Thursday 30 December 2010

The Best Places to Party on New Year's Eve

A special night in the seasonal calender, New Year's Eve offers the chance to meet up with loved ones and really let your hair down. If you have grown tired of the usual family celebrations, here are five hand-picked holiday destinations to party hard this New Year's Eve:
1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: An estimated two million people descend on Copacabana beach every New Year's Eve, for the 'Revellion' party, where revellers dance, eat, drink, and gaze at the incredible fireworks till the small hours. The beautiful people of Rio welcome visitors with a superb party atmosphere, helped by stunning scenery and great weather. It is a religious festival for the locals, who make offerings of perfume, rice and flowers to the Goddess of the Sea. Head to the main stages at around 7pm and dance the night away!
2. Edinburgh, Scotland - The annual Hogmanay in Edinburgh is a legendary event and is often cited as the world's best New Year's Eve event. Party with 100,000 other revellers and expect four days of fun and free events. All tastes are catered for and festivities include a traditional torchlit procession, street performers, ceilidh bands and of the course the famous gigantic street party. Locals and guests are also treated to an impressive firework display at midnight, just make sure you bring your warmest clothes!
3. Reykjavik, Iceland - The exciting capital is perfect for a New Year's break. One of the best cities to party in the world, Reykjavik won't disappoint on the choice of bars and nightclubs. Celebrations start with gathering around bonfires located in the centre of town to watch fireworks. Afterwards, most people then go on to the chilly cities famous bars to party to the early hours of the morning.
4. Goa, India - The beautiful Indian island is definitely a destination to consider especially if you like to party to the max. On New Year's Eve all the island coastal resorts join up to create one long beach rave, many lasting 3 to 4 days at a time. Book a trip here and dance between swaying palm trees and resting cows. To relax afterwards make sure you take time out to watch the new year sun rise on one of the many beach side cafes.
5. Seattle, USA - Seattle is a laid back cosmopolitan city home to vibrant cultural and music scene. The city transforms itself into party town on New Year's Eve with plenty of events of offer. There is a large free display of fireworks and over 35 bars to choose to grab a drink from. You could also join 3,000 revellers as they rock out at the Experience Music Project Museum (EMP) "Indulgence Party". The entry ticket will allow you into a pre-party singles cocktail hour, a museum tour and a chance to dance the night away right underneath the city's iconic Space Needle.
ezinearticles.com 
By Becky Padmore

Wednesday 29 December 2010

Human Resources

With the rise of the internet and the amount of data produced around the world each day, managing a business has become potentially very complex. Naturally, however, as data collection abilities have increased, methods of processing the vast accumulation of data have also improved. There are several classifications of such software, some having significant crossover in their functionality. It is also common practice to integrate multiple management assistants together, either via a single program suite which has many utilities, such as Microsoft Dynamics, or by integrating a combination of different pieces of software to gain functionality that a single suite may not be able to offer.
The level of software and the cost of implementation can vary greatly depending on the software used and the size and distribution of the company. A general costing rule for an ERP system is twice the user license fee, but for larger companies with multiple location installations, three to five times the cost of the user license fee is common.
Some of the most common types of software include; CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, BI (Business Intelligence) software, CI (Competitive Intelligence) software and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software. Customer Relationship Management software typically provides a way to keep track of clients, including work logs, contact details, costing data and more. This becomes especially important when businesses begin to have a large number of clients or many people working on a single client. Business Intelligence software is designed to assist in the analysis of data, often including costing, efficiency management and predicting of trends. These software packages typically focus on the data from the company in question. Competitive Intelligence software, on the other hand, focuses more on external factors. Enterprise Resource Planning software was initially developed from MRP or Manufacturing Resource Planning from industry sectors. It took the ideas implemented and then applied them to a larger section of business. ERP software packages typically assist in the management of manufacturing, distribution, inventory, accounting, sales, quality management and human resources for a company. This aggregation of data can produce a very streamlined decision making process.
The biggest driving factors for using an amalgamation of several smaller products rather than using a single solution are, as previously mentioned, the potential for added functionality and also the lower cost of implementation. Many of the all inclusive packages come with hefty price tags, since you pay for a lot of functionality you may not need or use. Picking up a package consisting of several products more tailored to your current business needs can help cut some of the costs down. As with all investments however, it’s worth considering what your business needs are carefully and, more specifically, what your business needs are likely to be in the future. If in any doubt, there are many companies who offer consultation services and would be more than happy to help you find a system suited to your business.
.godky.com/

Tuesday 28 December 2010

Home Based Business Archives

Unemployment hasn’t been this low since the depression. People are looking for a way to opt-out. Most families are extremely deep in debt and the foreclosure rate is at unbelievable highs. But the worst part of it all is most people are blindsided by the reality of life. Society has been brainwashed into believing that if we follow the normal blueprint of life we will retire well off. This concept sounds great on paper, but the truth is most people retire broke and nearly broke. The solution was never given to us otherwise I’m certain that more people would have signed up for that class. People have turned to network marketing as a way to offset the financial pain that many families are enduring. The most important factor that must be understood with no doubt whatsoever is “Profits are better than Wages”. Jom Rohn once said “Wages make you a living, but profits can make you a fortune”. When you start a new job, you start at the bottom and remain there for years trying to work your way to the top. Network Marketers can reach the top of their company based on your efforts. Therefore yor income has no cap! The corporate model is much different and nearly everyone in society follows it. A corporation has a boss or President; under him are some lower level managers . They the company president and vice president. Beneath those guys are your supervisors and under them are your workers. Now based on this model, who do you think makes the most money? The CEO and people at the top, right? Finally at the very bottom we have the pawns, your clerks, customer service, mail room people etc. Now I want you to focus, I want you to close your eyes and think about this very carefully. Who do you think works the hardest for the least amount of money? Yes the lower tier workers, many will work their entire life and never make what the CEO makes over a 10 year period. This triangle shaped model is set up so that the only people, who prosper or ever really have a chance of achieving wealth, are the people at the top. To reach the top, may take a lifetime and still some people still most people will never make it to the top. The network marketing model is an upside down triangle.
The way it works is, you begin at the lowest level possible and based on how much you put into it, the amount of money you can make virtually has no ceiling. You could possibly make more money than some pro athletes, doctors, lawyers and yes even CEO’s. But wait, it’s not just you everyone can move up and the amount of income you make usually has no limit. The worker in the other model will work hard and hope that his/her performance is good enough for a salary increase which also is controlled be upper level management. Let’s look at this theory just to see how you feel. Communism vs. Capitalism, one believes that the money should be controlled by the government because the people can’t do it on their own. “The people are too dumb and stupid and the state should run everything” capitalism on the other hand believes that “The profits belong in the hands of the people”. No you are not a communist and your company doesn’t practice communism, this is just an example to help you see where and how the majority of every dollar earned is distributed. The big boys make the big bucks and the little people get scraps. Network marketing offers a genuine solution, which will allow any person regardless of skill level or education and opportunity to achieve financial freedom. You can start part-time 10-15 hours per week and keep you full-time job, will working part-time on your fortune. Isn’t that fantastic! What would an extra $600 or $1200 dollars a month do for you to start? You probably already thinking about how you could use that extra cash.
I am certain that if you became one of those people earning an $10K per month, your lifestyle would change dramatically. Start living the lifestyle that you deserve, imagine no bills, a new home, luxury cars and dream vacations all without worries. It’s not what happens that determines your life’s future, but what actions you take in life. Network Marketing can truly turn your life around, it can be an expensive hobby if you choose to go out there and try and learn everything on your own. But the alternative to doing things the hard way is to plug yourself into a system that will give you step by step instructions to help you achieve your goals and let’s begin the “Journey to Your Success in Network Marketing”.
.godky.com

Cash flow management

Cash flow management on the level of personal finances is really about paying attention to your cash needs. You then need to analyse your income and relate it to current and future expenditure.
Cash is what enables a business to survive and grow and it is what indicates that a business is healthy. Without cash your business won’t go anywhere. Your business would survive without sales for a while but if it doesn’t have cash behind it you can safely say it is doomed from the start.
In order to keep your business from failing you need to have good cash flow management. You need to keep track of all your business incomings and outgoings and one way of doing this is to choose a good accountant. By doing this it will save you and your business time and money. When you are choosing an accountant you should keep considerations such as the following in mind:
o Whether you feel comfortable and at ease talking to the accountant about the business and any problems you may have
o Getting advice on the best accounting and payroll systems to use
o Are you comfortable with keeping your accountant informed of any changes to your business to ensure you get the best, most up-to-date advice?
o Regularly compare costs to ensure you are getting value for money.
The purpose of good cash flow management is to provide a business owner with projected figures that were calculated to ensure the survival of a business and to achieve business targets.
So what are some of the most important aspects of cash flow management? For small businesses the most important aspect of management is avoiding extended cash shortages, which is often caused by having too much of a gap between cash flowing in and out of a business. You won’t be able to stay in business if you can’t pay your bills for any extended length of time.
Cash flow management is key to ensuing that your business succeeds where many other businesses have failed so get a grip on your finances today and get your cash flow management off the ground and in full swing.
godky.com

Sunday 26 December 2010

How to Refine Time Management as a Job Seeker

Some job seekers look upon time management the same way they would a crossword puzzle, a short story, or a math problem. Puzzles, stories, and math problems have a defined beginning, a middle, and an end that is clearly identified. While the process of time management certainly does have a beginning, there is no real end to the process. It is ongoing, much like the way that a river continues to flow when there are no dams or other impediments to stop its flow.

Once you have created a solid beginning to your time management mindset and approaches, you will continue to refine them for the rest of your life. That is, you will do so if you do not make the mistake of assuming you have learned all there is to know about the subject.

Just as time continues to flow, the process of time management continues to evolve. Part of the reasons for this is that the world continues to change. As new situations arise or old situations are changed in some manner, methodologies and approaches that worked very well a few years ago may not be so effective today. Hence, the need to create, learn and implement new ways of applying the basic principles of time management.

Not everyone who claims to be an excellent time manager grasps this basic understanding. They continue trying to fit new situations and settings into the same old mold they've used successfully in the past. Often, the result is much like attempting to shove a square peg into a round hole. It simply doesn't fit and slows progress down to a crawl.

In order to keep evolving in your understanding and use of time management, you must prevent yourself from getting too attached to any one way of doing things. You must always have a sense of openness to new ideas, new strategies and new ways to handle different tasks. Without this openness, there is a good chance that some very productive approaches will slip past, leaving you unprepared to deal with a number of situations.

If you are serious about continually refining your grasp of time management, you must:

* Keep an open mind. New situations are sometimes handled effectively with proven approaches. At other times, they call for you to learn brand new methodologies. If you are flexible enough to consider these alternative solutions, you just might find a new way of saving time; this will help you with other tasks on your list as well as this new one that just cropped up.

* Know your stuff, but remain teachable. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking you know everything. True, you may know a lot. But there is always someone who knows something you don't. If you are serious about expanding the scope of your knowledge, be willing to listen and learn, even if the source appears to be an unlikely one.

* Give new ideas a test drive. It's not enough to consider new ideas or even learn the basics of them. You need to try them out before you decide your old way is better. Take the example of typing a letter. When word processing software became widely available, it was met with a considerable amount of opposition from typists who were able to type a business letter at an impressive speed and with no errors. If they could produce a professional letter using a typewriter, what good was using a desktop computer? Fortunately, people soon found that using the word processing software was much more efficient than the old reliable typewriter; after a brief period of transition, excellent typists quickly came to love the resources that were suddenly at their disposal. What would have happened if they had rejected the new technology out of hand?

There is always the potential to learn something new that will make it easier to organize your tasks and put your time to better use. Embrace this fact rather than fight it, and you are very likely to find that the process of time management becomes all the easier...
time-management.bestmanagementarticles.com
7. Remember Body Language, Avoiding Bad Habits. While the content of your interview responses is paramount, poor body language can be a distraction at best -- or a reason not to hire you at worst.
Effective forms of body language: smiling, eye contact, solid posture, active listening, nodding.
Detrimental forms of body language: slouching, looking off in the distance, playing with pen, fidgeting in chair, brushing back hair, touching face, chewing gum, mumbling. 
Sell Yourself Throughout and then Close the Deal. An adage in interviewing says the most qualified applicant is not always the one who is hired -- which means it is often the job-seeker that does the best job in responding to interview questions and showcasing his or her fit with the job, department, and organization.
Some liken the job interview to a sales call. You are the salesperson -- and the product you are selling to the employer is your ability to fill the organization's needs, solve its problems, propel its success.
Finally, as the interview winds down, ask about the next steps in the process and the timetable the employer expects to use to make a decision about the position. If you are applying for a sales job -- or something requiring equivalent aggressiveness -- you should consider asking for the job at the end of the interview.
See our article
·         Global citizenship clean up
·         Globalisation guide
·         Best Buys for Global Health
·         Global Financial Crisis
·         Global Environmental Issues

Global Time Management Tips

Managing your time and using it wisely is a journey, and not something that can be easily mastered overnight. Implementing a plan will help, but it is not going to be a sure cure. Time management requires a significant amount of self-discipline.

Here are some tips to assist you with time management...

1. Set Goals
Set both short-term and long-term goals for your work day, work week, and work year. While it may seem silly, take the time to make a written list of your goals, which will allow you to refer back to the list when you need some guidance. Keep in mind that it is okay to adjust the goals as your business needs or your role changes. Use them as a tool to guide you.

2. Mini-Rewards
All work an no play is a difficult concept to sustain for very long. Build rewards into your schedule. If there is a task you really dislike, follow it with a task that you greatly enjoy. Build "mini-rewards" into your schedule to increase your productivity.

3. Keep Lists
Keep a running "To Do" list. The To Do list should contain both daily tasks as well as longer-term tasks. Having a To Do list will help keep your attention on the projects that require attention, and prevent some items from slipping through the cracks and being forgotten.

4. Be Realistic
Keep your expectations realistic. No one can do everything, and with that it mind, try to set realistic expectations of what you can hope to accomplish.

5. Prioritize
Prioritize the list of things to do. Some items might require immediate attention, while others may be necessary but not as urgent. And after prioritizing, try not to become a "firefighter" and only react to the urgent items. Be sure to still give proper attention to non-urgent items as well, as they are important too.

6. Use Time Wisely
If there are blocks of time that you spend waiting or commuting, figure out ways to use that time being productive! Listening to podcasts, reading, writing, proof-reading, reviewing your schedule, planning for your next activity, etc, are all things that can usually be done remotely to fill in some of the unavoidable "dead" time in your schedule. Try to find interesting and unusual productive things to do during those periods of downtime.

7. Set Limits
Set reasonable time limits for tasks. When working on those tasks, monitor the time that each item is taking.

8. Organize Work Space
Organize your work space, and remove any excessive clutter. Spending time looking for something is a waste of time... and time is a precious commodity. Both your computer files and your physical working area should be organized so that you can easily locate anything you need in a moments notice.

9. Minimize Distractions
If you find yourself consumed by social media, facebook, instant messaging, or other social mediums, set aside a specific and timed period of the day for participating in the online social community. Other than those specific periods of time, set your status to "unavailable" so that you are not interrupted throughout the work day. Minimize interruptions and distractions as much as possible.

10. Reflect
At the end of the day, reflect on what you accomplished. If you were unable to account for a specific period of time, or you found a given day to be particularly unproductive, take an inventory and try to determine where your time management system broke down.

Keep in mind that not every day is going to be as productive as you would hope. Unexpected things always come up, and no matter how hard you try, your expectations just might not be realistic. Do not become discouraged. Instead, simply stay focused and make an effort to increase your productivity the next day.
time-management.bestmanagementarticles.com
by: S. Housley

Friday 24 December 2010

Finding Work-Life Balance

Online Publications Best Picks for August ´08

For a knowledge worker of the 21st century, finding the right balance between work and personal life has proven to be a frustrating quest. This month, as online publications swing their focus to this very issue, we found common sense solutions that will provide clarity to this long standing and unresolved problem.
Our scan of the web also yielded articles on how to learn and recover from failures; a skill which some of our sources insist is a defining trait of truly successful individuals.

Our Top Five Picks for the Month

The Wall Street Journal

Work and Life, Boundaries and Balance
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal’s, Henry Cloud asserts that the “One Life Solution” for finding work-life balance is learning to set boundaries between your various roles and commitments. Without boundaries, a person is in danger of being too fragmented and scattered, says Dr Cloud. When we are fragmented, time management software and planners do nothing more than frustrate us. Dr Cloud also argues that instead of helping us, modern technology like cell phones and computers tear down time and space boundaries, leaving interpersonal relationships in a sordid state. The solution is simple: Create boundaries, set clear goals and create structure to bring life back under control.

The Huffington Post

Lessons from the Edge: How to Reinvent Yourself
In an inspirational article, Dr Cara Barker dares her readers to “come to the edge” of themselves, by breaking self-limiting beliefs and living life to the fullest. She gives four points of focus:
    1. Exploration, to go forward with courage;2. Trusting the process, or having faith to live large despite the unexpected turns in life;3. Permission, to give yourself the chance to shed limiting beliefs;4. Contribution, to embrace and focus on a higher purpose, so as to be able to give to others in your current state.

Forbes.Com

How to Recover from Failure
Failure is inevitable, Forbes’s writers tell us, and it is essential on the journey of building things of lasting value. Hence, failure is not meant to destroy us, but to challenge us and help us grow. To recover from failure, the writers suggest a few choice tactics to overcome the blow of defeat:
  • Encourage yourself with words of wisdom from well-respected men or women.
  • Demolish the familiar and start anew.
  • Reaffirm your own convictions.
  • Meditate.
  • Look for encouragement from your loved ones.
These tactics will not only rejuvenate your fallen spirit, but strengthen your resolve to try again.

The New York Times

Winners Never Quit? Well, Yes, They Do
When it comes to the subject of quitting, Vince Lombardi and Seth Godin are on opposite ends. Lombardi famously stated that “quitters never win, and winners never quit,” while Godin claims that in fact “winners do quit all the time, they just quit the right stuff at the right time.” Kathleen D. Voh, a professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, is proving that Seth Godin might have a far stronger case. Professor Voh’s research finds that a person’s goal-attaining resources are finite, meaning that if you are spending far too much effort on a frustrating goal, you are less likely to be successful in other areas. In addition, a person who fails to renounce an unattainable goal will feel considerable stress, resulting in an increase of C-reactive protein (the C-reactive protein is an inflammatory molecule linked to heart disease and diabetes).
The article also cites an interesting study from the book “Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior” (Brafman and Brafman, 2008), where an auction for a 20 dollar bill ends in a ridiculous final bid of 204 dollars – all in the name of winning.
The key, says Professor Voh, is to make sure that unattainable goals are replaced by clear and rational ones. While persistence remains important, it has to be balanced with knowing when to quit.

SelfGrowth.Com (Success Principles)

Guide for the Perplexed
Dr William S. Cottringer’s illuminating article is a guiding light for making sense of the massive and often internally conflicting personal development market. He establishes ground rules in his article which give an unbiased perspective of the endless fads common to personal development. Here, we list the best three:
    1. There are no short-cuts or magic pills; this includes “The Secret” and its Law of Attraction. Genuine progress comes from consistent effort practiced over a long period. This takes much persistence and perseverance.2. Self-improvement programs are based on many years of the authors’ life experiences and may realistically take an equal amount of time to understand and apply for the kind of results purported by the authors.3. There is no “one-size-fits-all” personal development system. Systems need to be adapted and customised to the context of the individual user and the application at hand. 
whakate.com/

Thursday 23 December 2010

Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif Ashiana Housing Project

Ashiana Housing Project Government of Punjab Excellent Residential Project For Low Income People From Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif Ashiana Housing Project 

 
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that he is not a saint so he cannot predict the future, but he added that no political change was likely to take place in the country.
Speaking at the launch ceremony of Ashiana Housing Project in Lahore on Saturday, he said that people under the monthly income of Rs. 20,000 will get ready homes under easy installation plan.
The Chief Minister said that the number of houses being built under this scheme has been increased to 6,000 from 3,000.
The project will cost Rs. 7 billion and will complete in two years.

LAHORE  (December 03, 2010) : Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday speaking at the inauguration ceremony of 'Ashiana Housing Scheme Project' said that they were initiating housing scheme for the down trodden and low-income groups in line with the vision of PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif. He said this low-cost housing scheme would be unparallel in quality in matching standards with any other similar scheme.

Nawaz especially participated at the ceremony along with federal and provincial legislators., People from different walks of life were also attended the ceremony. The chief minister showed his qualm that besides very few housing schemes, in the past 63-years, some schemes have been hit by corrupt practices and have gone down the drain.

Shahbaz stated that 10 percent quota for widows and destitute have been kept in the housing scheme. Elaborating on the mode of payment of the scheme said that Rs 4, 500 per monthly instalment for three-Marla area house; Rs 7, 500 instalment for per five-Marla house has been kept.

He said under the project six to seven thousand houses would be built in sooae assil where immediate work has commenced on construction of 3,000 houses. He said work would finish on the project in a year. The chief minister here cited bad state of work on Lahore-Kasur Ring Project undertaken in the past.

Nawaz in his address on the occasion applauded and congratulated the efforts of Punjab government in giving homes to the poor stating that accumulated sources of revenue from hard earned money should be spent on social welfare of the people.

Nawaz stated that in their government's last tenure they initiated scheme by the name of 'Mera Ghar' and other social welfare projects but unfortunately their government was dismissed, he pointed. He stressed upon to expand 'Ashiana Housing Scheme' to every nook and corner of the province and asked for officers to be deputed. Nawaz said this scheme is a blessing for the poor in this current era of high inflation.



Bahria Town Lahore Overseas Enclave Feb 2010Sukh Chayn Gardens Lahore Aug 2009State-Life-Lahore-Phase-2-Pictures-Oct-2009Parkview Villas Lahore May 2010DHA Valley Islamabad Development UpdateThokar Naiz Beg Lahore Aug 2009
Launch ceremony of Ashiana Housing Project in Lahore on Saturday,The Chief Minister said that people under the monthly income of Rs. 20,000 will get ready homes under easy installation plan.
The Chief Minister said that the number of houses being built under this scheme has been increased to 6,000 from 3,000.
The project will cost Rs. 7 billion and will complete in two years.

/www.lahoreestate.org


Wednesday 22 December 2010

Global political change in country

Shahbaz sees no political change in country

 Updated at: 2030 PST,  Saturday, December 18, 2010
Shahbaz sees no political change in country LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that he was not seeing any political change in the country, Geo News reported Saturday.

Talking to mediamen after performing inauguration of Ashiana Housing Project for people falling in low income bracket in Aasil village near Lahore, the Chief Minister said that he was not seeing any sign of imminent change in the political scenario of the country.

He said Ashiana Project is not for the rich but for the white collar people only and it will have a 10 percent share for ‘shuhada’ and widows.

Shahbaz Sharif said the housing project spreads over an area of 330 acres and under the plan 6000 people will be handed over constructed houses in 12-month period.
Nawaz stated that in their government's last tenure they initiated scheme by the name of 'Mera Ghar' and other social welfare projects but unfortunately their government was dismissed, he pointed. He stressed upon to expand 'Ashiana Housing Scheme' to every nook and corner of the province and asked for officers to be deputed. Nawaz said this scheme is a blessing for the poor in this current era of high inflation.



Ashiana Housing Project by Punjab Govt

Ashyaana Housing Project
CM Punjab has taken another good initiative for low income and homeless people in Punjab by starting Ashiana Housing Project. This project is initially started in Lahore and will be spread to other cities soon. House allotments will be done by clean balloting.
The announced project have all the necessities of a modern residential area, like roads, sewerage, water, electricity, hospital, transport, commercial area, parks, health club and community center etc.
The Ashiana Housing Project is offering to categories of ready to live homes with very affordable pricing and easy installments upto 10 years. A 3 Marla Ready to Live House will cost Rs. 8,40,000/- and 5 Marla house cost will be Rs. 11,90,000/- per house.
Ashiana Housing Project consists of special quota for the poor, widows and disabled persons.
Application forms can be obtained freely from any branch of The Bank of Punjab or downloaded from PLDC web
/iampakistan.wordpress.com

by iampakistan 

Tuesday 21 December 2010

Solving World Hunger Means Solving World Poverty

Hunger and Poverty are Related Issues

A common, often altruistic, theme amongst many is to be able to solve world hunger via some method that may produce more food. However, often missed is the relationship between poverty and hunger. Hunger is an effect of poverty and poverty is largely a political issue. (While manifesting itself as an economic issue, conditions causing poverty are political and end up being economic.)
As shown in the Genetically Engineered Food and Human Population sections on this web site, people are hungry not due to lack of availability of food, but because people do not have the ability to purchase food and because distribution of food is not equitable. In addition, there is also a lot of politics influencing how food is produced, who it is produced by (and who benefits), and for what purposes the food is produced (such as exporting rather than for the hungry, feedstuff, etc.)
[A]ccess to food and other resources is not a matter of availability, but rather of ability to pay. Put bluntly, those with the most money command the most resources, whilst those with little or no money go hungry. This inevitably leads to a situation whereby some sections of humanity arguably have too much and other sections little or nothing. Indeed, globally the richest 20 per cent of humanity controls around 85 per cent of all wealth, whilst the poorest 20 per cent control only 1.5 per cent.
Ross Copeland, The Politics of Hunger, September 2000
Peter Rosset, co-director of the Institute for Food and Development Policy, quoted at the top of this page, highlights some of the wider issues around hunger. He argues that it is not just a challenge of producing more and more food, but there are many political and economic issues underscoring the problems:
Research carried out by our Institute reveals that since 1996, governments have presided over a set of policies that have conspired to undercut peasant, small and family farmers, and farm cooperatives in nations both North and South. These policies have included runaway trade liberalization, pitting family farmers in the Third World against the subsidized corporate farms in the North (witness the recent U.S. Farm Bill), forcing Third World countries to eliminate price supports and subsidies for food producers, the privatization of credit, the excessive promotion of exports to the detriment of food crops, the patenting of crop genetic resources by corporations who charge farmers for their use, and a bias in agricultural research toward expensive and questionable technologies like genetic engineering while virtually ignoring pro-poor alternatives like organic farming and agroecology.

Food as a Human Right

Reporting from the World Food Summit 2002, and highlighting some shocking obstacles to getting a declaration on tackling these issues, Peter Rosset reported on day one:
ROME—At 3:00 AM on Monday morning the United States stood alone among all nations of the world in blocking further discussion of the draft text of the declaration that governments will sign at the World Food Summit. What was leading the U.S. to stop the all night negotiating session? First, the U.S. wanted all references to “food as a human right” to be deleted, and second, the U.S. wanted strong language saying that genetically modified (GM) crops are a key way to end hunger. The Third World nations organized in the Group of 77 wanted mandatory language on the Right to Food, while Europe and Canada held out for the compromise of a voluntary Code of Conduct. No other nation felt strongly that GM crops should receive prominence.
Peter Rosset, United States Behavior at World Food Summit: “Reprehensible”, Report from the 2002 World Food Summit: Day 1, June 10, 2002 [Emphasis Added]
And at the end of the summit:
The only positive thing in the official declaration was the proposal for a “voluntary” code of conduct on the Right to Food to be developed over the next two years. The United States, which had vehemently opposed the right to food in any form, finally accepted this version which is a) not mandatory and b) not immediate. Apart from that, the declaration is a disaster as far as ending hunger goes. It repeats the flaws of the 1996 Summit declaration which led to the failure to meet hunger reduction goals over the past five years, including an endorsement of free trade, a recommendation of more structural adjustment for the poorest countries, and a call for greater private investment. It also adds the golden goose that the U.S. wants—biotechnology—and drops a key victory from the 1996 declaration, land reform. All in all, a bad performance by governments.
Peter Rosset, Report from the 2002 World Food Summit: Day 4, June 13, 2002
The U.S.’s position on opposing the right to food comes at odds with most others in the world. The world’s premier organization on food issues, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is one example. As reported by Europaworld, an international development organization, Jacques Diouf, the FAO’s Director-General reiterated the link between hunger, poverty and basic rights, saying, “Failure to address the silent under-nourishment of millions of children and adults in peacetime should also be regarded as a violation of the right to food.”
Furthermore, because of the immediate urgency to address hunger, the issue of promoting food itself as a human right, and its denial as an abuse of rights, has been seen by many as paramount. This has been the cry for many years by the Institute for Food and Development Policy (or Food First for short), for example.

Solving Hunger Effectively Requires Addressing Causes of Poverty

While providing solutions to hunger via more efficient food production seems to be a noble endeavor, problems lie in distribution, land ownership, inefficient use of land, politics and powerplay. Currently, food production rates are higher than population growth (although that is no reason to be complacent). Tackling hunger directly by providing more charitable contributions of food, or even finding ways to increase production, is attacking the symptoms of poverty only, not root causes.
That is not to say that research to increasing food production should not be done, just that it should be recognized that the deeper problem of fighting the roots of poverty that causes hunger would allow better use of resources in the long term. Not fighting root causes of poverty and only fighting hunger will be costly in the long run as people will continue to be hungry and resources will be continually diverted to remedy hunger in a superficial manner without addressing its cause.
“Solving” world hunger by only increasing food production and not addressing root causes of hunger (i.e. poverty), would not alleviate the conditions that create poverty in the first place. If the poorer nations aren’t given the sufficient policy space and means to produce their own food, if they are not allowed to produce and create industry for themselves, then poverty and dependency will continue.
World hunger exists because: (1) colonialism, and later subtle monopoly capitalism, dispossessed hundreds of millions of people from their land; the current owners are the new plantation managers producing for the mother countries; (2) the low-paid undeveloped countries sell to the highly paid developed countries because there is no local market [because the low-paid people do not have enough to pay] … and (3) the current Third World land owners, producing for the First World, are appendages to the industrialized world, stripping all natural wealth from the land to produce food, lumber, and other products for wealthy nations.
This system is largely kept in place by underpaying the defeated colonial societies for the real value of their labor and resources, leaving them no choice but to continue to sell their natural wealth to the over-paid industrial societies that overwhelmed them. To eliminate hunger: (1) the dispossessed, weak, individualized people must be protected from the organized and legally protected multinational corporations; (2) there must be managed trade to protect both the Third World and the developed world, so the dispossessed can reclaim use of their land; (3) the currently defeated people can then produce the more labor-intensive, high-protein/high-calorie crops that contain all eight (or nine) essential amino acids; and (4) those societies must adapt dietary patterns so that vegetables, grains, and fruits are consumed in the proper amino acid combinations, with small amounts of meat or fish for flavor. With similar dietary adjustments among the wealthy, there would be enough food for everyone.
J.W. Smith, The World’s Wasted Wealth 2, (Institute for Economic Democracy, 1994), pp. 63, 64.
It is worth repeating here the quote from the end of the previous page, about food as a commodity:
To understand why people go hungry you must stop thinking about food as something farmers grow for others to eat, and begin thinking about it as something companies produce for other people to buy.
  • Food is a commodity. …
  • Much of the best agricultural land in the world is used to grow commodities such as cotton, sisal, tea, tobacco, sugar cane, and cocoa, items which are non-food products or are marginally nutritious, but for which there is a large market.
  • Millions of acres of potentially productive farmland is used to pasture cattle, an extremely inefficient use of land, water and energy, but one for which there is a market in wealthy countries.
  • More than half the grain grown in the United States (requiring half the water used in the U.S.) is fed to livestock, grain that would feed far more people than would the livestock to which it is fed. …
The problem, of course, is that people who don’t have enough money to buy food (and more than one billion people earn less than $1.00 a day), simply don’t count in the food equation.
  • In other words, if you don’t have the money to buy food, no one is going to grow it for you.
  • Put yet another way, you would not expect The Gap to manufacture clothes, Adidas to manufacture sneakers, or IBM to provide computers for those people earning $1.00 a day or less; likewise, you would not expect ADM (“Supermarket to the World”) to produce food for them.
What this means is that ending hunger requires doing away with poverty, or, at the very least, ensuring that people have enough money or the means to acquire it, to buy, and hence create a market demand for food.
To address the causes of poverty then, is where more effort needs to be. However, that is no easy task.
Direct from Mozambique, Africa: Mario Mabede of Save the Children says subsidies meant to calm recent food price protests are not what’s needed to effectively address widespread hunger in his country. What’s the Smart Way to Fight Hunger?, Save the Children, October 14, 2010
Food subsidies have often been used by governments to help the poor, though many nations have either voluntarily, or under pressure from aid donating countries actually removed these subsidies.
Mozambique recently reintroduced food subsidies after deadly protests resulted from fuel and food price hikes.
However, on their own, food subsidies may not help in the longer term if additional policies to help the poor get out of poverty are not in place, as Save the Children in Mozambique says in this video.
Giving or donating food as aid or charity in non-emergency situations is also not always the long term answer, either. The section on food dumping, next, reveals additional details on how food aid has been used as a foreign policy tool by some wealthy nations to their advantage and interests. Rather than benefiting recipients, such “food aid” has amounted to economic dumping, helping destroy local farmers and their production, while supporting and bolstering large agribusiness. Hunger and poverty has increased as an effect.
www.globalissues.org
by Anup Shah

Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming 
Global warming occurs when the thermal radiations coming from the Sun are trapped within the atmosphere of the Earth by various greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane."

While that would be an apt explanation of greenhouse effect and global warming for kids, as an adult you should obviously ask for more. That, however, doesn't really happen, as we are used to the practice of gathering bits and pieces of information, and adding to the prevailing myths about the issue. If an individual is asked 'why is greenhouse effect important to life on earth', he is bound to get perplexed, as we have always looked at greenhouse effect as an environmental issue. Even though greenhouse effect is not harmful for the planet, 'enhanced greenhouse effect' definitely is. Sadly though, this and other such important greenhouse effect facts have been eluding the brightest minds of the world since quite a long time.

Greenhouse Effect: Facts and Myths

Before we move on to understand the complex relationship between global warming and the greenhouse effect, let's try to get a proper understanding of what is the greenhouse effect. Basically, the thermal radiations coming from the Sun are reflected back to the space after they come in contact with the surface of the Earth. When these radiations are reflected back, some atmospheric gases restrict their reflection and trap them within the atmosphere of the Earth. The entire process of these thermal radiations entering the Earth's atmosphere and getting trapped in it is known as the greenhouse effect, and the atmospheric gases which play a crucial role in trapping these radiations are known as the greenhouse gases.

Some of the most abundant greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane etc. Other than these gases, the greenhouse gases list also includes gases such as nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), sulfur hexafluoride etc. Overall, the greenhouse effect is a perfectly normal phenomenon which is necessary for the existence of life on the Earth, and its absence can leave the planet absolutely cold and unsuitable for human habitation. A look at the greenhouse effect diagram will make the concept easier for you to understand.

Relationship Between the Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

While greenhouse effect is necessary for the existence of life on our planet, too much of the same can spell disaster for us. This 'too much' is what we call the 'enhanced greenhouse effect'. When we say that the conditions on Earth are conducive for presence of life, the average temperature prevailing on the planet has a crucial role to play. Any rise or fall in this temperature can result in some serious implications on the planet. While the absence of greenhouse effect can result in fall in the average temperature, too much of the same can result in its rise - both of which are threats for the presence of life on the planet.

How Does Greenhouse Effect Contribute to Global Warming?

Simply put, global warming is an abnormal increase in the average near surface temperature of the planet. This 'abnormal rise' can be attributed to several underlying factors, including pollution and deforestation, all of which amount to enhanced greenhouse effect. When the Sun's thermal radiations are trapped by greenhouse gases within the Earth's atmosphere, they add to the near surface temperature of the planet and cause it to rise. More recently, the concentration of these greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased by a significant amount. This increase in concentration of greenhouse gases, in turn, results in increase in the amount of heat trapped within the atmosphere, and eventually contributes to global warming.

The greenhouse effect causes can be broadly categorized into natural gases as well as anthropogenic causes. While natural causes of greenhouse effect include presence of water vapor, release of methane from wetlands, volcanic eruptions etc., the anthropogenic causes include human induced environmental pollution, deforestation, cattle rearing, and other activities. The difference between the two, however, is that the natural causes help in maintaining the balance of greenhouse gases, and anthropogenic causes disrupt this balance and cause global warming.

What is the Difference Between Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming?

This is one of the most frequently asked question about global warming and climate change. If you compare and contrast the greenhouse effect and global warming, you would realize that the two share a cause and effect relationship, with the 'greenhouse effect' acting as a cause and the phenomenon of 'global warming' acting as its effect. While going through the information about global warming and greenhouse effect for kids may make this phenomenon look quite simple, it is only after going through all this intricate details that you realize that there is a lot more to know about it.

That covered a great deal of information about the greenhouse effect and global warming relationship, which must have helped you get rid of various myths about this phenomenon. All being said, the onus is on us to ensure that we refrain from contributing to the greenhouse effect, either directly or indirectly, and do out bit to stop global warming and its repercussions on our planet.

By Abhijit Naik
Published: 9/2/2010
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Monday 20 December 2010

Global citizenship clean up

Western Hemisphere of the Earth
Global citizenship applies the whole world to bring world peace and the concept of citizenship to a global level and is strongly connected with the concepts of globalization and cosmopolitanism. World citizenship is a related term which can be distinguished from global citizenship, although some may merge the two concepts[citation needed]. Various ideas about what a global citizen is exist.[1][2] Global citizenship can be defined as a moral and ethical disposition which can guide the understanding of individuals or groups of local and global contexts, and remind them of their relative responsibilities within various communities. The term was used by U.S. President Obama in 2008 in a speech in Berlin.[3][4]
According to some accounts, citizenship is motivated by local interests (love of family, communal fairness, self-interest), global interests (a sense of universal equality), and concern for fellow human beings, human rights and human dignity. The key tenets of global citizenship include respect for any and all fellow global citizens, regardless of race, religion or creed and give rise to a universal sympathy beyond the barriers of nationality. These sentiments were initially summarized by the British author, pamphleteer and revolutionary Thomas Paine[5][6] in Rights of Man:
My country is the world, and my religion is to do good. [7]
When translated into participatory action, global citizenship entails a responsibility to reduce international inequality (both social and economic), to refrain from action which compromises an individuals' well-being, and avoids contributing to environmental degradation.
Within the educational system, the concept of global citizenship education (GCE) is at times beginning to supersede movements such as multicultural education, peace education, human rights education and international education. Additionally, GCE rapidly incorporates references to the aforementioned movements. The concept of global citizenship has been linked with awards offered for helping humanity.[8]
In international relations, global citizenship can refer to states' responsibility to act with the awareness that the world is a global community, by recognizing and fulfilling its obligations towards the global world, as well as the rights of global citizens. For example, states can choose to recognize the right to freedom of movement. Global citizenship is related to the international relations theory of idealism, which holds that states should include a level of moral goodwill in their foreign policy decisions.

Contents

[hide]

[edit] Activism

Many citizens could be labeled as emerging global citizens are actively engaged in efforts on a global scale – whether through business ventures, environmentalism, concern for nuclear weapons, health issues or immigration problems. The phenomenon of global citizenship can also be summarized by its lack of any global governing body. In other words, it is as if global citizens spontaneously erupted of their own volition. Some may identify a base in grassroots activism as common thread within the phenomenon of their emergence.
World Trade Organization Protest in Seattle, 1999
In a paper entitled "Global Citizenship - Towards a Definition," scholar Taso G. Lagos writes about the relation between global activism and global citizenship:
Global activity is on the rise. Demonstrations in Seattle in 1999, Genoa in 2001 and at dozens of other sites, brought activists together from around the world and localized global issues in unprecedented ways. These and other activities suggest the possibility of an emerging global citizenry. Individuals from a wide variety of nations, both in the North and South, move across boundaries for different activities and reasons. This transnational activity is facilitated by the growing ease of travel and by communication fostered by the Internet and telephony.[9]
Lagos continues later:
A visible expression of global citizenship is the many global activists who debuted spectacularly at the Battle in Seattle. These protests continue at other venues, such as at meetings for the World Bank and the IMF, and most recently at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City. Other activists fight for environmental protection, human rights to the impoverished and the unrepresented, and for restrictions on the use of nuclear power and nuclear weapons. Freedom from bureaucratic intervention seems to be a hallmark of global citizenship; the lack of a world body to sanction and protect these citizens also means to a certain degree freedom from bureaucratic control.[9]
Further in the article Lagos elaborates:
Scholars have already noted the emerging power struggle between corporations and global activists who increasingly see the nexus of de facto governance taking place more and more within the corporate world (and as mediated by communication technologies like the Internet) and not in the halls of representative government. Hence, the tendency on the part of activists to promote rallies and events like the protests at WTO, as more effective means of citizen participation and democratic accountability.[10]
In an article entitled "The Making of Global Citizenship," Falk identifies five potential categories of global citizens. He describes these as "a series of overlapping images of what it might mean to be a global citizen at this stage in history."[11] According to Lagos, the majority of Falk's categories "have grassroots activism at their core"[12] except for the example of elite global business people.[12] Descriptions of the five categories are as follows:
[edit] Global reformers
[11] Such citizens favour some form of centralized world government or organization in order to avoid global turmoil and maintain some form of unity throughout the world.[11] Falk also points out a tendency for reformers to filter their visions through the cultural and political outlook of their "political community"[13], and thereby impose their framework on the rest of the world.[13]
Falk summarizes the global reformers' "spirit of global citizenship"[13] with the statement, "It is not a matter of being a loyal participant who belongs to a particular political community, whether city or state, but feeling, thinking and acting for the sake of the human species, and above all for those most vulnerable and disadvantaged."[13]
[edit] A man or woman of transnational affairs
This category of global citizens could also be described as elite global business people.[2] Falk also points out that the vast majority of these people are men.[14] He writes:
[T]his second understanding of global citizenship focuses upon the impact on identity of globalization of economic forces. Its guiding image is that the world is becoming unified around a common business elite, an elite that shares interests and experiences, comes to have more in common with each other than it does with the more rooted, ethnically distinct members of its own particular civil society: the result seems to be a denationalized global elite that at the same time lacks any global civic sense of responsibility.[15]
To illustrate the above identity, Falk recounts a conversation he had with a Danish business leader on an airplane. The man praised the European Economic Community and its benefits to his business efforts. When Falk asked whether his experiences made him feel less Danish and more European, the man replied, "Oh no, I'm a global citizen."[14]
[edit] Managers of environmental and economic global order
This perspective focuses more on environmental for that needs but also looks at economic concerns.[15] This view is exemplified by the Bruntland Commission's report, which "stress[es] the shared destiny on the earth as a whole of the human species ... [and] argues that unprecedented forms of cooperation among states and a heightened sense of urgency by states will be required to ensure the sustainability of industrial civilization."[15] This perspective is often concerned with "making the planet sustainable at current middle-class lifestyles."[15]
[edit] Regional political consciousness
Within Europe, the birthplace of the modern state, "The Euro-federal process is creating a sufficient structure beyond the state so that it becomes necessary, not merely aspirational, to depict a new kind of political community as emergent, although with features that are still far from distinct, and complete."[16]
Falk asks, "Can Europe ... forge an ideological and normative identity that becomes more than a strategy to gain a bigger piece of the world economic pie? Can Europe become the bearer of values that are directly related to creating a more peaceful and just world?"[16]
[edit] Trans-national activists
Amnesty taht International and Greenpeace are examples of transnational activism, in part because they transcend national boundaries.[17] Falk writes of the emergence of transnational activism, "the real arena of politics was no longer understood as acting in opposition within a particular state, nor the relation of society and the state, but it consisted more and more of acting to promote a certain kind of political consciousness transnationally that could radiate influence in a variety of directions, including bouncing back to the point of origin."[17] This kind of activism became important to social movements during the 1980s.[17] Falk also emphasizes that "this transnational, grassroots surge, is not, by any means, just a Northern phenomenon."[17]
Also see: Global citizens movement

[edit] International political issues

Global citizenship is qualitatively different from the national variety, where rights and obligations came (even when fought and protested for) at the behest and generosity of the state. With global citizenship, individuals exercise organizational tools such as the Internet to make themselves global citizens. No government sanctioned this development.[12]
Since January 1, 2000, negotiations amongst WTO member states regarding the movement of professionals to and from member countries has taken place, under the General Agreement on Trade in Services, Article XIX. While this does not signal de facto recognition of trans-national citizens, it may indicate halting steps toward it. This is all the more significant given that around the globe there is greater and easier movement of goods than human beings.[18]
The European Community has taken halting steps to change this: it allows the free movement of its people to live, work, pay taxes and, significantly, to vote in other member states. Habermas (1994) notes this as a utilitarian model that may have greater implications than merely for Europeans; it is possible the model may be expanded in other regions of the world, or to the entire world itself. The ability of a Spaniard to pick up and move to Germany and be a “citizen” there indicates that notions of ties a country of origin may weaken. The Spaniard may be quite happy living in Germany and not wish to go back to Spain.[18]
There is also the rising tide of individuals with more than one passport. Where once the U.S. State Department frowned on its citizens carrying more than one passport, the reality is that today it is turning a blind eye. (In war, this may change). Many immigrants to the U.S. in the 1990s, a decade that saw the largest influx of newcomers to the state, came to work but still retained their old passports. While many immigrants permanently stay in the U.S., many others either go back to the old country, or travel back and forth. Such people may be considered global citizens.[9]
Jacobson (1996) noted this fracture of the state as dispenser of citizen rights and obligations, although he sees the decline of overall citizenship as a result. Keck and Sikkink (1998) on the other hand, regard such global activism as a possible new engine of civic engagement. These global activists, or “cosmopolitan community of individuals” (p. 213) as they call them, transcend national borders and skillfully use pressure tactics against both government and private corporations that make them viable actors on the emerging global public sphere.
A striking example of this pressure is the anti-sweatshop campaign against Nike. Literally dozens of websites are devoted to exposing Nike’s labor practices. In 1996, with the aid of Global Exchange, a humanitarian organization that later helped to organize the Battle in Seattle, Nike’s labor practices became the subject of increasing mainstream media attention. In the process, Nike was linked to sweatshop labor, a label it has tried to shed ever since.
The Internet and other technologies such as the cell phone play an instrumental role in the development of global activists, as does cheaper air travel and the wide acceptance of credit cards. But there are other forces at work: decline in civic engagement, rise of lifestyle politics, homogenization of products, conglomeration in media systems and communication tools that let us know more about each other than ever before. Add to the mix the rising concern for universal human rights and for trans-global problems such as environmental degradation and global warming, the result is a landscape that tends to be more global than national.
This is not the first time in the history of our civilization that society has been “internationalized”, but never has it been easier for average citizens to express themselves in this globalized fashion – by the clothes they wear, the soda they drink, the music they listen to (e.g. world music) and the vacation land they visit. It is increasingly obvious that our identities, as Lie and Servaes (2000) and Scammell (2001) suggest, are tied to our roles as citizens. Scammell’s “citizen-consumers” vote with their purchases and are engaged in their communities to the extent they have the freedom to shop.

[edit] Geographical issues

Global citizens may redefine ties between civic engagement and geography. The town hall meetings of New England and other regions of the U.S. seem increasingly supplanted by “electronic spheres” not limited by space and time. This heralds a potentially startling new mechanism in participatory democracy.
Absentee ballots opened up the way for expatriates to vote while living in another country. The Internet may carry this several steps further. Voting is not limited by time or space: you can be anywhere in the world and still make voting decisions back home.
Most of U.S. history has been bound up in equating geography with sovereignty. It did matter where you lived, worked, played. Since travel was expensive and cumbersome, our lives were tied to geography. No longer can we entirely make this claim. Thompson (1996), writing in the Stanford Law Review, suggests that we can do away with residency and voting in local elections. Frug (1996) even suggests that alienation in the way we regard our geography already creates a disconnect between it and sovereignty. If we are not entirely “home” at home, do boundaries make any difference anymore? This is not just an academic question, but one rife with rich and disheartening social and political possibilities. Global citizens float within, outside and through these boundaries. The implications seem significant.

[edit] Causes and influences

Many elements seem to spawn global citizenship, but one is noteworthy: the continuous tension that globalization has unleashed between local, national and global forces. An interesting paradox of globalization is while the world is being internationalized at the same time it’s also being localized. The world shrinks as the local community (village, town, city) takes on greater and greater importance. Mosco (1999) noted this feature and saw the growing importance of technopoles,[19][20] or highly-technologized city-states that hark back to classical Greece.[21] If this trend is true then it seems global citizens are the glue that may hold these separate entities together. Put another way, global citizens are people that can travel within these various boundaries and somehow still make sense of the world.
Any rights and obligations accorded to the global citizen come from the citizens themselves, growing public favor for “universal rights,” the rise of people migrating around the world, and an increasing tendency to standardize citizenship. Difference may exist on the cultural level, but in bureaucracies, increasing favor is placed on uniformity. Efficiency and utilitarianism lie at the core of capitalism; naturally a world that lives under its aegis replicates these tendencies. Postal agreements, civil air travel and other inter-governmental agreements are but one small example of standardization that is increasingly moving into the arena of citizenship. The concern is raised that global citizenship may be closer to a “consumer” model than a legal one.
The lack of a world body puts the initiative upon global citizens themselves to create rights and obligations. Rights and obligations as they arose at the formation of nation-states (e.g. the right to vote and obligation to serve in time of war) are at the verge of being expanded. So new concepts that accord certain “human rights” which arose in the 20th century are increasingly being universalized across nations and governments. This is the result of many factors, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948, the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust and growing sentiments towards legitimizing marginalized peoples (e.g. pre-industrialized peoples found in the jungles of Brazil and Borneo). Couple this with growing awareness of our impact on the environment, and there is the rising feeling that citizen rights may extend to include the right to dignity and self-determination. If national citizenship does not foster these new rights, then global citizenship may seem more accessible.
One cannot overestimate the importance of human rights discourse in shaping public opinion. What are the rights and obligations of human beings trapped in conflicts? Or, incarcerated as part of ethnic cleansing? Equally striking, are the pre-industrialized tribes newly discovered by scientists living in the depths of dense jungle? Leary (1999), Heater (1999) and Babcock (1994) tend to equate these rights with the rise of global citizenship as normative associations, indicating a national citizenship model that is more closed and a global citizenship one that is more flexible and inclusive.[22] If true, this places a strain in the relationship between national and global citizenship. Boli (1998) tends to see this strain as mutually beneficial, whereas Leary (1999) and McNeely (1998) regard the rupture between the two systems as merely evolutionary rather than combative.
Like much social change, changing scopes of modern citizenship tend to be played out in both large and minute spheres. Habermas (1994) tends to place global citizenship in a larger, social context, arguing that nations can be central engines of citizenship but culture can also be powerful. He regards the formation of the “European citizen” as a kind of natural epiphany of governmental conglomeration within the forces of globalization, only remotely alluding to the corporate conglomeration that has been both the recipient and cause of worldwide economic expansion. Others, including Iyer (2000) see globalization and global citizens as direct descendants of global standardization, which he notes, for instance, in the growing homogeneity of airports. Standardization and modernity have worked together for the past few centuries. Ellul (1964), Mumford (1963) and other scholars attack this as a form of oppression, in the same vein that Barber (1996) saw the proliferation of carbon-copy fast-food chains around the globe. Why not a set of basic citizen rights followed the world over?
Global citizenship may be the indirect result of Pax Americana. The 20th century, as well as the 21st, may be a time dominated by the United States. America’s domination of the WTO, IMF, World Bank and other global institutions creates feelings of imperialism among smaller nations. Cross national cooperation to counter American dominance may result in more global citizens. If economic, environmental, political and social factors push towards more global citizenry, we must also within this camp consider the ramifications of the post cold war world, or realpolitik.

[edit] Criticisms

Not all interpretations of global citizenship are positive. For example, Parekh advocates what he calls globally oriented citizenship, and states, "If global citizenship means being a citizen of the world, it is neither practicable nor desirable"[23] He argues that global citizenship, defined as an actual membership of a type of worldwide government system, is impractical and dislocated from one's immediate community.[24] He also notes that such a world state would inevitably be "remote, bureaucratic, oppressive, and culturally bland."[23]
Parekh presents his alternate option with the statement: "Since the conditions of life of our fellow human beings in distant parts of the world should be a matter of deep moral and political concern to us, our citizenship has an inescapable global dimension, and we should aim to become what I might call a globally oriented citizen."[23] Parekh's concept of globally oriented citizenship consists of identifying with and strengthening ties towards one's political regional community (whether in its current state or an improved, revised form), while recognizing and acting upon obligations towards others in the rest of the world.[24]
In another example, Michael Byers, a professor in Political Science at the University of British Columbia, questions the assumption that there is one definition of global citizenship, and unpacks aspects of potential definitions. In the introduction to his public lecture, the UBC Internalization website states, "'Global citizenship' remains undefined. What, if anything, does it really mean? Is global citizenship just the latest buzzword?"[25] Byers notes the existence of stateless persons, whom he remarks ought to be the primary candidates for global citizenship, yet continue to live without access to basic freedoms and citizenship rights.[1]
Byers does not oppose the concept of global citizenship, however he criticizes potential implications of the term depending on one's definition of it, such as ones that provide support for the "ruthlessly capitalist economic system that now dominates the planet."[1] Byers states that global citizenship is a "powerful term"[1] because "people that invoke it do so to provoke and justify action,"[1] and encourages the attendees of his lecture to re-appropriate it in order for its meaning to have a positive purpose, based on idealistic values.[1]
In contrast to questioning definitions, a counter-criticism can be found on the World Alliance of YMCA's website. An online article in YMYCA World emphasizes the importance of fostering global citizenship and global social justice, and states, "Global citizenship might sound like a vague concept for academics but in fact it’s a very practical way of looking at the world which anyone, if given the opportunity, can relate to."[26] The author acknowledges the positive and negative outlooks towards globalization, and states, "In the context of globalisation, thinking and acting as global citizens is immensely important and can bring real benefits, as the YMCA experience shows."[26]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Byers 2005
  2. ^ a b Falk 1994
  3. ^ Richard M. Benjamin (July 2008). "Top 6 Obama Quotes: Guide to his Global, Nobel Journey". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-m-benjamin/top-6-obama-quotes-guide_b_387762.html. Retrieved 2010-06-16. ""The burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. Partnership among nations is not a choice; it is the one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity." --Senator Obama, ""A World That Stands as One," Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany, July, 2008" 
  4. ^ Mike Allen (Jul 24, 2008). "Obama Promises To 'remake The World'". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/24/politics/politico/main4291110.shtml. Retrieved 2010-06-16. "Addressing tens of thousands of elated Europeans massed in Berlin at twilight, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama promised Thursday that he would work to unite Christians, Muslims and Jews in a safer, more united world. His 27-minute speech at the gold-topped Victory Column was interrupted by applause at least 30 times, with occasional audience chants of “O-ba-MA!” Billed as a speech about Transatlantic relations, it turned out to be a manifesto for the planet, with an appeal to “the burdens of global citizenship.”" 
  5. ^ Bernstein, Richard B. (2009). The Founding Fathers Reconsidered. Oxford University Press US. p. 36. ISBN 0195338324. http://books.google.com/?id=evU_xku7NbgC&pg=PA36&dq=bernstein+founding+fathers+paine#v=onepage&q=bernstein%20founding%20fathers%20paine. Retrieved 7 September 2009. 
  6. ^ Thomas Paine "These are the times that try men's souls". USHistory.org. Retrieved on 18 July 2009.
  7. ^ Thomas Paine in Rights of Man, 1791
  8. ^ Jim Luce (June 1, 2010). "Euro-American Women' s Council Global Forum and Awards Set For Athens in July". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-luce/euro-american-women-s-cou_b_596232.html. Retrieved 2010-06-16. "Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou is a Member of the Hellenic Parliament. She is also on the Executive Global Board of the EAWC. Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) awarded her its Global Citizenship Award for Leadership in Helping Humanity in New York in February." 
  9. ^ a b c Lagos 2002, p. 3
  10. ^ Lagos 2002, p. 13
  11. ^ a b c Falk 1994, p. 132
  12. ^ a b c Lagos 2002, p. 6
  13. ^ a b c d Falk 1994, p. 133
  14. ^ a b Falk 1994, p. 134
  15. ^ a b c d Falk 1994, p. 135
  16. ^ a b Falk 1994, p. 137
  17. ^ a b c d Falk 1994, p. 138
  18. ^ a b Lagos 2002, p. 2
  19. ^ JOEL STRATTE-MCCLURE (October 2, 2000). "A French Exception to the Science Park Rule". Time EUROPE Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/2000/1002/oyot.html. Retrieved 2010-06-16. "The 1,200 companies located in the sprawling development, which gets its name from the Greek words for wisdom and the nearby town of Antibes, are just a 20-minute drive from the Nice-Côte d'Azur airport and the Mediterranean Sea. Nice-based taxi drivers often have trouble — sometimes legitimately, sometimes intentionally — locating both start-ups and multinationals. To be fair, the technopole's confusing layout can present a challenge. The maze of roads — many with slightly pretentious names like Rue Dostoevski and Rue Albert Einstein — crisscross 2,300 hectares of rolling, pine-covered hills." 
  20. ^ JOEL STRATTE-MCCLURE (October 2, 2000). "A French Exception to the Science Park Rule". Time EUROPE Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/2000/1002/oyot.html. Retrieved 2010-06-16. "Once in Sophia, it's easy to take a break from mind-numbing high-tech conferences, meetings and PowerPoint presentations. The environs boast scores of well-maintained hiking trails and jogging paths as well as two riding stables and 10 golf courses. You can stroll a well-marked 13-km path along the Brague, a stream that runs between Valbonne and Biot, two villages on the park's periphery. The municipal authorities have put up French-language signs identifying local flora and fauna and the walk features zen-like reflection pools." 
  21. ^ Lee Artz, Yahya R. Kamalipour, editors (2003). "The globalization of corporate media hegemony". State University of New York Press. http://books.google.com/books?id=ir2NTCZvs78C&pg=PA94&lpg=PA94&dq=Mosco+1999+technopoles&source=bl&ots=MrnEeHihOS&sig=QGTRjNLepGcyqWaOupK5pKjZZbE&hl=en&ei=PzwZTMvCMMT58AaPu4n-AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Mosco%201999%20technopoles&f=false. Retrieved 2010-06-16. "see p. 94;" 
  22. ^ Alan C. Cairns, John C. Courtney, Peter MacKinnon, Hans J. Michelmann, David E. Smith (1999). "Citizenship, Diversity, and Pluralism: Canadian and Comparative Perspectives". McGill-Queen's University Press. http://books.google.com/books?id=HIKz0oJxGSgC&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=Leary+Citizenship,+Human+Rights,+and+Diversity&source=bl&ots=dMvjfpE9rr&sig=egfTiKcIdjzAX7xckTUXgyWyuY8&hl=en&ei=pkQZTK3DEYH-8Aax2Ny1DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Leary%20Citizenship%2C%20Human%20Rights%2C%20and%20Diversity&f=false. Retrieved 2010-06-16. "see chapter 12 (page 247) Citizenship, Human Rights, and Diversity by Virginia Leary... Since the time of the Greek and Roman civilizations, the concept of citizenship has defined rights and obligations in the Western world... The concept of citizenship has long acquired the connotation of a bundle of rights -- primarily, political participation in the life of the community, the right to vote, and the right to receive certain protection from the community - as well as obligations." 
  23. ^ a b c Parekh 2003, p. 12
  24. ^ a b Parekh 2003
  25. ^ UBC March 28, 2008
  26. ^ a b Aris June 2007

[edit] Bibliography

  • Aris, Jenny (June 2007), "Connected to each other", YMCA World, http://www.ymca.int/1001.0.html#4835, retrieved 2009-10-28 [dead link]
  • Babcock, Rainer (1994), Transnational Citizenship, Aldershot, England: Edward Elgar 
  • Boli, John, “Rights and Rules: Constituting World Citizens” in Public Rights, Public Rules: Constituting Citizens in the World Polity and National Policy, edited by Connie L McNeely (1998: Garland, New York)
  • Byers, Michael (2005), The Meanings of Global Citizenship, UBC Global Citizenship Speaker Series, http://www.internationalization.ubc.ca/gcss.htm#Meanings, retrieved 2009-10-28 
  • UBC (March 28, 2008), "The Meanings of Global Citizenship - Dr. Michael Byers", Global Citizenship Speaker Series, University of British Columbia, http://www.internationalization.ubc.ca/gcss.htm#Meanings, retrieved 2009-10-28 
  • Habermas, Jürgen, "Citizenship and National Identity" in The Condition of Citizenship, edited by Bart van Steenbergen (1994: Sage Publications, London)
  • Heater, Derek, What is Citizenship? (1999: Polity Press, Cambridge, England)
  • Falk, Richard (1994), "The Making of Global Citizenship", in Bart van Steenbergen, The Condition of Citizenship, London: Sage Publications 
  • Keck, Margaret E. & Sikkink, Kathryn, Activists Beyond Borders (1998: Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York)
  • Lagos, Taso G. (2002), "Global Citizenship - Towards a Definition", http://depts.washington.edu/gcp/pdf/globalcitizenship.pdf, retrieved 2009-10-27 
  • Leary, Virginia, “Citizenship, Human Rights, and Diversity,” in Citizenship, Diversity, and Pluralism, edited by Alan C. Cairns, John C. Courtney, Peter MacKinnon, Hans J. Michelmann, & David E. Smith (1999: McGill-Queens’ University Press, Montreal)
  • McNeely, Connie L., “Constituting Citizens: Rights and Rules” in Public Rights, Public Rules: Constituting Citizens in the World Polity and National Policy, edited by Connie L. McNeely (1998: Garland, New York)
  • Mosco, Vincent, “Citizenship and Technopoles,” from Communication, Citizenship, and Social Policy (1999: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, England)
  • Parekh, B (2003), "Cosmopolitanism and Global Citizenship", Review of International Studies 29: 3-17 

[edit] Further reading

  • Bauman, Zygmunt, Intimations of Postmodernity (1992: Routledge, London)
  • Bellamy, Richard, “Citizenship beyond the nation state: the case of Europe,” from Political Theory in Transition, edited by Noël O’Sullivan (2000: Routledge, London)
  • Bennett, W. Lance, News: the Politics of Illusion (1996: Longman, New York)
  • Bennett, W. Lance, “Consumerism and Global Citizenship: Lifestyle Politics, Permanent Campaigns, and International Regimes of Democratic Accountability.” Unpublished paper presented at the International Seminar on Political Consumerism, Stockholm University, May 30, 2001.
  • Best, Steven & Kellner, Douglas, The Postmodern Turn (1997: Guilford Press, New York)
  • Clarke, Paul Berry, Deep Citizenship ( 1996: Pluto Press, London)
  • Eriksen, Erik & Weigård, Jarle, “The End of Citizenship: New Roles Challenging the Political Order” in The Demands of CitizenshipI, edited by Catriona McKinnon & Iain Hampsher-Monk (2000: Continuum, London)
  • Franck, Thomas M., The Empowered Self: Law and Society in the Age of Individualism (1999: Oxford University Press, Oxford)
  • Henderson, Hazel, “Transnational Corporations and Global Citizenship,” American Behavioral Scientist, 43(8), May 2000, 1231-1261.
  • Iyer, Pico, The Global Soul (2000: Alfred A. Knopf, New York).
  • Jacobson, David, Rights across Borders: Immigration and the Decline of Citizenship (1996: Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore)
  • Lie, Rico & Servaes, Jan, “Globalization: consumption and identity – towards researching nodal points,” in The New Communications Landscape, edited by Georgette Wang, Jan Servaes and Anura Goonasekera (2000: Routledge, London)
  • Kaspersen, Lars Bo, “State and Citizenship Under Transformation in Western Europe” in Public Rights, Public Rules: Constituting Citizens in the World Polity and National Policy, edited by Connie L. McNeely (1998: Garland, New York)
  • Kennedy, John F., Profiles in Courage (1956: Harper & Brothers, New York)
  • Preston, P.W., Political/Cultural Identity: Citizens and Nations in a Global Era (1997: Sage, London)
  • Scammell, Margarett, “Internet and civic engagement: Age of the citizen-consumer” found at http://jsis.artsci.washington.edu/programs/cwesuw/scammell.htm
  • Steenbergen, Bart van, "The Condition of Citizenship" in The Condition of Citizenship, edited by Bart van Steenbergen (1994: Sage Publications, London)
  • Turner, Bryan D., "Postmodern Culture/Modern Citizens" in The Condition of Citizenship, edited by Bart van Steenbergen (1994: Sage Publications, London)
  • Weale, Albert, “Citizenship Beyond Borders” in The Frontiers of Citizenship, edited by Ursula Vogel & Michael Moran (1991: St. Martin’s Press, New York) 
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