required research methods, strategy and techniques as per the purposes. The analysis of skills and competencies of different employees is essential to properly allocate the job roles and responsibilities (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). Draganidis and Mentzas, G. (2006) have mentioned that the increase in global competition has rapidly enhanced the pace of change in organisational work culture and structure which demand the continuous modification of current skill sets of the workforce. Tripathi and Agrawal, (2014) have described that the manager’s job within any organisation is to identify the employees with lower than the required skills while implementing continuous learning procedure. According to Acemoglu and Autor, (2011), analysis of the skill and competencies of workforce is also very essential to properly allocate job roles. This process allows the management to increase the work motivation and output of the employees. Lunenburg, (2011) has evaluated the Vroom’s motivational theory in accordance to the practices of reward and recognition. According to the researcher, the work motivation is highly dependent on the expectation of workforce in terms of their ability to perform a particular task and receive adequate and deserved reward. Manzoor, (2012) has evaluated that employees display less motivation and dissatisfaction in organisations which neglect the aspect of rewards. Alternatively, employees demonstrate high motivation and satisfaction with adequate growth opportunities in terms of innovative rewards program. Research design demonstrates the detailed outline regarding the steps essential for a systematic research procedure. There are generally three types of research design such as qualitative, quantitative and mixed

7 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

7 - Coursework Example Why third factor is the one that coke is targeting is because it has already served the first two factors. It fulfils the physiological factor because it is a drink which people can have to quench their thirst. It also fulfils the safety aspect indicating that the customers have trust in the product, believe that it is of best quality and safe for their health. Open happiness. This is one of the latest additions of the coke bubbles campaign which urges customer cognition to relate coke to happiness. Happiness is when you share, be with friends and family and intimacy. (Below) Thanks for the pause that refreshes. This ad gives people a sense of belonging. They love Santa, kids adore him and people like him. He is a symbol of a festive season where families come together and enjoy. This indicates love and be loved which reinforces the third need in Maslow’s theory.(right) This caters to the Esteem need of its consumers. Everyone has the need for respect and self esteem. Its people and portfolio vision connects with the stakeholders as one that gives a sense of contribution, belonging and self

Impact of strategic public relations on cris Research Paper

Impact of strategic public relations on cris - Research Paper Example The unpreparedness of organizations for crisis management often implies they get caught off guard when a crisis occurs, meaning the response to and the handling of such a crisis would obviously be in jeopardy (American Petroleum Institute, 2008). In fact, that crises occur at any time from different sources such as human error, management incompetence, industrial accidents and natural disasters makes it rather difficult to foresee. In fact, most management teams, upon creating crises, deny the existence of the said crises, resulting in the accumulation and explosion of problems and the subsequent public uproar. An extensive literature review has revealed that it is the responsibility of managers, junior personnel, and owners to employ whatever means and resources at their disposal to prevent and solver crises before they cause extensive damages to a company’s reputation, productivity, profitability and survival (Parry et al., 2006). The mainly cited techniques of solving industrial and organizational crises are self-confidence, skills/competences and absorption of public fear/anger. All these strategies should be geared towards reducing or entirely eliminating the harm to an organization’s income and reputation. In fact, brilliant managers and owners may even manage and solve crises without the public hearing about the crisis. However, once a crisis becomes a public issue, strategic Public Relations (PR) is highly recommended for addressing such an issue. This literature review section explores the numerous PR strategies that the oil and gas industry stakeholders apply to mai ntain and improve their reputation when faced with crises. Because information travels quite fast in the contemporary society, crisis management planning has become a useful tool for the gas and oil industry, which is rather crisis-prone. It is, thus, imperative that

Biostatistics. Advantages of a randomized controlled trial over a Essay

Biostatistics. Advantages of a randomized controlled trial over a trial with systematic allocation - Essay Example Random controlled trials are experimental set ups with treatment and control groups, and elements of a study’s sample space have an equal probability of selection and allocation to either the treatment of control group. Systematic sampling however follows a defined approach with unequal probability for each sample space elements. One of the advantages of randomized control trials over systematic allocation is its ability to eliminate bias. Researchers and participants in randomized controlled trials lack influence of sample selection and allocation to either of the experimental groups and this eliminates chances of sampling bias. Eliminated bias in the randomized trials has significant effects on research processes such as enhanced reliability and validity which systematic allocation into biased sample may compromise (Miller, Strang and Miller 2010, p. 38). Randomized controlled trials also offer higher probability of homogeneity of background information on research participants within control and treatment groups as compared to systematic allocation that may have a set of background characteristics in one group and generate another group with different background characteristics. Such variations may result from bias, challenge comparability of observations from a study’s group, and identifies systematic allocations with validity and reliability challenges. Randomized controlled trials also have the advantage of probability sampling basis, which offers validity to data analysis, over the non-probability based systematic sampling (Friedman, Furberg and DeMets 2010, p. 71-72). Lack of a standard approach to systematic allocation also identifies benefit of randomized trials because variation in sampling criteria may be formulated to achieve bias and periodic sampling is an example (Miller, Strang and Miller 2010, p. 38). Variable data type and justification Number of adverse events Number of adverse events is a quantitative variable because it assumes numeric values. It can further be classified as discrete quantitative variable because it can only assume positive whole numbers (Weiers 2010, p. 8). Air blast sensitivity Air blast sensitivity, based on applied scale in the study, is a quantitative variable because of its numeric value on an ordinal scale that further classifies it as a discrete quantitative variable (Weiers 2010, p. 8; Neuhaus et al. 2013, p. 352). Tactile hypersensitivity Tactile hypersensitivity, based on the research, is a qualitative variable because it lacks numeric values. Its values are either yes or no and are further subjective, sub ject to study participants’ judgment (Weiers 2010, p. 8; Neuhaus et al. 2013, p. 352). Age Age is a quantitative variable because it assumes a numeric values and can further be categorized as a continuous quantitative variable because of its scope that can assume unlimited range of non-negative real numbers (Weiers 2010, p. 8). Gender Gender is a qualitative variable because it lacks numerical value (Weiers 2010, p. 8). Question 2 Graphical summary of the mean tactile sensitivity and variability The table bellow summarizes the mean and standard, for variability, for the tactile sensitivity values across the three groups at the end of 28 days. Table 1: Mean and standard deviation after 28 days Treatment Mean Standard deviation test A 21.48 11.86 Test B 20.58 11.32 Control 11.77 5.95 This data can be presented in graphical form as follows. Graph 1: Graph of mean and standard deviation after 28 days Interpretation of the sample mean and standard deviation of each group Mean of t est group A indicates that each of the group subjects is expected to have an average score of 21.48. The group’s standard deviation, 11.48, defines the mean deviation of each of the group’s scores from the group’s mean. Mean for the test group B shows that members reported an average score of 20.58 and the standard deviation

Supreme court US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Supreme court US - Essay Example The Supreme court is: political in nature; at the same time, not constrained by politics; and finally, a signpost pointing toward the U.S.s political future. The Supreme Court by its very nature is political. For example, on the issue of abortion, Roe v. Wade was an important case, which was supported by the courts, thereby allowing for women to have abortions legally in the U.S. Now, abortion is also, by itself, a very politically charged topic. Womens rights advocates usually clash with right-to-lifers in their views concerning abortion unless the mothers life is in danger or in cases of rape or incest. â€Å"In more than three decades since its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, the Supreme Court has weighed in on the issue another two-dozen times† (â€Å"Supreme Court’s Evolving Rulings on Abortion,† 2010, p. 1). Now, what makes the Supreme Court so remarkable is that it has control over these very types of situations. It can have a lasting effect on peoples lives for years by just one decision decided upon by a small handful of people. In the case of Roe v. Wade, many people are against the Supreme Court decision because they are trying to restrict the rights of women. Many people do not want women to be independent. Roe v. Wade â€Å"†¦is the historic Supreme Court decision overturning a Texas interpretation of abortion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision,† 2010, p. 1). â€Å"The Supreme Court held that the "right to privacy," assured the freedom of a person to abort†¦Ã¢â‚¬  except in certain circumstances (â€Å"Supreme Court Decisions on Abortion,† 2008, p. 1). The same thing was true of black people. For years, women and blacks were discriminated against because they were considered second-class citizens. However, blacks got some modicum of equality with Brown v. The Board of Education, when segregation in schools was

How do the benedictine oblates enable the witness of Monastic Essay

How do the benedictine oblates enable the witness of Monastic Spirituality to be expressed in secular society - Essay Example The Benedictine vocation is not carried out primarily by cloistered, celibate monastics. The vast majority of Benedictines in our age are oblates, married men and women from many different Catholic Churches. The spiritual values embodied by the age-old Benedictine monastic tradition is today dispersed among people of the modern society by those chosen few — whose numbers nonetheless are on sharp rise — who have found their calling in the way shown by St. Benedict barely a few centuries after Jesus Christ. Benedictine oblates today represent a promising movement of bringing forth lofty spiritual principles out into the open and amalgamating them into our everyday humdrum existence. This they do by virtue of their thought, word and deed being permeated by the spirit of Christ. : Faith is like love, a very personal and intimate matter. It has a profound beauty and sublimity that cannot be so easily understood by cool rationality. The values and principles that Benedictine monks and oblates cherish and uphold can be best understood from the point of view of deep empathy. This point can be illustrated by a simple example. Some anthropologists study primitive tribes as if they were strange creatures steeped in a culture of ignorance. More mature anthropologists, on the other hand, often try to identify with the subjects of their study, by mingling and living with them, by becoming almost like one of them, by trying to look at the world from their eyes. Benedictine culture and tradition too ought to be ideally studied in the latter manner. 1. Oblates in the Context of Modern Society The Benedictine vocation is not carried out primarily by cloistered, celibate monastics. The vast majority of Benedictines in our age are oblates, married men and women from many different Catholic Churches. Benedictine oblates are lay persons affiliated with a Benedictine abbey or monastery who strive to direct their lives, as circumstances permit, according to the spirit and Rule of St. Benedict. (Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Almanac 2005, p.490). While yet living "in the world," as ordinary members of society, they join themselves spiritually to a particular Benedictine community and seek to observe in the particular circumstances of their lives the important aspects of the Rule of St. Benedict. In the recent years, there has been a renewed interest among laymen and laywomen in associating themselves with religious communities as oblates or members of secular 'third orders'. Oblates do not take monastic vows but choose to live in close connection to a monastery, while integrating the spirit of the monastic rule into their daily lives. Groups of such "secular oblates" have in fact multiplied today in various forms. The term 'third order' generally has been a category for laity who seek to follow a way of life in the world but under the inspiration and spiritual guidance of a canonically approved religious institute.(Seasoltz, 2003, p.248). These groups often are the lay counterpart of particular religious orders. The First Order of the community was its professed male members, the Second Order, the professed female members, and the Third Order, the nonprofessed male and female affiliates (Wynne, 1988, p.164). People of these third orders seek to deepen their Christian life an d apostolic commitment in association with and according to the spirit of various religious institutes. Considerable numbers of people, most of them lay people with family and work commitments and with many involvements which keep them busy, are today turning to the monastic tradition. The main reason for this is perhaps that in monastic approach to life, in its essence though not in the outer form, they are finding practical help in making the ordinary and the everyday life a way to a higher reality. Monastic tradition began as a lay movement, and remained so until its intertwining with priesthood much later on

High School and Personality Traits Essay Example for Free

High School and Personality Traits Essay Directions: Read the following questions and write the answers on a separate sheet of paper. Include the question as part of your response. Use COMPLETE sentences—do not use fragments or incomplete thoughts. Use DETAIL in your responses. â€Å"None, nothing, I don’t know, etc.† are inadequate responses. Your goal is to give me as much information about yourself as possible! 1. Who was your English teacher last year? Describe both your successes and difficulties in the class. 2. What is your full name? Are you named after someone in your family? 3. When and where were you born? How old are you now? 4. Describe three members of your immediate family—be specific by detailing names, ages, physical characteristics, and personality traits. 5. In what places have you lived? 6. Who is your best friend and why is that the case? Describe him/her—be specific by detailing names, ages, physical characteristics, personality traits. 7. Describe any pets you have/have had/desire to have. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? 8. Describe what you like to do in your spare time, and on weekends. 9. What is your favorite TV program(s)? Why? What kind of music do you like? 10. Where have you traveled or would like to travel? Describe what draws you to that particular place and why. 11. Describe your particular talents. What do you do well? 12. Do you want to go to college? Which one? What career do you hope to pursue when you are an adult? Why? What are you doing now to prepare yourself for these goals? 13. What do you like best about school? What do you like least about school? 14. What extracurricular activities are you involved in at school or outside of school? 15. Describe any other interesting aspect(s) of yourself. CLASS COPY!DO NOT WRITE ON THIS! Detailed Biography Directions: Read the following questions and write the answers on a separate sheet of paper. Include the question as part of your response. Use COMPLETE sentences—do not use fragments or incomplete thoughts. Use DETAIL in your responses. â€Å"None, nothing, I don’t know, etc.† are inadequate responses. Your goal is to give me as much information about yourself as possible! 1. Who was your English teacher last year? Describe both your successes and difficulties in the class. 2. What is your full name? Are you named after someone in your family? 3. When and where were you born? How old are you now? 4. Describe three members of your immediate family—be specific by detailing names, ages, physical characteristics, and personality traits. 5. In what places have you lived? 6. Who is your best friend and why is that the case? Describe him/her—be specific by detailing names, ages, physical characteristics, personality traits. 7. Describe any pets you have/have had/desire to have. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? 8. Describe what you like to do in your spare time, and on weekends. 9. What is your favorite TV program(s)? Why? What kind of music do you like? 10. Where have you traveled or would like to travel? Describe what draws you to that particular place and why. 11. Describe your particular talents. What do you do well? 12. Do you want to go to college? Which one? What career do you hope to pursue when you are an adult? Why? What are you doing now to prepare yourself for these goals? 13. What do you like best about school? What do you like least about school? 14. What extracurricular activities are you involved in at school or outside of school? 15. Describe any other interesting aspect(s) of yourself.

ULTRA VIRES DOCTRINE OF COMPANY LAW IN ZAMBIA

ULTRA VIRES DOCTRINE OF COMPANY LAW IN ZAMBIA INTRODUCTION This assignment examines the debate on the legal issues surrounding the abolition of the requirement to submit a Memorandum of Association when applying to incorporate a company under the Zambian Companies Act 1994 cap 388 of the Laws of Zambia. This debate has been on the â€Å"Objects Clause† which used to be a requirement under the old Companies Act 1921 and was to remain as part of the Memorandum of Association thereafter until the company ceased to exist. ORIGINS OF THE OBJECTS CLAUSE A company on incorporation under the Companies Act cap 388 gives it a corporate personality which means that it gains the status of a separate legal entity from its shareholders or members.[1] However, as an artificial person, the company cannot make decisions and as such has to rely on humans to make decisions on its behalf. Therefore, the decisions and actions by the company officers, employees or indeed its agents will be taken to be those of the company which shall bear the liability. As such, as the company is to be regarded as an artificial person, the courts developed the view that its legal capacity had to be limited to its objects[2] and on incorporation to include the objects clause in its memorandum of association[3] which formed part of the company’s constitution. This was with a view of safeguarding the interests of both the shareholders and the creditors by way of the doctrine of ultra vires. In summing up, it can be said that an objects clause is that provision in a companys constitution which provides for the purposes and the power to undertake only the activities for which the company was formed as was the case before the coming into force of the Companies Act cap 388. THE DOCTRINE OF ULTRA VIRES The doctrine of ultra vires[4] refers to those acts or decisions that a company may undertake which are beyond the scope of powers granted by the company’s objects clause in its memorandum of association. Ashbury Carriage Company v Riche (1875) The ACC was an incorporated company under the Companies Act of 1862. Clause 3 of the memorandum that: The objects for which the company is established are to make and sell, or lend on hire, railway carriages and wagons, and all kinds of railway plant, fittings, machinery, and rolling-stock; to carry on the business of mechanical engineers and general contractors; to purchase and sell, as merchants, timber, coal, metals, or other materials; and to buy and sell any such materials on commission, or as agents. The company agreed to provide Richie and his brother with finance for the construction of a railway in Belgium but later repudiated the agreement. Richie sued for damages. Held That the contract was void and that ratification, even if it had taken place, would have been wholly ineffective. PRESENT LAW Unlike before, the current Companies Act cap 388, does not have a mandatory requirement for companies incorporated under it to have a memorandum of association which should contain the objects clause. POWERS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS The Companies Act Cap. 388 provides under section 215 that: (1) The business of a company shall be managed by the directors, who may pay all expenses incurred in promoting and forming the company, and may exercise all such powers of the company as are not, by this Act or the articles, required to be exercised by the company by resolution. (3) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the directors may exercise the powers of the company to borrow money, to charge any property or business of the company or all or any of its uncalled capital and to issue debentures or give any other security for a debt, liability or obligation of the company or of any other person. VALIDITY OF ACTS However, section 23 provides that â€Å"No act of a company, including any transfer of property to or by a company, shall be invalid by reason only that the act or transfer is contrary to its articles or this Act† seems to be a contradiction to sections 7 and 22. THE ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION Before the 1994 Act, the articles of association where classed as being inward-looking and having a purpose of setting out the rules governing the running of the company. The articles hence formed an incorporated company’s constitution[5] which may deal with any matters of the company operations. However, the present Act does not, as stated above, make it mandatory for a company to submit a memorandum of association but provides under section 7 as follows: (1) A company may have articles regulating the conduct of the company. (2) The articles may contain restrictions on the business that the company may carry on. This means that there is no need of an objects clause to be included in the articles of association so as to restrict the business operations to conform to the objects and indeed should not specify its general nature of the company business. This assertion can also be inferred from section 7(4) which provides that â€Å"a company on incorporation may adopt the regulations of the Standard Articles† which do not contain a provision for the general nature of the business to be undertaken or indeed any restrictions. Furthermore, section 7(2) provides that ‘the articles may contain restrictions on the business that a company may carry on’, thus departing from the traditional role of covering mainly issues to do with the internal management of the company for which articles of association are often known for. Therefore, it could be inferred from this section that a company on incorporation may restrict its nature of business to be undertaken as agreed by the shareholders. This inference is asserted to by section 22(3) of the Act which provides that â€Å"A company shall not carry on any business or exercise any power that it is restricted by its articles from carrying on or exercising, nor exercise any of its powers in a manner contrary to its articles.† However, the restrictions that prohibit an incorporated company from carrying on any business in its articles of incorporation are on the preferences of the shareholders and as such the doctrine of ultra-vires whilst not being abolished is not mandatory. Therefore, where a company decides to place some business restrictions in its articles of association then that company is prohibited from carrying on any business or exercising any power that it is restricted by its articles. NOTICE NOT PRESUMED 24. No person dealing with a company shall be affected by, or presumed to have notice or knowledge of, the contents of a document concerning the company†¦.. This means that the interests of the third party who deals with a company is entitled to assume that it has the power to do anything it wishes are not affected[6] unless he was actually aware (notice or knowledge) of the restrictions. Therefore, section 24 basically abolishes the ultra vires rule against third parties who have no knowledge of the company’s objects and are meant to assume that the director, agent or company employee they deal with has the power to make decisions. This has been acknowledged in the case of Freshint Ltd Others v Kawambwa Tea Company [2008] ZMSC 26 at (763) where it was held that â€Å"in practice most people dealing with companies rely on the rule in Turquand’s case and do not bother to inspect the articles. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The company’s authorized agents bound the company to comply with the contract and such liability cannot be avoided†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. NO DISCLAIMER ALLOWED 25. A company †¦..may not assert against a person dealing with the company or with any person who has acquired rights from the company that- (a) any of the articles of the company has not been complied with; (b) a shareholder agreement has not been complied with; (c) the persons named in the most recent annual return or notice under section two hundred and twenty-six are not the directors of the company; (d) the registered office of the company is not an office of the company; (e) a person held out by a company as a director, an officer or an agent of the company has no authority to exercise the powers and perform the duties that are customary in the business of the company or usual for such a director, officer or agent; (f) a document issued by any director, officer or agent of the company with actual or usual authority to issue the document is not valid or genuine; or APPLICATION FOR INCORPORATION Section 6 2(i) provides that an application for incorporation shall be in the prescribed form and shall specify †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. the nature of its proposed business†¦.. This means that all the features which could be found in the memorandum of association have now been incorporated into the Articles of Association including but not limited to: (a) The Name Clause; (b) The Objects Clause; (c)Each subscriber confirming their intention to form a company (d)Each member also agrees to take at least one share (e)Physical address of the office to be the registered office CONCLUSION This argument hence concludes that the requirements for the objects clause have actually been retained in through both the articles of association and Companies Form 2 which requires that the applicants specify the general nature of business to include the principal business and any other business (section 2). It could further be concluded that the filing of Form 2 re-enforces the notion that the doctrine of ultra vires has been retained in Zambia through the provision at section 3 that, â€Å"The articles restrict the business that the company may conduct as follows† after which part these restriction will be specified. BIBLIOGRAPHY Davies, L. P., Principles of Modern Company Law, 8th Edn, Sweet and Maxwell, 2008 Dignam A. Lowry J., Company Law, 4th Edn, OUP, London, 2006 1 [1] Salomon v Salomon Co [1897] A.C 22, HL, at 51, per Lord Macnaughten [2] Ashbury Carriage Company v Riche (1875) [3] Guinness v Land Corporation of Ireland (1882) [4] Ultra vires is a Latin expression which lawyers and civil servants use to describe acts undertaken beyond (ultra) the legal powers (vires) of those who have purported to undertake them. Davies P.L., Principles of Modern Company Law, at p153. [5] Davies P.L., Principles of Modern Company Law, 8th Edn, Sweet and Maxwell, 2008, at p62 [6] Royal British Bank v Turquand (1856)

Analysis of Marks Gospel

Analysis of Marks Gospel Much of the traditional focus of scholarship on Marks Gospel has concentrated upon the call and mission of the disciples, the twelve. However, through this exegetical study of five of the texts I seek to demonstrate that rather than seeing the disciples as the model for mission in the Church, as a people of God, they are in fact failures and a successful model for mission is found in the minor characters, particularly blind Barthimaeus (10:46-52) and the widow at the treasury, (12:41 44). Marks Gospel, since the late 19th century has been used as the primary text. The primacy of Mark and his influence upon Matthew and Luke emerged at this time and most scholars have accepted the concept of Marcan priority. It forms the foundation for the widely accepted two-source theory, although a number of scholars support different forms of Marcan priority or reject it altogether. (Tuckett, 1-2). The structure of Mark can be divided into several distinct sections. Chapters 1-9 Jesus ministry in Galilee, Chapter 10 his journey to Jerusalem, Chapters 11- 13 Jesus ministry in Jerusalem culminating in his passion, death and resurrection, chapters 14 -16. While there are numerous passages that assist in our discernment of discipleship, it is important to begin with a focus initially upon the three central themes of the call, the commissioning and the cost. The Call of the First Disciples Jesus encounters Simon Andrew; James John (1:16-20) The Sending out of the Twelve apostles (6:7-13) The Cost of Discipleship 8:34-38 Malbon (REF) stressed the need to turn ones attention to the minor characters. The first of these I seek to highlight is the healing of blind Barthimaeus. Barthimaeus if vulnerable and depended upon the generosity (or not) of the others. He is truly one of the outcasts. Yet in his utter nothingness he declares an act of faith that none of the twelve were able to do, Son of David have mercy on me. (VV) when Jesus asks what he wants Barthimaeus seeks for his sight to be returned. Jesus heals him by returning his sight. The response of Barthimaeus was one of faith, recognition and action, he threw off his cloak. Such a gesture is important to understand as he detached himself from his everyday existence. Such a declaration and response is in contrast with the disciples who remain blind to the necessity of Jesus suffering and death. (Heil 216, 217). Consequently, it is one of the minor characters who offers a model of discipleship for the contemporary church. A model whose eyes are fully open to the presence of Christ in its midst and whose demands and costs are clear. Such a model is further developed in the story of the widows mite (12:41-44). Here we learn of the contrast between those who give of their surplus and the one who gave all. Monetary donations at the temple treasury were seen as an act of devotion to God. By observing this practice of the Jews Jesus was attracted to the actions of the widow who gave a tine amount in comparison. But she did so quietly and without any show. She gave not what was left over but gave all she had. Speaking to the disciples Jesus tells us that she has put in more than all those contributing she out of her poverty has put in everything she had. (VV) Mark shows us that the widow, who, without a husband to support her would have been marginalized by Jewish society, givers her totality. It is what Emmanuel Levinas refers to as an event or a force that introduces a decisive break into the historical status quo; it is relational, a human affair. (Levinas, 47) Written in the context of transcendence Levinas, while acknowledging his Jewish faith and without making any reference to the story of the widow, captures the essence of discipleship in the womans action. It is the giving of ones entire being, that which exists outside space and time, that which is non-historical, that has a clear message for discipleship and mission in an authentic Christian church today. Such an action emphasises what Jesus said to the rich young man earlier in the Gospel. Jesus repeated the admonition of Deuteronomy 5:6 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself (VV) In this Jesus turns his back on burn offerings and sacrifices. The widow, in essence is a model for discipleship that is in accord with the person of Jesus when he tries again and again to emphasise the cost to the deaf and blind twelve. What I hope to have demonstrated in the five texts I have chosen is the contrast between what I deem to be the failure of the disciples and the success of two minor characters. Essentially, I believe it points towards participation in the mission of the church. Fully understanding scripture is not unlike an understanding of revelation. Until there is a response then it remains dormant. Gadamer and Paul Ricouer were both of the opinion that real interpretation leads to actualization. Such an actualization, from an existential perspective[1], is transformational; it impacts and transforms ones life. If one is called to discipleship then one is commissioned to preach the Gospel in word and action (Mk 16:15) by its very nature it is a Gospel of liberation, a liberating and unifying love as emphasized so eloquently in John 3:16, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Consequently, the Church is one of mission; local, national and international. Ones response to the movement of the Holy Spirit is missionary, it is both the end and the aim of the Church as a people of God.   Bibliography Tuckett, Christopher M. (2008). The current state of the Synoptic Problem. Oxford Conference on the Synoptic Problem. In Foster, Paul; et al., eds. (2011). New Studies in the Synoptic Problem: Oxford Conference, April 2008. Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium. 239. pp. 9-50 Levinas, Emmanuel. 1969 Totality and Infinity: An essay on Exteriority Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press [1] . A pattern of human experience lived in the concrete.

Analysis of The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencher Jo

Analysis of The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencher Johnson The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D. and Spencer Johnson, M.D., seems like a practical simple plan on managing people and there for other areas of one’s life, however I must admit I am a little skeptical. The three philosophies do make sense especially once analogies are used to put them into more simple terms. Being in the work force for more than fourteen years I have witnessed many types of mangers. I have worked for hostile managers, calm caring managers and managers who fit somewhere in between. My skepticism with this theory is simply applying its use. On paper this method sounds great and makes a lot of key points, but again after seeing first hand the types of people in management positions I think the challenge comes from undoing current behavior. My observation of people in general, is that they unwelcome change and find it uncomfortable. The first philosophy â€Å"One Minute Goal Setting† makes tasks assigned to the individual clear and precise. The manager first expresses goals that need to be accomplished. Once an agreement is made, each goal is written down in 250 words or less. It is strongly held that it should take no more than a minute to read. You should reinforce each goal throughout the day. Also take time to look at your performance and see if your behavior matches your goals. I agree with this theory and think there should be more interaction at the beginning of an assignment. With One Minute goal setting everything is out on the table. There is no dispute on what should have been done or didn’t get done. The bowling analogy used has a lot of truth to it. If there were a sheet in front of the pins with a supervisor standing behind it, it would be hard to tell how well your doing because you can’t see the pins or goal. Only the supervisor knows your score. I see this a lot in staff meetings. There are usually conflicts between my manager and staff because of misunderstandings on the task assigned. This is where the conflict resides. The employee feels they did exactly what was asked while the employer thinks the job was done incorrectly. This usually causes my boss to criticize the work and most if not all people take it personally. Then, once the meeting is over, my peers will get defensive and complain t... ...my relationships with family, friends and loved ones I have a habit of not dealing with disappointing feelings right away because I don’t want to cause conflict. My feelings begin to fester and I become more sensitive to other things that normally wouldn’t tick me off, but do, because I am still upset about the first problem. Before you know it, I blow up and everything comes out anyway. Usually the person I am upset with has to hear about what they did a month ago and everything in between. This puts that person on the defense and nothing really gets accomplished until a few days later when we all calm down to discuss the issue. So logically if I dealt with my feelings in the beginning, the blowouts could be avoided and I could calmly get my point across with little conflict. Overall the â€Å"One Minute Manager† concept seems like a dynamic way to keep employees happy and content in their jobs. In my opinion, I think the theory appears too good to be true. I am skeptical because managers would need to struggle with changing their current behavior. I think for me to be convinced that this would work in the real life of business, I would need to experience it first hand.

Admissions Essay: The Plain Truth :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay: The Plain Truth    All of my life I have been a city girl, but I moved to Santa Rosa when I was about 13. Up until I was about 16, I lived there permanently. I used to switch back and forth from parent to parent all of the time. When I first started high school, I went to Piner High and, in my junior year, I went to Montgomery and, from there, to a continuation school. I am currently now back at Piner. I had to basically kick and scream to get back into my regular high school--as you can see there is some drama behind the scene.    Applying to college was not an easy thing for me. First, I had to make the choice of whether I wanted to go or not. After I went to SMYSP, I knew I wanted to be there--my big problem was that I did not think I was good enough. No one in my family even has a high school diploma. At first I was going to just settle for a junior college, but with the pushing of my pals from Stanford, I decided not to sell myself short. I really had no confidence in myself. I did not feel so smart.    I kept telling myself that my chances for getting into college were slim because I went to a continuation school. So when I got back from my time at SMYSP, I put everything that I had into my education. For the rest of my summer I pretty much hit the books.    When I first started to apply to colleges I just told the truth about who I was. I did not try to put on a courageous act. I just wanted them to see that I may be just as qualified as anyone else, but the difference between us is that I want it so badly. I really did not care where I got accepted; I just wanted to go to college and be someone. Just being there would be a chance to prove that I am worth taking a second look at. See, I am not a rich girl who has always gotten what I wanted, and because I want this so badly, I don't want anyone to take it from me. I worked hard to be who I am, and the great part about it is that I have ambition and I am a goal reacher.

Marijuana Should Be Legalized Essay -- legalization of pot

One of the biggest issues argued about all over congress, the media, and in public resides in our country’s War on Drugs. One of the primary focuses of the War on Drugs targets the controversial drug marijuana. Marijuana remains the most widely used illegal drug and stirs up constant debate everywhere. The . Starting in the early 1900’s, marijuana was labeled the drug that transformed people into criminals while causing women to lose all control of themselves in a state of ecstasy. People now see these reports were obviously wrong, but marijuana is still viewed as the drug that turns people into idiots. Growing up today, I see people smoking marijuana on an everyday basis, while still getting good grades in higher level education. This contradicts what is told to us in programs like DARE and of the brain dead potheads depicted on TV. This contradiction compels me to figure out the truth about the issue of marijuana. My own observations of people high show nothing of wha t’s told by our country. How are chronic marijuana smokers still succeeding in life? What physiological and psychological effects does marijuana have on us? Should criminals convicted of possession of marijuana get the harsh life ruining punishments they receive? With these thoughts in mind, I wonder if marijuana should be legalized. I searched the Internet for an article on the neurological effects of marijuana, because I think a person’s brain is the most important part of the body. I found a real good arti... Marijuana Should Be Legalized Essay -- legalization of pot One of the biggest issues argued about all over congress, the media, and in public resides in our country’s War on Drugs. One of the primary focuses of the War on Drugs targets the controversial drug marijuana. Marijuana remains the most widely used illegal drug and stirs up constant debate everywhere. The . Starting in the early 1900’s, marijuana was labeled the drug that transformed people into criminals while causing women to lose all control of themselves in a state of ecstasy. People now see these reports were obviously wrong, but marijuana is still viewed as the drug that turns people into idiots. Growing up today, I see people smoking marijuana on an everyday basis, while still getting good grades in higher level education. This contradicts what is told to us in programs like DARE and of the brain dead potheads depicted on TV. This contradiction compels me to figure out the truth about the issue of marijuana. My own observations of people high show nothing of wha t’s told by our country. How are chronic marijuana smokers still succeeding in life? What physiological and psychological effects does marijuana have on us? Should criminals convicted of possession of marijuana get the harsh life ruining punishments they receive? With these thoughts in mind, I wonder if marijuana should be legalized. I searched the Internet for an article on the neurological effects of marijuana, because I think a person’s brain is the most important part of the body. I found a real good arti...

Aid to Dependent Corporations-The Big Rip-Off

This article displays the double standard that the United States government lives by. Multi-billion dollar companies are given the world for free and the taxpayers pick up the bill. I cannot even believe my eyes. I knew that our government was screwed up, but I had no clue how bad things really were. I will list the most appalling infractions below and give a brief commentary. First, Mr. J.R. Simplot of Grandview, Idaho is handed grazing rights on federal lands for a whopping sum of $87,000 dollars. This is one quarter of the rate charged by private landowners. Lets line up the private business sector and chop off their collective legs. The difference between the going rate and what he paid would have covered the welfare costs for 60 families. What is wrong with this picture? Second, the Federal Office of Management and budget, (OMB) estimates that â€Å"wealthfare† tax credits, deductions, and exemptions called â€Å"tax expenditures† will cost $440 billion dollars in 1996. Does anyone remember the national debt? Imagine even cutting the breaks in half, that would be an extra $220 billion dollars that could actually pay for a decent computer in my children†s classroom. What a novel idea. How about giving some of this free money to build safe, subsidized housing for single women? Not every company in the United States can move to Mexico if they feel that they are not getting the monetary breaks they deserve. Lastly, lets look at McSubsidies. I have never read something more absurd in my life. $110 million dollars a year goes directly to companies that advertise abroad. Such recipients of this money are Sunkist, McDonalds, and M+M/Mars. Well I guess the government wants the rest of the world to get indigestion from eating chicken McNuggets too. After all, if they give perks for foreign advertising, some poor guy in Europe may eat some McNuggets. But I doubt it. This is a complete joke. I may never have disagreed with something more in my life. Major monetary breaks for billion dollar companies, free millions for advertising McMuffins in New Zealand, and tax breaks for the rich when our city streets are filled with homeless families. I can understand some consideration given to companies that are helping to substantially fuel our economy, But charismatic Mr. Simplot does not deserve to be using federal land (that was probably stolen from the Indian s anyway) for nothing in return. I find it very entertaining seeing politicians saying, â€Å"We must reduce the deficit. Taxes may be raised again.† when they could actually charge appropriate prices for services rendered by our great country. I hope our next article is more positive and uplifting. It sure would be nice to read about some good happening in the world.

Communicating Using Social Media Essay

Technology has developed tremendously the past decade, more so than it has in the past, and a variety of businesses are being challenged in this area. People from all over the world are constantly innovating new ideas, brainstorming on how to interact more efficiently, than and as fast as they or it possibly can. In order to do this, individuals must communicate with one another, using resources and updated tools to drive out the competition. Technology has changed business in many ways, but its affect on communication is arguably the most significant (Morley, 2013). Also, the skill to speak plainly and supportive is one of the talents that businesses look for in employees. The use of technology can assist students, companies, and computer gurus with communicating, which will lessen the time it takes. The use of social media in the workplace has elevated concerns about loss of time and productivity. However, our study reveals that at the workplace, social media is being increasingly used by professionals for multitasking and for better time management. (Revathy, 2012) Technology can also have penalties that diminish relationships without the tool as a mediator. There are positive, negative, and gray areas when discussing social networking, social media, and how it has affected businesses or the populace in general. Technology and communication are what make up social networking, which has become a â€Å"norm† for Generation X & Y. The findings came just a few months after the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that Americans between the ages of 8 and 18 spend on average 7 1/2 hours a day using some sort of electronic device, from smart phones to MP3 players to computers — a number that startled many adults, even those who keep their Blackberry’s within arm’s reach during most waking hours..(Stout, 2010) These generations are leading our country globally, internationally, and locally. Because it has been more recent that Smartphone’s and Apple products have flooded the market, there have not been a lot of comprehensive studies done on the impact it is having and I will alleviate on my findings. Social networking can lessen costs, make communication better, and is beginning to assist greatly with marketing departments all over the world. Digital technologies swiftly transform our communication style, the way we purchase and industry interactions in several departments. Compared to older technologies, new technologies have been adopted and implemented more quickly by individuals and businesses. Organizations that use social media are able to reach their consumers promptly, effortlessly, and receive quick responses. The ability to have questions answered immediately allows customer support staff to work faster without irritating the customer. The downside is that employees are less likely to engage in social activities away from their computers (Webster, 2010). While information and communication technologies influence brand loyalty and brand awareness, there is a secure relationship between demanding market-oriented configurations and improving customer loyalty, recognition, and satisfaction. When the influence of social media-focused information & communication technologies on the costs was determined, it was revealed that these technologies reduce administrative costs, supplier/partner costs, internal communication costs, and customer management costs, which in turn positively influences the business performance (Gecti & Dasan, 2013). It is a lot cheaper to do business in a social media environment when regarding promotions, expenses, and revenue made. Marketing, sales, and promotional activities done in social media environments provide businesses an opportunity to act independently of their physical environments (Gecti & Dasan, 2013). This article also spoke of employees having better relationships with one another, being able to conne ct online has helped their line of communication drastically; so their attitudes and work environment has improved as well. It was enlightening to see that these technologies definitely affect brand recognition of the corporation and customer devotion to services and products. Large and small companies seek to form a connection between their customers, products or services; particularly through advertisement and other creative activities. When sudden transfer of information, instant feedback, and broad areas of influence are considered especially in social media environments, businesses execute marketing-focused activities in these environments (Gecti & Dasan, 2013). The latest technologies guide the way; facilitate a new perspective, and guarantee positive and negatives for the nations’ wealth and businesses’. This brings to mind the surfacing of new applications for many telecommunications, companies, and individuals. Social media is exceptionally significant in viral marketing and in the encouragement of new products. Consciousness and successful use of social media has produced ample solutions in these areas and has generated a novel line of work for the information technology industry. As information travels faster and faster and more reliably, barriers of distance disappear, and businesses are realizing how easy it is to outsource jobs overseas (Mcgrath, 2013). There are additional positions being implemented daily into social networking and the people that are already in place in this segment are constantly growing. Someone is responsible for collecting the responses made by consumers and interpreting them so that they can pr omote â€Å"liked† items. By using Face Book and Twitter, generally you can determine whether a product is going places or not. Comments, news, or shares about products or companies in social networks, blogs, and news sites so on are constantly monitored through specially developed software to collect information and to provide instant response. In this way, businesses have a chance to store and manage the unstructured information (Kietzman, 2011). Traditionally, consumers used the Internet to simply expend content: they read it, they watched it, and they used it to buy products and services. Increasingly, however, consumers are utilizing platforms—such as content sharing sites, blogs, social networking, and wikis—to create, modify, share, and discuss Internet content. This represents the social media phenomenon, which can now significantly impact a firm’s reputation, sales, and even survival. Yet, many executives eschew or ignore this form of media because they don’t understand what it is, the various forms it can take, and how to engage with it and learn (Keitzmann, 2011). As all these positive aspects of social media can and is changing the way we think and buy. The major concern is that is moving so fast that the leaders making huge decisions that can affect our daily lives are reluctant in catching up with the new ways. This hesitance will cause a negative influence on communication in business and technology. Hopefully, eventually these two extremes will coincide and all generations can find a way to join together in moving forward at the same pace. Until then, future leaders of America will have to step up and find innovative ways to implement training in these areas. I believe that the more important thing to remember through all of the â€Å"change† is that we are doing it together and to be open minded to the idea that there may be a more efficient way to do something. Whether it is gain feedback or to simply get a shift covered, technology is changing fast and if he/she does not get on the fast train with the rest of the world, then companies may suffer extraneously. The negative sides to social media and technology in business communications consists of the obvious: misunderstood messages, misinterpreted texts, email, IM, etc., isolation, no actual social life, too public, and simply too difficult to comprehend. It’s worth noting, however, that today only 5 percent of communications occur on social networks. Moreover, almost all digital human interactions can ultimately become â€Å"social,† and jobs involving physical labor and the processing of transactions are giving way, across the globe, to work requiring complex interactions with other people, independent judgment, and the analysis of information. As a result, we believe social technologies are destined to play a much larger role not only in individual interactions but also in how companies are organized and managed. While the adoption of social technologies is growing rapidly, a huge untapped potential for them to create value remains (Bughin, Michael, James, 2012). That statistic was from last year and it was only five percent that companies actually engage in social media. I am positive the numbers have grown significantly, but I am also sure that there is a large percentage that does not want anything to do with this world. Some employers may feel social is inappropriate for the office because its name implies socializing rather than working (Poluck, 2012). There are many different ways that people can misunderstand emails or texts, especially when you cannot see the person. There are a lot of emoticons and symbols used to replace emotions, but without being able to look into someone’s eyes or see their body language, it is almost impossible to tell if they meant what they said the way that you think you should have interpreted it. People could waste valuable time trying to encrypt these messages when they could have picked up the phone. Having a pleasurable conversation with our family, friends or significant others, we lock our eyes to our computer and mobile device screens instead of listening and giving feedback. Technology has its advantages, but we should take a footstep back and grasp what it is doing to our skills, talents, and relationships. The question on researchers’ minds is whether all that texting, instant messaging and online social networking allows children to become more connected and supportive of their friends — or whether the quality of their interactions is being diminished without the intimacy and emotional give and take of regular, extended face-to-face time (Stout, 2010). Our children will be educated in a completely different era than we were, than our parents, and their parents which can be intimidating when you look carefully at how fast all of this happening. Also, another disadvantage that Morley says, â€Å"Instant communication can make it harder for workers to deal with one task at a time when their work is constantly being interrupted by comments and questions that relate to other projects or even personal issues. In fact, some employees must make an effort to turn off communication devices while they work to meet deadlines (Morley). Maybe companies are strategically planning ways to welcome new technologies or implementing training programs so that employees are aware of how to communicate effectively online. In my experience, I have not been in an organization that implemented a training program for communication, let alone a training of how to â€Å"tweet† professionally. If a company already has policies on misconduct, then mostly they could enforce the same rules when applying to social networking in the workplace. I did work for one hotel that took one of its sales persons and gave her the title of coordinator over social engagement. As I was leaving last summer, she was handling all trip advisor comments and applied them to the employees when it was good or bad. If there were good comments on particular employees, she would recognize and reward, which did motivate them. Through my research, I found limitless articles, journals, CDs, books, etc. that offered training on communication individually, group settings, and in the workplace. If I were to choose, I would definitely choose one that focuses on communicating respectively, but that also starts with the basics so that all ages and cultures can catch up to speed. Start with different departments and treat it as any training session, make it fun and interactive. If people are not given the knowledge, we cannot expect them to act any differently. People are representing their companies when they are working and when they are not. If those individuals are â€Å"connected† to people at work and you put your entire personal life online, then you can expect co-workers at your job to know the details of your weekend. Human resource department can also use these open networking sites to look up your page and see if you will be a good candidate or not. Whether it is positive or negative, the use of social media with technology in business communications is happening, regardless who likes it or who is not â€Å"ready† for it. References Bughin, J., Chui, M., & manyika, J. (2012). Capturing business value with social technologies. McKinsey Quarterly (4), 72-80. Geà §ti, F., & Dastan, I. (2013). The impact of social media-focused information & technologies on business performance via mediating mechanisms: An exploratory study on communication and advertising agencies in Turkey. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(7), 106-115. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1357565373?accountid=32521 Jan H. Kietzmann, Kristopher Hermkens, Ian P. McCarthy, Bruno S. Silvestre, Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media, Business Horizons, Volume 54, Issue 3, May–June 2011, Pages 241-251, ISSN 0007-6813, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681311000061) McGrath, Jane. (2008). How has technology changed the way we conduct business? HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved from http://money.howstuffworks.com/technology-changed-business.htm Morley, Amanda. (n.d). Effects on Technology in Business Communications. Chron. Demand Media. Retrieved June 16, 2013 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-technology-business-communications-23045.html Pollack, J. (2009, May 23). ‘Something’s got to change’; social media the internet’s moving too fast for companies to not keep up with it – old traditions, such as memos, don’t work in the age of mass and immediate communication, tech executive says. Telegraph-Journal. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/423358594?accountid=32521 Revathy, L. N. (2012, Mar 26). Business communication shifting to social media. Businessline. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1321923181?accountid=32521 Stout, Hillary. (2010, April 10). Antisocial Networking? New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/fashion/02BEST.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Webster, Shannon. (n.d.). What are the positive and negative effects of using technology to communicate? Chron. Demand Media. Retrieved June 16, 2013 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/positive-negative-effects-using-technology-communicate-21241.html