Monday, July 22, 2019

World History Essay Example for Free

World History Essay 1. What do you already know, or think you know, about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? They had a lot of wars and disagreements. 2. In what parts of the world are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam dominant today? Christians are dominant in north South America; followers of island dominate north Africa, western and central Asia, and Indonesia. Followers of Judaism can be found most everywhere but are concentrated in Israel and North America. 3. How are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam related? They began in Southeast Asia. All three religions claim they began with Abraham. 4. How are the stories of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad alike and different? Moses andJesus, are considered the founders of Judaism and Christianity respectively. Muslims of Arabic descent however, trace their roots, to Abrahams other son, Ishmael. His descendent Muhammad founded Islam. 5. After reading these excerpts, how do you think these religions compare? 6. What are the primary differences and similarities among the three religions? Why? Jewish people do not believe that Jesus was the messiah or the son of God or that he was resurrected. 7. Why are some sites considered sacred in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? The holiest site in Islam, the Kaaba, stands at the center of the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca. The mosque known as the Dome of the Rock sits where the temple once stood, the place where Muslims believe that Muhammad rose into heaven. 8. Why do divisions occur within as well as among the three major monotheistic religions? More than 50 percent of the worlds population follows Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. Christianity has approximately 2,286,000,000 followers worldwide. This is 33 percent of the world. Christians are concentrated in North and South America, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia. Islam has approximately 1,524,000,000 followers worldwide. This is 22 percent of the world. Followers of Islam, known as Muslims, are concentrated in North Africa, Western and Central Asia, and Indonesia. Judaism has approximately 15,000,000 followers worldwide. This is less than 0.25 percent of the world. Followers of Judaism can be found most everywhere but are concentrated in Israel and North America. Buddhism has approximately 484,000,000 followers worldwide. This is 7 percent of the world. Buddhists are concentrated in China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea, and Japan. Hinduism has approximately 901,000,000 followers worldwide. This is 13 percent of the world. Hindus are concentrated in South Asia. Jewish people do not believe that Jesus was the messiah or the son of God or that he was resurrected. Muslims follow the Five Pillars of faith. These are the declaration of faith (shahada), prayer (salat), almsgiving (zakat), fasting (sawm), and the pilgrimage (hajj). Followers of all three religions practice some type of fasting Sabbath All three religions honor a weekly holy day, typically involving prayer and worship with other followers. Christians believe in the sacraments as a process for preparing each believer to join God. Among these are baptism, by which people agree to worship God and become Christian. All three faiths hold that humans have a soul that will be judged when their bodies die Neither Jews nor Muslims are permitted to eat pork. They also have certain processes for preparing food properly, called kosher in Judaism and halal in Islam. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in one, and only one, god The Star of David, also known as the Shield of David, has stood for Judaism from as early as the 11th century. The star has 12 sides for the 12 tribes of Israel. Jewish congregations are led by rabbis. in Christianity, the cross became a sacred symbol when Jesus was crucified. Its a symbol of his sacrifice and the resurrection. Christian congregations are led by priests, minister, or pastors. The star and crescent has roots that reach back to pre-Islamic times, but today it is a symbol of Islam. Muslim congregations are led by imams. n the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, a cenotaph, or empty tomb, stands over the place where Abraham is believed to have been buried. Also in Old Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is believed to be the location of Jesus crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. One of the oldest churches in the world, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem marks the location where the gospels of Matthew and Luke indicate Jesus was born.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

The Electricity Company Of Ghana Action Plan Finance Essay

The Electricity Company Of Ghana Action Plan Finance Essay Electricity generation, transmission and distribution in Ghana mainly involve three institutions that work in an interrelated manner. Volta River Authority (VRA) generates the electric power through hydro and thermal plants and, until recently, also had responsibility for the high voltage transmission system. The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO), created as part of reforms in the power sector, now has responsibility for the high voltage transmission so as to have that separated from generation entities. It is the least known of the institutions. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) distributes the energy produced to most consumers through low voltage transmission lines. It is the institution that is in direct contact with most of the public. Figure 1 below shows the main processes of the power distribution in Ghana. The ECG is a limited liability company owned solely by the Government of Ghana and has the responsibility of supplying and distributing electrical power in the southern part of Ghana. It was established in November 1997 as Joint Stock Company based on the companies code in accordance with the 1993 Corporate Act (Act 461) of Ghana. The company has its headquarters in Accra, a total workforce of 5,281 with a customer base of 1.7 million (ECG annual report 2008). Vision The ECGs vision is to be among the leading electricity distribution companies in Africa in terms of quality, safety and reliability. Mission Statement The mission statement of the company is to provide quality electricity services to support economic growth and development in Ghana. The primary objective of the company is to supply electrical energy to people in its areas of operation. In discharging its various duties, the company has executed a number of national electrification programmes on behalf of the government. The ECG is a monopoly in the electricity distribution sub sector of Ghana. The tariffs that clients pay for the supply of electricity services are regulated by the state owned company called Public Utility Regulatory Commission. The ECG charges commercial rates to its clients which are subsidized by government. Organizational structure The company is run by the Board of Directors, Principal Officers and Advisors. The companys Board of Directors are appointed by the Government of Ghana. The Principal Officers and Advisors control and run the eight directorates of the Company. These directorates are Engineering, Operations, Customer Services, Materials Transport, Finance, Audit, Legal Services and Human Resources. Figure 2 below depicts the organizational structure of the ECG. Fig.2: The Organizational Chart of ECG Board of Directors ManagingDirector rector Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (6) Director Legal Services Director Customer services Divisional Managers (3) Employees Employees Director Human Resource Director Customer services Director Material and Transport Director Material and Transport Director Audit Director Finance Director Engineering Director Operations Divisional Managers (6) Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (2) Divisional Managers (2) Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (5) Divisional Managers (3) Lower managemt Employees LOwer Managemt Employees Lower Managemt employees Employees Lower Managemt Employees Lower managemt Employees Lower managemt Employees Lower Managemt Employees Lower Managmt Employees Board of Directors The Board of Directors as at 29th June, 2009 was composed of the following persons: Ing.Sqn. Ldr. Clend Sowu (Rtd.): The chairman of the Board. He is a Consultant Engineer and a Retired Military Officer. Mr. Cephas Gakpo: The Managing Director of the company Mr. Bernard Allotey Jacobs: A Media Practitioner Barimah Kwame Nkyii XII: Omanhene Assin Aimanim Traditional Area, Tax Ecpert. Dr. Kwaku Osafo: Economist/Engineer Mr. Samuel M. Codjoe: Lawyer Mr. Anthony Gyampo: Educationist Mr. Kwabena Adjei: Businessman, Communication Professional Hon. Dr. Nii Oakley Quaye-Kumah: Member of Parliament for Krowor Constituency, Veterinary Surgeon Mr. Jake Kofi Anre: A Lawyer and Secretary to the Board Directorates of ECG The Engineering Directorate is responsible for the planning and designing of the distribution network. The directorate is also responsible for the procurement and implementation of investment projects. The Operations Directorate is responsible for delivering quality reliable and safe supply of electricity to customers, maintain the network regularly in order to reduce the number of interruptions and outages, respond quickly to faults and use modern technology to operate the distribution system; Materials Transport Directorate has responsibilities of managing all activities regarding materials received for projects and other ECG operations. In addition, the department has to manage all operations regarding Transport (Vehicles). Customer Services Directorate has responsibilities of gathering all information about Power Purchases, Power Sales, Average End-User-Tariff (EUT), System Losses, Revenue Collection, debtors position at the end of each year and customer population. Audit Directorate is responsible of operational, commercial and financial activities of ECG. With Technical Audits, physical inspections and reconciliation of materials usage are carried out. The directorate is also responsible of Audit investigations on fraud and corruption. Lastly, it support Management about operational activities and give directives to address them. Legal Services provides legal services to the ECG. The Director is the Secretary to the Board of Directors and maintains a Board Secretariat to provide secretarial services to the Board of Directors. He is involved in the prosecution of people involved in the illegal activities against the ECG to reduce system losses. Finance Directorate has responsibilities of analyzing and reviewing financial data, reporting financial performance, preparing budgets and monitoring expenditures and costs for the ECG as a whole. Human Resources Management Directorate has responsibilities in the following areas: Staffing (Employment and Recruitment, Personnel records, Compensation); Training and Development and Industrial Relations (Health and Safety). The ECG is a Strategic Enterprise in the sense that it is the only electricity distribution company that supplies electricity to the whole of Ghana. Secondly it offers employment to over 5,000 Ghanaians, making it the largest employer in Ghana. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS The analysis of the performance of ECG as described below is based on available information up to year 2008. The Impact of Global and National Forces on ECGs Operations The worldwide economic recession (Credit Crunch) affected both the economy of Ghana and ECGs operations. The year saw rapid hikes in crude oil and metal prices which resulted in the high cost of power generation from thermal sources and sharp increases in the cost of materials and equipment required for capital investment projects. The Ghana Cedi also depreciated against the major world trading currencies especially the US Dollar, the Euro, and the British Pound. Since most of the inputs for ECGs capital investment projects were imported, prices consequently increased relative to energy sales which were generally denominated in the Ghana Cedi. The cost of investment projects therefore increased from 12% to about 20%. The U.S dollar for instance appreciated in value against the Ghana Cedi from a rate of $1: GHÂ ¢0.92 in July 2007 to $1: GHÂ ¢1.49 in June 2009Â  [1]Â   The inflation rate in Ghana also contributed to the high cost of operations and subsequently affected the companys profitability. The inflation rate has increased over the period from an average of 10.73% in 2007, 16.46% in 2008 to 19.86% in 2009. This resulted in increases in labor cost and other local raw material inputs. Details of the inflation rate is attached as appendix 1 Financial, Operations and Human Resources Performance Profit and Loss The ECG has made an operating profit of GHÂ ¢25,089,202 in 2008. Prior to this year, the company had been making losses. In 2006 and 2007 for example, the net operating losses were (GHÂ ¢3,429,300) and (GHÂ ¢8,657,716) respectively. Current Assets The stocks level at year 2008 was GHÂ ¢135,851,792. This was an increase of 99.8% over year 2007 figure. The Accounts Receivables also increased by 50.5% to GHÂ ¢258,033,418 in 2008. The table below depicts the status of the Current Assets of the company over the three year period from 2006 to 2008. Current Assets 2008 GHÂ ¢ %age change 2007 GHÂ ¢ %age change 2006 GHÂ ¢ Stocks 135,851,792 99.8 67,999,841 39.3 48,800,300 Debtors 258,033,418 50.5 171,411,587 16.2 147,503,100 Prepayment 8,323,294 184.6 2,924,574 48.4 5,665,800 Short Term Investment 16,358,519 108.5 7,845,126 12.0 7,002,600 Cash and Cash Balances 49,473,765 42.6 34,690,929 16.4 29,796,100 468,040,788 64.3 284,872,057 19.3 238,767,900 The increases in the stocks and debtors depict a weak inventory management and credit policy of the company. Debtor/Sales Ratio The Debtor/Sales ratio which is an expression of customer debt in days of billing was 130 days in 2008. It deteriorated from 138 days in 2006 to 162 days in 2007 representing a decrease of 17.4%. Although there was an improvement from 162 days in 2007 to 130 in 2008, the figure is still too high. Loans and Suppliers Credit The ECG through the Government of Ghana has secured the following loans and credit from the World Bank and other suppliers for investments in its distribution network. This has increased the companys debt situation tremendously. DSUP $15m financed by IDA, ECG (2003-2007) GEDAPÂ   $94.5m financed by IDA and partners, AfDB, ECG, (2008-2012) GEDAP Extension $70m for Ashanti Region, financed by IDA (2010-2014) French credit Euro 65m for Tema and Kumas. Financing from the french govt. (2008-2012) Norwegian credit Euro 60m for Greater Accra and Eastern regions. Financing from the Norwegian govt. (2008-2012) El Sewedy credit 16.5m from El Sewedy TD (2010-2011) As at December 2008, an amount of GHÂ ¢171.92 million was outstanding in suppliers credit. Systems Losses System loss is a power loss in its course from the source to end users. In 2007 the systems loss was 24.03%. This increased to 25.58% in 2008 as result of poor transmitting system and also theft through illegal connections. The ECGs performance in this area is declining and this is adding onto the cost of operations of the company. The table below shows the trend of the systems losses over a three year period from 2006 to 2008. System losses units (GWh) Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total Purchases 5045.4 5252.8 5145.6 5799.4 Total sales 3762.0 3978.4 3909.1 4315.8 System losses in % 24.26 24.03 25.58 Human Resources Capacity ECGs staff strength at the end of the year 2008 was 5,281. This was an increase of 6.07% over year 2007 figure of 4,929. Staff turnover over the year period is showed in the table below. Employee turnover Year 2006 2007 2008 Employee turnover 3.02% 3.27% 3.53% The percentage of employee turnover increased from 3.27% in 2007 to 3.53% in 2008. The reasons assigned for this increase upon our investigation are lack of motivation and incentives to the employees. Evaluation of ECG This section of the Plan tries to come out with a range of expected fair market values for ECG incase the government find it necessary to privatize it. The main purpose of this evaluation is to give all stakeholders especially government and management of the company a fair market range of values within which the ECG can be sold. ECG, as already mentioned above is a public monopolist and as such not listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). As a result of this, the market Comparison Method of evaluation can not be used. The only feasible formulas to use would be the Asset Appraisal Method and the Discounted Cash Flow Method. Asset Appraisal Method This method involves revising all the asset and liabilities of the company including Goodwill. Using the 2008 audited financial report of the company, we can easily get the values of the asset and liabilities of the company at Net Book Values (NBV) and not the Revised Values. Since we are not in a position to revalue the companys assets and liabilities we are solely relying on the NBV of these assets and liabilities. The NBV of assets and liabilities for the 2008 financial year were given as follow: 2008 GHÂ ¢ Current Assets 468,040,788 Fixed Assets Plant, Property and Equipment 1,171,197,452 Goodwill 2,021,653,890 Total Asset 5,008,661,390 Less Current Liabilities (259,567,145) Value ECG 3,401,324,985 Calculating the value of Good Goodwill is calculated based on the Supper Profit Method. This involves determining a value for the expected future profit of the company. Here, some past profit of the collected based on the 2008 report and an average is taken. We then make adjustments to reflect future profits. Thus, expected future expenses and income are adjusted. Years Net profit/Loss GHÂ ¢ 1999 17365,259 2000 (7,583,807) 2001 152,973,046 2002 (451,974) 2003 (483,609) 2004 (269,686) 2005 (305,425) 2006 (475,200) 2007 (48,836,581) 2008 11,598,017 Total 123,530,040 Average profit for the 10 years = Expected Future Operating Expenses Looking at the operating expenses of the company over the years, the average expenses over the years is around GHÂ ¢6,574,530. Since expenses are expected to increase over the coming years, a 10% adjustment is made to reflect future changes. This 10% was chosen based on the increasing trend of operating expenses from 1999 to 2008. This brings the total future expected operating expenses to (GHÂ ¢6574530 +GHÂ ¢657453) GHÂ ¢7,231,983. Expected Future Income Again, looking at the operating income over the years, the average income for the 10 years is GHÂ ¢54,145,602. Since the expected income are expected to increase as a result of the stabilization of the Ghanaian Cedi against major foreign currencies, stable world price of crude oil, materials, and of course the discovery of crude oil in Ghana. Taking all these factors into consideration, a 15% adjustment is made to reflect these changes. Therefore the future operating income is (GHÂ ¢54,145,602 + 8,121,840) GHÂ ¢62,267,442 GHÂ ¢ The number of years of purchase which depends on the bargaining powers of both the government who is the owner of ECG and the would-be private investor on the reputation of the company. ECG, as earlier discussed, serves both the Ghanaian Economy and other two countries in West Africa (Togo Benin). It also has the potential to expend to other countries as a result of the discovery of crude oil in Ghana. With all the above reputations and potentials, we have decided to fix the number of years of purchase at 30 years. The Goodwill for the company would be Limitation of this method The value of the fixed assets used in the valuation might have some composition of non-productive assets and therefore would affect the fair market value of the company. Discounted Cash Flow Method This method takes into consideration the time value of money. Thus, discounted cash streams of future cash flow. Here, the first thing we do is to forecast the future cash flow by making adjustments to 2008 cash flow of the company. From the cash flow statement (2008), the net cash flow was GHÂ ¢15,819,658. Since cash inflows are expected to increase over the next few years due to expansion and reduction in operating expenses, an upward adjustment of 15% is made to the net cash flow for the next five (5) years. Thus, from 2008 up to 2013. Expected net cash flow from 2013 upwards can not be forecasted due to uncertainty. Discount Rate The company is at the moment using a discount rate of 10%. Due to the possibility of inflation and exchange rate fluctuations, have decided to fix the discount rate between 12% 15%. According to the discounted cash flow method: FMV = Present value of cash flow up to the terminal year + Present value of terminal value. Year Expected Net Cash Flow GHÂ ¢ 2009 18192607 2010 20921498 2011 24059722 2012 27668681 2013 31818983 Using the NPV formula which is given as: NPV =, we can now calculate NPV at both rates of discount (12% and 15%). NPV @ 12% = But Terminal = NPV = NPV (12%) = GHÂ ¢2,200,234,081 NPV @ 15% = But terminal value = NPV = GHÂ ¢1,708,064,531 Interpretations Since the Asset Appraisal Method gave us the highest value of GHÂ ¢3,401,324,985 it would be considered. We are therefore concentrating on the Discounted Cash Flow Method range of values to determine the value of the company. This therefore means that the value of ECG, must be in the range of GHÂ ¢1,708,064,531 and GHÂ ¢2,200,234,081. SWOT ANALYSIS The investigations conducted on the ECG revealed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as summarized in the table below. STRENGTH Competent Work Force High level of technical expertise Government Support A monopolist (large customer base) Facilities (i.e. warehouse) Availability of donor funds Installation of prepayment meters Customer Call Center Vast Distribution network system Low cost of production as compared to countries in the sub region Availability of electrical fault detection technology WEAKNESSES High turnover of professional and technical staff Uncompetitive conditions of services Lack of rule enforcement Poor Communication Lack of team work Not clear defined job descriptions Talents in the company not used to the best advantage No effective Research and Development (RD) Weak Inventory Management High network distribution losses Mismanagement of resources OPPORTUNITIES Potential to expand (nationwide and other countries) Potential of quality power delivery Political and Economic stability Staff training and development West Africa Gas Pipeline Oil discovery on the coast of Ghana THREATS Government Interferences Government determination of Tariffs Fluctuations in the exchange rates Effects of inflation Natural Disasters (i.e. rain storms) Increasing World prices of metals, materials and equipment WEAKNESSES OF THE THREE MAIN DEPARTMENTS THAT NEEDS TO BE RESTRUCTURING BASED ON OUR ANALYSIS MATERIALS AND TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT Weak Inventory Management Unstructured Procurement Unit Increases in the world prices of metals, materials and equipment Mismanagement of Company resources Effects of inflation on local procurement Fluctuation in the exchange rate OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT No effective research and development High network distribution losses Unreliable and low quality of power supply Inadequate training and development of operations staff Inadequate staff HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT High turnover of staff Talents in the Company not being used to the best advantage Poor Communication Lack of team work Uncompetitive conditions of service Lack of rule enforcement No well defined job description Excess labor force STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES Based on the SWOT analysis, the following strategic alternatives are recommended to bring about turnaround for the Material and Transport Directorates; Human Resource Directorate and the Operations Directorate. MATERIAL AND TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE Assets Reduction Strategies: Divesting Specific Assets Assets that are in surplus with respect to the future requirements of the company should be sold off. Unproductive and obsolete assets such as transformers, power cables, electric conductors and meters should be sold. Reducing Inventory Material costs should be reduced through improved buying practices, better utilization of materials and efficient inventory management. Inventory of the company such as transformers, meters, cables, conductors and wooden poles should be managed based on Vital Few Trivial Many Principle. This will help the company to avoid holding too much inventory, which is cost to the company and also prevent the company from holding too little inventory which can make the company loose customers. Not only that but also, the reorder level should be fixed between the maximum order level and the minimum order level to prevent the inventory from reaching the danger level. Reducing Debtors (Accounts Receivables) There should be a credit policy to help in the effective administration of the debtors. Customers credit worthiness should be well determined. Debts should be collected within 30 days. There should also be a debt recovery plan. Reducing Cost The Company should adopt Total Cost Management (TCM) control strategy as a way of reducing cost. There should be intelligent optimization and not just cost cutting in the areas of direct costs; overheads; procurement costs; production costs; selling and distribution costs; inventory costs; personnel costs. There should be speedy execution of contract bids and procurement processes to avoid additional costs being incurred as a result of lapse of deadlines. The introduction of e-Procurement should also be used to facilitate the procurement process. The company should also enter into forward contracts to reduce costs. Debt Restructuring Arrangements should be made for third party (government) to service the debt on behalf of the enterprise. There should be selective sale of assets and the revenue that would be realized from the sale of these assets should be used to offset the debt owed to suppliers. Legal Restructuring Specific legal steps should be taken to privatize the company. HUMAN RESORCE MANAGEMENT DIRECTORATE Organisational Restructuring There should be a merger of the engineering and operations directorates to ensure harmonization of action plans towards the achievement of corporate objectives. Information technology should also be used to make the hierarchical organizational structure flat. A strategic planning unit should be created and headed by a corporate strategist to lead the process of strategically positioning the company towards the achievement of the companys goal. There should be appropriate job descriptions, specifications and schedules matching with the qualifications, experiences and skills of employees so to get the best performance out of them. Furthermore, training and development should be a routine exercise for the company. Rules and regulations should be explicit, easily accessible and discipline enforced to ensure compliance with set standards. Labour Redundancy Management should develop a Redundancy Implementation Plan considering the economic climate and political mood of the country, since the implementation of the redundancy plan could be a complex and time consuming process. Staff Performance Appraisals methods such as the Balanced Scorecards should be used to identify and declare non performing staff redundant. Compensation packages should be prepared for such redundant staff, and contingency plans made for unforeseen circumstances in the event of strikes. OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE Physical Restructuring It is recommended that this Directorate should be merged with the Engineering Directorate to bring about efficiency and effectiveness. The size of budget for Research and Development should be increased. Investments in distribution networks should be increased to improve quality and reduce losses of electric power. There is also the need to improve upon the monitoring of customers consumptions to be able to detect theft of electric power. The technical staff strength should also be augmented and given the appropriate technical know-how so to be able to cope with the growing demands of the proposed merger of the Operations and Engineering Directorates. Safety equipment should be made available for the staff to use in protecting themselves in order to reduce the rate of accidents. Proposed Timeline for implementation of Turnaround strategiess TURNAROUND STRATEGIES 2010 2011 2012 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Discussions with Management Assets Reduction Reducing Cost Debt Restructuring Legal Restructuring Organisational Restructuring Labour Redundancy Physical Restructuring Conclusion ECG plays a vital role in the socio- economic development of Ghana and there is no doubt that any Turnaround would yield enormous benefits to the Ghanaian economy. Hence, for the above recommended strategies to bring about any meaningful Turnaround, it calls for commitment and support of management of ECG and the government of Ghana. Not only that but also, for efficient and effective implementation of the strategies, there is the need for expert knowledge and advice. It is therefore hoped that the necessary support will be given for the desired results to be realized in ECG. Privatization Option The public sector in Ghana has suffered setbacks which are largely attributed to ineffective and in efficient management. When we consider the case of Ghana Electricity Company, noticing the trend of losses of the company over time and the failure to meet the objectives or purpose of its formation, in view ,it is suggested that it would be better for the ECG to involve expatriates into their operations, this can be done by private sale of there shares to the foreign multinationals who have got the technical and financial knowhow and experience in the distribution of energy to buy into the private share of the organization ,Government should endeavor to have multinational partnership in the operation of the privatization by giving them of shares in the enterprises. There is need for good follow up on privatized enterprises. This would make the organization to be more effective and efficient in their operation. The federal Government should encourage this multinational to participation in the distribution of power in Ghana. This would be done by establishing a power sector reforms which will allow the involvement of foreign multinationals expatriates in the distribution of power. These reforms would include the provision the necessary Infrastructures which would enable the reduction in establishment costs, rationalization of power tariff, mobilization of private capital for power generation and transmission and lower capital-power generation ratio. In order to achieve these goals, distribution companies. A State Electricity Regulatory Commission would also be also set up to monitor the operation of the company. The desire to involve the private sector in the management and provision of infrastructure and services which will prompt multinational company to buy private share of the organization. . Private placement occurs when a company makes an offering of securities not to the public, but directly to an individual or a small group of investors. Such offerings do not need to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and are exempt from the usual reporting requirements. Private placements are generally considered a cost-effective way for small businesses to raise capital without going public through an initial public offering (IPO) The ECG should sale 49 of its shares to a multinational partner would be able to participate in the core business of energy distribution in Ghana. Also the Government should provide

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Views on Gay Marriage in Anna Quindlin’s Essay Evan’s Two Moms

The essay, â€Å"Evan’s Two Moms†, was written by Anna Quindlin and published in the 2004 edition of Good Reasons with Comtemporary Arguments. This essay takes a liberal point of view concerning gay marriage and the ability to raise a child in a gay family. Throughout Quindlen’s essay, her structure introduces ethos, pathos and logos through a variety of court cases to gain the readers trust; she appeals to both emotion and logic in her reader through passion and unwavering intensity, which disapproves of those who take a radical point of view about gay marriage. Anna Quindlen’s structure of â€Å"Evan’s Two Moms† provides the reader with explicit details concerning the debate about gay marriage. In Quindlen’s introductory paragraph up until the fourth paragraph, she uses pathos to draw the reader into reading more of her essay. â€Å"Evan. Evan’s mom. Evan’s other mom. A kid, a psychologist, a pediatrician. A family† (Quindlen 410), The concise statements build anticipation, which is concluded with what the writer wants the reader to accept as a fact; Evan and his two moms are a family. The example of the Minnesota appeals court gives a real life example of a gay partnership trying to earn the same benefits as spouses. When one adds a public event such as the Minnesota appeal court case to private struggles like those couples who have to go from lawyer to lawyer to approximate legal protections their straight counterparts take for granted, as well as those AIDS survivors who are shut out of th eir partner’s dying days by biological family members, only one solution is obvious (Quindlen 410). Here, Quindlen appeal to the readers emotions and captures the reader on a personal level by giving an example of a person who is being shut out of the... ...e sex were not entitled to legally commit themselves to each other† (Quindlen 411). The quote from Quindlen herself shows sarcasm and serves as a reality check for those who take a negative radical notion on gay marriage. She describes that twenty-five years from now, this debate will be as ridiculous as white and black marriage was twenty five years ago. In Evan’s Two Moms, Anna Quindlen incorporates ethos, pathos and logos to gain the readers’ trustworthiness and for them to agree on the way she feels about gay marriage. Also, her structure and tone show the reader that she has planned her argument and ties in court cases to support her argument. Quindlens’ tone and language also helps the reader to comprehend Quindlens’ argument and point that if two people are in love, no matter their sex, they should be able to live the same lifestyle as any other spouse.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Feminism Essay -- essays research papers

I have been exposed to many forms of feminism. Many different ideas, concepts, and situations have been brought to my attention, enabling me to formulate my own loose definition of feminism, and to take those concepts with me to utilize in my life as a woman in order to obtain the life I deserve. To first understand feminism, one must be aware of the factors and forces that made—and still make—the fight for women’s rights such a relevant necessity. For example, women are mistreated and undervalued in athletics. Sharon Lennon, author of What is Mine, was taught this lesson young, as an excellent female softball player on a male team. After asking to play catcher in a game, the coach responded, â€Å"All right†¦but you’ll have to wear a cup† (Lennon, 215). This continues through less attention and money allotted to female teams, as well as fewer and lower-valued scholarships for female athletes. In academics, women also suffer from sexism at the hands of sexist males in higher positions. In her essay High School Lowdown Miranda J. Van Gelder recounts numerous clear cut instances of such sexist acts as male teachers asking female students to lift up their skirts, making comments referring to the girls taking their ‘rightful place in the kitchen,’ and referring to girls by demeaning pet names (Van Gelder, 305). According to Myra and David Sadker’s â€Å"Failing at Fairness,† boys receive more challenging questions, more attention from the teacher, and more helpful feedback. From elementary through college, girls receive less and lower quantity instruction, fewer scholarships, and suffer economic penalties after college: ‘female’ jobs are poorly, while women in ‘male’ jobs are still paid less then men in the exact same jobs (Sadker, 90). Inequality is clearly and painfully evident in the workforce. Twelve million women work full time in jobs which pay below the minimum wage. White women received only 71.2% of a white man’s earnings as of 1995, while Hispanic and black women only made between approximately 53% and 64% of a white man’s salary (Wage Gap, 86). While women comprise up to 50% of professional employees, they hold less than 5% of the upper level and senior management positions. As Mary Mattis found out, â€Å"60% of human resource managers who participated in [her] study reported that putting women in line jobs was perceived as risky† (Lopez, 82). it can only be â€Å"pe... ...efforts, seeing more suffering than benefits, knowing the benefit will grace their posterity. These amendments and revolutions must also be in the benefit of a diverse group of women, embracing them all; otherwise, feminism could not be called a fight for women’s rights if it left any women unaccounted for and uncared for. women are separated when diversity is mishandled and ignored. Not all women’s experience are going to be the same, and just because they are not the same does not mean that one is not just as valid as the next. From this class and my comprehension of its content, I have seen my own compliance to patriarchal enforced ideals and I have begun to challenge that. My speech, thought processes, and confidence have already been effected and are reflecting the evidence of my new knowledge. I will push for what is withheld from me but that I deserve as a woman. I am holding me head higher, knowing that I am worthy of better treatment than I receive. I will stop visualizing myself as I appear to others when I walk into a room, analyzing my every move myself! I deserve to be respected, not treated as an object, either by strangers†¦.or myself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Spain Essay -- essays research papers

Spain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spain, a country occupying the greater part of the Iberian Peninsula, and bounded on the north by the Bay of Biscay, France, and Andorra, and on the east by the Mediterranean Sea. The Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa are governed as provinces of Spain. Also, Spain administers two small exclaves in Morocco—Ceuta and Melilla. The area of Spain, including the African and insular territories, is 194,885 sq mi. Madrid is the capital and largest city. Population The Spanish people are essentially a mixture of the indigenous peoples of the Iberian Peninsula with the successive peoples who conquered the peninsula and occupied it for extended periods. These added ethnologic elements include the Romans, a Mediterranean people, and the Suevi, Vandals, and Visigoths, Teutonic peoples. Semitic elements are also present. Population Characteristics The population of Spain at the 1991 census was 38,872,268. The estimate for 1995 is 39,276,000, giving the country an overall density of about 202 per sq mi. Spain is increasingly urban, with more than 80 percent of the population in towns and cities. Principal Cities The capital and largest city is Madrid (population, greater city, 1991, 3,010,492), also the capital of Madrid autonomous region; the second largest city, chief port, and commercial center is Barcelona, capital of Barcelona province and Catalonia region. Other important cities include Valencia, capital of Valencia province and Valencia region, a manufacturing and railroad center; Seville, a cultural center; Saragossa, and Bilbao (369,839), a busy port. Religion Roman Catholicism is professed by about 97 percent of the population. The country is divided into 11 metropolitan and 52 suffragan sees. In addition, the archdioceses of Barcelona and Madrid are directly responsible to the Holy See. Formerly, Roman Catholicism was the established church, but the 1978 constitution decreed that Spain shall have no state religion, while recognizing the role of the Roman Catholic church in Spanish society. There are small communities of Protestants, Jews, and Muslims. Higher Education Spanish institutions of higher education enrolled nearly 1.3 million students in the early 1990s. The major universities of Spain include the University of Madrid, the Polytech... ...ed the ETA, which stepped up its terrorist activities. Meanwhile, Catalans pushed for greater control over local affairs, and demanded greater language rights. The use of Catalan and nationalist sentiments increased in and around Barcelona. The Galicians consistently distanced themselves from Madrid, though ethnoregionalism remained weaker in Galicia than in either Catalonia or Basque Country. Suà ¡rez governed through consensus, consulting all nonextremist parties when formulating basic policy. Catalonia and the Basque Country were granted home rule, and their languages were officially recognized. The constitution extended similar privileges to 15 other regions. Thus, the movement toward political centralization begun by Ferdinand and Isabella some 500 years earlier was reversed, and a â€Å"Spain of autonomous communities† was created. In recent years, concerns over Spain's environmental problems have grown. The country has experienced increased air-pollution problems in Madrid and along the northeastern coast, water pollution in agricultural and coastal areas, and soil erosion. Controversies arose over rapid development along the Mediterranean coast and threats to scenic attractions.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Our Daily Bread Essay

Our Daily Bread, as the title suggests this is not about bread, as I hoped it was. Rather it’s about people earning their bread, their livelihood. The term ‘bread’ is derived from the larger term ‘bread-winner’ as the one who is the primary provider of the household, and the ‘daily bread’ is simply referring their daily livelihood. As my time spent in the US, I often used to wonder how the different food companies were able to produce mass amount of food to keep the population fed. This movie is the answer and the revelation of how food is produced in Europe and the Western hemisphere. The film starts off as we get a glimpse of daily sanitation rituals being carried off at a meat farm. The different scenes show us to transportation of livestock, machine assisted watering of plants, and a conveyor belt at a poultry farm where they separate the males from the female chickens (I know this as I have seen this done before in a different settin g). The machinery at poultry farm shows precision and efficiency as it sorts the young chicks into moving bins. The vaccination routine is also machine assisted which increases efficiency and production for the poultry farm. After few seconds, the young chicks have grown and we are shown the worker feeding them. The shot transitions into a break room where the worker is on a break with bread and tea, all alone. Next, we get the scene from a vegetable farm. A tractor picks the potatoes from the ground. Next shot, the workers prepare and wear protective gears to apply pesticides and fertilizers to the plants. But most of the work is done by machine assistance, needing almost no human intervention. It seems as the vegetables are being grown inside a greenhouse setting which allows vegetables to be grown all year long, without any weather restrictions. The only human labour being done is picking of the ripened vegetables. After work, the worker seem to be enjoying a small break, again alone. Now we see a bull and a cow where it seems breeding is in process. A closer look and we find that the workers are actually collecting the sperm. We find the sperm is transferred to medical examinations, I don’t kn ow exactly why but possibility could be to efficiently use the sperms to fertilize every fertile egg they can afford without any loss. And of course, we see a healthy calf being born. But it is pretty amusing to see how the cow was cut open and the calf was pulled out, how could that really be possible? How much medication could the animal be on since it wasn’t moving or making any noise as such? And are there any advantages of this type of birth for animal? Next, we see a series of shots of men in tractors who are doing farm work with machine assistance. This shows the efficiency that is earned by machine which helps humans achieve more with less time spent and more time to spend on luxury, or more work. We return back to the poultry farm, the egg farming room to be exact. The eggs are hatched and due to the design, they are conveniently accessible by the farmers to pick. A worker is shown to be holding a chicken as he walks around the egg farm, possibly to warn other hens who don’t lay eggs. In actual note, he maybe was checking for chickens which are dead. In the next shot, the workers are transported to a huge plantation to harvest crops growing under the ground, only time where tractors aren’t used. This is possibly the first time where machine use is limited to just watering the plants. Now we are shown our way to a pig farm. They are transported on a line into a machine where they are slaughtered by a machine. The human labour is limited to keep the line moving and in order. The machines are also used for most of the heavy work as boiling the skin and dissecting the pigs open. The human job is limited to cleaning up whatever else the machines may have left out and separating internal parts. We are also shown the marvel of modern technology with a biplane is used to fertilize the crops. There are also shots of heavy machinery usage in farms. Then we see a moving harvest truck where the outside workers are picking the vegetables and inside simply packaging them . Now we move to a cow-ranch. The cows are milked by machines in a rotating carousel. The cows don’t seem to mind so much, as it seems to be part of their daily routine. Next, a visit to the deep underground salt mines where machines are used to do most of the heavy work such as carrying out the salt from place to place and outside the mine itself. A transition moves from underground to underwater as we see a fish-farm where hundreds and hundreds of fishes are seen in a small area. This also makes it easier for the huge pipe to suck out the fishes from the water and into the boat. They are transported to a factory where humans align the fishes to feed into the machines. Apparently the machines haven’t learned to distinguish the fish head from the tail, yet. The fishes are cut and cleaned by series of machines and then moved onto another human where he puts them on another machine to move them to another section. Here, the worker seems pretty bored of the routine task he h as, perhaps feeling like the machine at this point because of his job task. Next we see bunch of workers cleaning the fish for final prep before shipping them out. Now we come to a pig-farm. The two series of shots seems interesting as the first represented insemination of pigs by tube and next shows the piglets born in captivity, just like ‘The Matrix’. Just like in the movies, they grow up and the next shot seems as if the male pigs were being castrated. One can only understand why so, as they don’t want to overproduce and give out the employees any bonuses. Or maybe not. The next series of shots show how chicken and cattle are prepared for consumption; as they are killed by the machines with little or less human effort required in the process. The final shot shows the end of the day routine- how everything is cleaned and sanitized for the next day of work. Despite all this, the workers in all places couldn’t wait for their daily bread, their hard earned break from their work. Perhaps the routine manner of their tasks has become so innate to them that they don’t seem to mind how their own food is being produced. For me, it was a bit amusing and shocking to see the conditions of animals but maybe after a few more views, I wouldn’t mind it either. This movie shows the heavy usage of machinery used in the production of food, be it salt, pigs, chicken, vegetables, fish, or pigs. It was also amusing, in a way, to see how breeding had gone into the next level by scientific usage to effectively get their result financially and also in economic ways to feed the ever growing world population. It seemed as almost if humans were not the only ones alienated from nature, but also the animals which were being artificially inseminated and mutilated against their wills. The workers didn’t seem to care much for what they were doing either, as long as it made their breads. It seemed as they had been trained to do this for so long that they were used to it- like machines with machine hearts and machine minds. In another view, the unnatural size of the bulls in the breeding house seemed as if they were so-much genetically engineered to produce the maximum amount of meat possible. Perhaps they had mixed something in the dry grass that was being blown into their small cages they were put-in. The growing population also has seemed to affect the unnatural process by which plants were grown with usages of pesticides and fertilizers. The use of greenhouses portrays, in a way, the plant’s alienation from nature as it was now possible to grow all plants in any weather or conditions. The absence of narration or subtitles leaves the movie-watcher to make their own conclusion and perspective. The filmmaker, as I understand, doesn’t want to change our habits but simply be aware of the ways in how the planet is being fed. If anything, this should be seen by as many people as possible to make them aware of the status of food production and the status of the subjects which are involved in the food production i.e. humans, plants and animals alike. I must say some of the scenes in the movie are quiet disturbing but that is the current status of our population and food production required to feed them.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Philippine Literature

A Brief archives of Philippine belles-lettres in slope I. Pre-compound period of time Consisted of too soon Filipino lit passed down oral examly oral trances thrust acommunalauthorship it was problematical to trace the veritable author of the piece since oral books did non center on ownership or copyright, rather on the act of explanationtelling itself Many oral pieces became lost in the wave of the fresh-fashi aned literary find brought about by the Spanish colonization however, according to theFilipino belles-lettres A History & vitamin A Anthology, incline Edition (Lumbera, B. amp Lumbera C. ), the pre-colonial percentage point of Philippine writings is considered the longest in the democracys history publications in this period is based on tradition, reflecting daily invigoration activities such as ho handlingwork, farming, fishing, hunting, and taking c be of the children as puff up Oral pieces told stories which explained heroes and their adven tures they attempted to explain definite natural phenomena, and, at the same time, served as entertainment purposes Pre-colonial lit showed indisputable elements that associate the Filipino flori shade to other south-east Asian countries (e. g. oral pieces which were per beed through a tribal dance lay down certain(a) similarities to the Malay dance) This period in Philippine literature history represented the ethos of the bulk before the arrival of a enormous cultural model literature as a cultural tradition, than a sour of art that had a particular none of decorum. Early Forms of Philippine Literature Bugtong (riddles a bugtong contains a metaphor c eithered,Talinghaga), Salawikain (pr overb) o Pre-colonial rime Tanaga (expresses a view or a value of the demesne), Ambahan (songs about childhood, hu populace comparisonships, hospitality sung by the Mangyan), Duplo (verbal jousts/games), Bayok (thoughts about love), Balagtasan (perform on stage) o Epic po esy amorous heroes and heroines that argon a reflection of the world as perceived by the early Filipinos. Notable workings of the Pre-colonial Period o Tuwaang, Lam-ang, Hinilawod, BantuganII. Spanish Colonial Period (Mid-16th latish 19th century) The Spanish culture, as reflected in the work of this literature period, showed a clashing with the pre-colonial Filipino literature in the beginning. provided, overdue to the length of stay of the colonizers, the Spanish culture was in the end imbued in the Filipino literature of the period Religion became an important prow that had influenced the early Filipino writings which had the armorial bearing of paganism Christian Folk-Tale In addition, the influence of religion, besides on the daily life of the natives, was lead by the friar/missioner/parish priest who were appointed by the Spanish government Despite the goal of the Spanish government to turn the country into a full-fledged European colony, the Spanish inf luence ironically inspired a reclamation from the natives, which eventually turned into a diversity Yet regardless of the conflicts that plagued the relationship amongst the Spaniards and the Filipinos, a sense of guinea pigism was formed among the loaded, and had caused them to rise up to a nationalistic cause Theessaymusic writing style was recognise amidst the scene of editorial protest Jose Rizal and Plaridel (Marcelo H. Del Pilar) were among those who take in using the pen in voicing out the peoples cry instead of the s contrive gate of the roman alphabet that gradually replaced the alibata The Filipino literature of this period became the predecessor of legion(predicate) more literary work to conform to in the ages, wherein the theme of nationalism and liberty of speech would be evident. Philippine Literature and Art during the Spanish Period Pasyon and Sinakulo (religious gambols performed during the saintly Week) o Narrative Poems Awit Corrido o Komed ya a theatrical performance which captured the ideal European lifestyle as portrayed by medieval characters Notable Works of the Spanish Period o Doctrina Christiana (1593) the initiative discussion ever promulgated in the Philippines printed by the Domini atomic number 50 Press o whitethorn Bagyo Mat May Rilim according to literary historian, Bienvenido Lumbera, is the first printed literary work in Tagalog o Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong P.Natin na Tola (1704) eventually rivalred to as Pasyon, was pen by Gaspar Aquino de Belen an example of Christian house epic in which the passion of deliin truth boy Christ was compose in relation with the plight of the Filipino people who were oppressed by the colonizers, as sanitary as the values of a Filipino o Ninay (1885) first Filipino novel pen Pedro Paterno o Florante at Laura Francisco Balagtas Baltazar though in that respect ar symbols and themes which dictate the protest of the Filipino against the Spani sh regime, it is uncertain as to whether or non Balagtas had intended the issue which was subtly derived from his work since he left no notes or additional pieces hat whitethorn affirm the conclusion o Noli Me Tangere (1887) and El Filibusterismo (1891) Jose Rizal work which forced an impact on the national consciousness and love for ones country against the abusive government of the Spaniards o La Solidaridad Propagandist sunrise(prenominal)spaper. III. American Colonial Period (Late 19th Mid-20th century) The gradual worsening of the Philippine literature pen in Spanish The English actors line eventually became the medium of writing and instruction in schools As the Spanish colonizers left the country in accordance with the Treaty of Paris, the expression of nationalism and the desire to be hold of independence did not disappear vindicatory yet. Instead, these uniting forces geared into revolting against the peeled colonizers During the American colonization period, Philippine literature reflected the ethos of its people under a new role.However, these day-to-day experiences under a new foreign influence, as well as sentiments, were expressed through the English language The Spanish sarsuwela was eventually replaced by the dramatic event One major(ip)(ip) influence of the American occupation on the Filipino literature is its refining in the context of the cognitive content and the form. Furthermore, because of this broadened knowledge on the field of literature through the education generated by the American government, Philippine literature has become more than a tradition formed by culture. It has become an art which succeeding poets, fictionists, and playwrights quell to build upon and enrich in all generation Beginning with Rizals use of social realism as one of the major hemes for his ii major novels, the literature during the American colonization withal became an involvement, not just reflecting the Filipino experience a strengthened sense of nationalism deep seeded in the Filipino assumption and culture Unlike in the Spanish colonization period wherein female writers (e. g. Gregoria de Jesus) were overshadowed by their more dominant, male contemporaries as a result of the education hardly being provided to a selected and privileged most during the American occupation, women have had their opportunity to sharpen their talent by being enlightened on the craft. In addition, the ontogeny popularity of works written by Filipina writers is the result of the growing audience appreciating literature by females. Philippine Literature and Art during the American Period o Short Story o meter in English o Free Verse in Poetry o fun Notable Works of the American Period o Mga Agos sa Disyerto (1964) Efren R. Abueg, Edgardo M. Reyes, Eduardo Bautista Reyes, Rogelio L. Ordonez and Rogelio R. Sikat this mulct story anthology brought fiction into the age of modernness o Ako ang Daigdig (194 0) Alejandro G. Abadilla free poetise line poem o Sa Dakong Silangan Jose Corazon de Jesus a poem written in the vernacular http//lourdesbraceros. weebly. com/a- sketch-history-of-philippine-literature-in-english. hypertext mark-up languagePhilippine LiteratureLiterature(fromLatinlitterae(plural)letter) is theartofwritten workand can, in some circumstances, refer exclusively to published sources. The wordliteratureliterally sum things made from garner and thepars pro toto statuslettersis sometimes used to mention literature, as in thefigures of speech artsand letters and man of letters. Literature is parking arealy sort out as having two major formsfiction and non-fictionand two major techniques poem and prose.Literature may comprise of texts based on factual selective information (journalistic or non-fiction), as well as on original imagination, such aspolemicalworks as well asautobiography, and reflective essays as well asbelles-lettres. Literature can be classified according to historic periods, genres, and political influences. The fantasy ofgenre, which earlier was limited, has broadened over the centuries. A genre consists of artistic works which fall deep down a certain central theme, and examples of genre includeromance,mystery,crime,fantasy,erotica, andadventure, among others.Important historic periods inEnglish literatureincludeOld English, shopping centre English, theRenaissance, the 17th nose candyShakespeareanandElizabethantimes, the 18th light speedRestoration, 19th vitamin CVictorian, and 20th hundredModernism. Important political movements that have influenced literature includefeminism,post-colonialism,psychoanalysis,post-structuralism,post-modernism,romanticism, andMarxism. Literatures trinity main divisions When nearly people let out of literature they may be lecture about short-change stories, novels, poems, verse, odes, plays, tragedies, even limericks.This all-embracing variety of harm describing types of litera ture, at first, appears overwhelming. However figuring all of this out is change when you take into billhook that the menagerie of types begins with leash major paradigms prose, poetry, and drama. Prose Proseis derived from a Latin groundwork word,prosa, that means honest (other scholars argue that the root for prose isproversa oratio,which means honest discourse. Prose is generally delimitate as direct, frequent language presented in a square(a) manner. A dupe ofidentity by negation,prose is frequently specify as that which is not poetry. Prose demonstrates purposeful grammatic design in that it is constructed strategically by the author to create specific heart. Prose also containsplotand the legal tender record structures of plot. In most cultures, prose level tends to appear afterward a culture has developedverse. Prosegenresare many and varied, ranging from light fiction to romance. The major generic divisions of prose are * novel A lengthy fictitious prose n arrative. * novella A fictional prose narrative ranging from 50 to speed of light pages, most common in learning fiction and scout fiction. * short story a brief fictional prose narrative. tale A very brief visor of some interesting, usually humorous, event. Poetry Poetry, from the classicalpoeteswhich means means or creator, is a catch-all term that is utilize to any form of cadenced or metrical composition. slice poetry is considered to be a subset ofverse(and also considered to be superior to verse) twain are rhythmical/metrical. What distinguishes poetry from verse is its imaginative quality, involved structure, serious or lofty survey matter, or dread purpose. Most cultures first serious literary works are poetry (In western sandwich tradition, we need olfactory modality only as far as Homer and Hesiod).The purposes of poetry are utter to include 1. Adidacticpurpose, meaning that it aims to instruct the reader. 2. rummy sagacity that is not available in oth er genres. 3. To provide pleasure to the reader. 4. To gain vigor the reader to some higher insight or meaning. Drama Drama, is simply a work that is written to be performed on stage by actors. From the Greekdran, meaning to do, drama is thought to have developed from antediluvian patriarch religious ceremonies. For instance, Greekcomedyis traced to ancient fertility rites. disaster(which comes from the Greek wordPhilippine LiteratureLiterature(fromLatinlitterae(plural)letter) is theartofwritten workand can, in some circumstances, refer exclusively to published sources. The wordliteratureliterally means things made from letters and thepars pro tototermlettersis sometimes used to signify literature, as in thefigures of speechartsand letters and man of letters. Literature is commonly classified as having two major formsfiction and non-fictionand two major techniquespoetry and prose.Literature may consist of texts based on factual information (journalistic or non-fiction), as well as on original imagination, such aspolemicalworks as well asautobiography, and reflective essays as well asbelles-lettres. Literature can be classified according to historical periods, genres, and political influences. The concept ofgenre, which earlier was limited, has broadened over the centuries. A genre consists of artistic works which fall within a certain central theme, and examples of genre includeromance,mystery,crime,fantasy,erotica, andadventure, among others.Important historical periods inEnglish literatureincludeOld English,Middle English, theRenaissance, the 17th CenturyShakespeareanandElizabethantimes, the 18th CenturyRestoration, 19th CenturyVictorian, and 20th CenturyModernism. Important political movements that have influenced literature includefeminism,post-colonialism,psychoanalysis,post-structuralism,post-modernism,romanticism, andMarxism. Literatures three main divisions When most people speak of literature they may be talking about short stories, novels, poems, verse, odes, plays, tragedies, even limericks.This wide variety of terms describing types of literature, at first, appears overwhelming. However figuring all of this out is simplified when you take into account that the menagerie of types begins with three major paradigms prose, poetry, and drama. Prose Proseis derived from a Latin root word,prosa, that means straightforward (other scholars argue that the root for prose isproversa oratio,which means straightforward discourse. Prose is generally defined as direct, common language presented in a straightforward manner. A victim ofidentity by negation,prose is frequently defined as that which is not poetry. Prose demonstrates purposeful grammatic design in that it is constructed strategically by the author to create specific meaning. Prose also containsplotand the attendant narrative structures of plot. In most cultures, prose narrative tends to appear after a culture has developedverse. Prosegenresare many and varied, ranging from science fiction to romance. The major generic divisions of prose are * novel A lengthy fictional prose narrative. * novella A fictional prose narrative ranging from 50 to 100 pages, most common in science fiction and detective fiction. * short story a brief fictional prose narrative. anecdote A very brief account of some interesting, usually humorous, event. Poetry Poetry, from the Greekpoeteswhich means doer or creator, is a catch-all term that is applied to any form of rhythmical or metrical composition. While poetry is considered to be a subset ofverse(and also considered to be superior to verse) both are rhythmical/metrical. What distinguishes poetry from verse is its imaginative quality, intricate structure, serious or lofty subject matter, or noble purpose. Most cultures first serious literary works are poetry (In Western tradition, we need look only as far as Homer and Hesiod).The purposes of poetry are said to include 1. Adidacticpurpose, meaning that it aims to instruct th e reader. 2. Unique insight that is not available in other genres. 3. To provide pleasure to the reader. 4. To uplift the reader to some higher insight or meaning. Drama Drama, is simply a work that is written to be performed on stage by actors. From the Greekdran, meaning to do, drama is thought to have developed from ancient religious ceremonies. For instance, Greekcomedyis traced to ancient fertility rites. Tragedy(which comes from the Greek word