Italy Geograpy Essays - Italy, Southern Europe, Pasta, Pesto

Italy Geograpy Italy is a country in southern Europe. It is located in the Mediterranean region. Italy is a peninsula that has the Tyrrhenlan Sea to its west, the Adriatic Sea to its east, and the Lonian Sea to its southeast. Austria and Switzerland border Italy to the north. France borders Italy to the northwest. The Capital of Italy is Rome, also the largest city. The official language of Italy is Italian. About 98% of the people in Italy are Roman Catholic. The pope lives in Rome. Italy is 116,320 sq. miles. In 1994 the population estimate was about 57,107,000 (491 per sq. mile). Italy's official name is Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic). The National Anthem is Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy). Central and southern Italy have hot summers with day time temperatures that reach 86*F. The winters are mild and daytime temperatures reach 54*F. Northern Italy is slightly cooler in the summer than the rest of the country. However, it is much cooler in winter. The lowest annual amount of rain fall on record in Italy is 18 in. The highest annual amount of rain fall on record is 60 in. Italians pride themselves on their wonderful cooking. For example Naples is known for plain pizza crust and stuffed peppers. Genoa is known for gnocchi al pesto (tiny dumplings with basil and garlic sauce), and trenette (a kind of long, narrow noodle). Italians aremostly famous for wide varieties of pastas and sauces. Italy's form of government is parliamentary democracy. The head of the government is the Prime Minister. The head of the state is a president who is elected by the Parliament for a seven year term. Italy does foreign trade with Germany, France, United States, Britain, and the Netherlands. Italy's major exported goods are clothing and shoes, motor vehicles, machinery, chemicals, and fruits and vegetables. The value of exported goods and services is about $157,102,000,000. Italy's major imports are machinery, petroleum, motor vehicles, textile yarns, and metals. The value of imported goods is about $158,181,000,000. Italy's agricultural chief products are grapes, wheat, beef cattle, hogs, olives,corn, oranges, and tomatoes. Its manufacturing chief products are clothing and shoes, foods and beverages, motor vehicles, petroleum products, machinery, and chemicals. Italy's mining chief products are natural gas, granite, and marble.Italy is a country in southern Europe. It is located in the Mediterranean region. Italy is a peninsula that has the Tyrrhenlan Sea to its west, the Adriatic Sea to its east, and the Lonian Sea to its southeast. Austria and Switzerland border Italy to the north. France borders Italy to the northwest. The Capital of Italy is Rome, also the largest city. The official language of Italy is Italian. About 98% of the people in Italy are Roman Catholic. The pope lives in Rome. Italy is 116,320 sq. miles. In 1994 the population estimate was about 57,107,000 (491 per sq. mile). Italy's official name is Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic). The National Anthem is Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy). Central and southern Italy have hot summers with day time temperatures that reach 86*F. The winters are mild and daytime temperatures reach 54*F. Northern Italy is slightly cooler in the summer than the rest of the country. However, it is much cooler in winter. The lowest annual amount of rain fall on record in Italy is 18 in. The highest annual amount of rain fall on record is 60 in. Italians pride themselves on their wonderful cooking. For example Naples is known for plain pizza crust and stuffed peppers. Genoa is known for gnocchi al pesto (tiny dumplings with basil and garlic sauce), and trenette (a kind of long, narrow noodle). Italians aremostly famous for wide varieties of pastas and sauces. Italy's form of government is parliamentary democracy. The head of the government is the Prime Minister. The head of the state is a president who is elected by the Parliament for a seven year term. Italy does foreign trade with Germany, France, United States, Britain, and the Netherlands. Italy's major exported goods are clothing and shoes, motor vehicles, machinery, chemicals, and fruits and vegetables. The value of exported goods and services is about $157,102,000,000. Italy's major imports are machinery, petroleum, motor vehicles, textile yarns, and metals. The value of imported goods is about $158,181,000,000. Italy's

Wilbur and Orville Wright Essays

Wilbur and Orville Wright Essays Wilbur and Orville Wright Essay Wilbur and Orville Wright Essay On December 17, 1903, air power history was made when two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, succeeded in the test of the first powered heavier-than-air flight outside of the town of Kitty Hawk in the American province of North Carolina ( Smithsonian Institution, 2010 ) . Word of this flight would distribute around the Earth and it would be credited as the beginning of the air power industry. Born near Millville, Indiana, in 1867, Wilbur was the first of the brace to come in the universe as the 3rd kid of Milton and Susan ( nee. Koerner ) , with Orville following four old ages subsequently as the 4th kid, being born in Dayton, Ohio. The brothers had an uneventful childhood, but one event that they would remember as the initial flicker of their involvement in flying’ ( Crouch, 2003 ) would be a plaything helicopter’ , based on the work of Gallic aviator Alphonse Penaud, that their male parent brought place from his occupational traveling in 1878. Made from paper and bamboo, the brothers played with it until it broke and so made another to replace it. After they had reached maturity, the state of the United States of America had been in a bike fad due to the innovation of the safety bike. The brothers took advantage of this and during the December of 1896 opened the Wright Cycle Exchange ( U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, 2003 ) , which was used to supply financess towards their involvement in flight. With intelligence of sailplane flights by three work forces around the mid 1890s, Otto Lilienthal, Samuel Langley and Octave Chanute, and later the decease of Lilienthal in an accident, set in the brothers’ heads, Wilbur wrote to the Smithsonian Institution ( Wright, 1899 ) bespeaking information about astronauticss. After roll uping the mention stuff requested from the Smithsonian, including the plant of Leonardo da Vinci, Lilienthal, Langley and Chanute, every bit good as other beginnings, the brothers studied the plants of their predecessors, detecting the fact that small advancement had been made in astronauticss befo re 1800, despite man’s antique involvement in flight ( Smithsonian Institution et Al ) . The brothers favoured Lilienthal’s scheme, and planned to prove sailplanes before get downing on proving powered flight in order to get the hang control, with the belief that a successful, and safe, flight could be achieved with a dependable method of pilot control. ( Crouch et Al ) Despite holding with Lilienthal’s scheme, they did differ with his manner of control, and were determined to happen something more efficient. An thought that was thought by them to be good is banking, or propensity, likewise to the manner birds fly, every bit good as a bicycler, while leting recovery from leaning from air current. The find of flying warping, which allowed them to accomplish the same consequence, was by Wilbur idly writhing a long inner-tube box at the bike shop’ ( Tobin, 2004 ) . Flying warping was so tested on a five pes biplane kite, in which the warping was controlled via four affiliated cords. In 1900, they went to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to get down manned testing of the sailplanes. This location was chosen due to Wilbur bespeaking weather informations from the US Weather Bureau ( Wright, 1903 ) , recommendation from Chanute, its isolation and the fact that it was the closest suited site to Dayton. The sailplanes were based on old sailplane designs, every bit good as their kite. The basic design that was adopted was the Chanute-Herring biplane bent sailplane ( Jakab, 1997 ) . Of the three different designs tested, the first two did non include any kind of tail, due to an wrong premise by Wilbur ( Wright, 1901 ) . The first theoretical account of their sailplanes ( besides referred to as the 1900 sailplane ) was flown like a kite, with few of the trials holding the trade manned, and was ab initio used to prove flying falsifying. Wilbur did make some free glide, nevertheless. The undermentioned twelvemonth brought a new theoretical account of sailplane, with a larger wing country and more trial flights being made to it. The development of the 3rd and concluding sailplane theoretical account, the 1902 sailplane, involved proving 200 different wings in a basic air current tunnel, which led to the find of the benefit of a larger aspect ratio. Finally, the sailplane was built, with a larger flying span once more and now with the inclusion of a rudder to help turning ( Howard, 1988 ) . It besides marked the terminal of the usage of informations gathered by Lilienthal, and alternatively used chiefly data the Wright brothers collected themselves, every bit good as a major milepost in the signifier of accomplishing full control for the pilot. 1903 saw the building of the Wright Flyer, which would be the first powered aircraft to be flown. Using wooden propellors and with a peak efficiency of 82 per centum ( modern wooden propellors have peak efficiency of 85 per centum ) , these were one time once more designed under air current tunnel proving. The engine had ended being built by the machinist of their bike store, Charlie Taylor, after several engine makers failed to run into the brother’s demands ( Crouch et Al ) . This engine was a less sophisticated theoretical account of modern fuel injection systems, and was made from aluminum to maintain weight down. When eventually completed, the Wright Flyer came in at a weight of 274 kgs, sported a 12 horsepower engine and cost less than one thousand dollars ( Tobin et al ) . Come the twenty-four hours of December 14 at their cantonment in the nearby Kill Devil Hills, Wilbur won the coin flip that led him to be the pilot of the first of all time powered heavier-than-air flight, even though the flight merely lasted three seconds and had damaged the trade ( Kelly, 2002 ) . Following flights after fixs had been made, though, had lasted longer, with Orville’s first flight enduring twelve seconds with a distance of 37 meters travelled, and the concluding flight on December 17 measured to be 852 pess ; the clip of the flight was 59 seconds’ ( Kelly, 1943 ) . Those first three seconds of flight, nevertheless, were the most of import, as one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of world was accomplished at that clip. Bibliography Crouch, Tom D.The Bishop s Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright. New York: W. W. Norton A ; Company, 2003. ISBN 0-393-30695-X. Wilbur Wright May 30, 1899 Letter to Smithsonian. Smithsonian Scrapbook: Letterss from the Archives. Retrieved: February 25 2014. The Wright Brothers A ; The Invention of the Aerial Age. Smithsonian Institution.Retrieved: February 25 2014. The Van Cleve Bicycle that the Wrights Built and Sold. U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission,2003. Retrieved: February 26 2014. Tobin, James.To Suppress The Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight. New York: Simon A ; Schuster, 2004. ISBN 0-7432-5536-4. Telegram from Orville Wright in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to His Father Announcing Four Successful Flights, 1903 December 17 . World Digital Library. 1903-12-17. Jakab, Peter L.Visions of a Flying Machine: The Wright Brothers and the Process of Invention( Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight Series ) . Washington, D.C. : Smithsonian, 1997. ISBN 1-56098-748-0. Wright, Wilbur. Some Aeronautical Experiments. Western Society of Engineers,September 18, 1901. Kelly, Fred C. , erectile dysfunction.Miracle At Kitty Hawk, The Letters of Wilbur A ; Orville Wright. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002. ISBN 0-306-81203-7. Howard, Fred,Wilbur And Orville: A Biography of the Wright Brothers. New York: Ballantine Books, 1988. ISBN 0-345-35393-5. Kelly, Fred C.The Wright Brothers: A Biography Authorized by Orville Wright. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, originally published in 1943, 1989. ISBN 0-486-26056-9.

Management Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management Project - Essay Example The paper includes an in-dept analysis of the four important aspects of management (planning, organizing controlling and leading) in the context of PNR. It also provides a brief description regarding the products and operations of the company. The company overview PNR Private Ltd has been involved in the business of tyres that are mainly used in two wheelers. It produces tyres for two wheelers especially for the motor cycles. It is been almost seven years that the company is manufacturing and selling tyres. Its main customers include some of the local as well as global two wheeler manufacturers. Furthermore, there is a strong network of dealers that sell the products to the individual customers. In the last year PNR’s annual revenue reached almost $100M. However the company’s performance was badly hit by the recent global financial crisis that rocked most of the developed economies in the world especially the US and UK economy. As the demand of cars and bikes was signif icantly lowered due to this global crisis, tyre industry was also remarkably affected. Being a part of this industry PNR also experienced a tough time when its annual revenue was gone down by almost 10% in the year 2008-2009. However, with recovery of global economy PNR has also improved its performance. At present the company employs almost 100 individuals. The management of PNR gives significant importance on the quality and innovation of the product. The company’s main objective is to take the customer satisfaction level to a new high that will help the company to meet its annual target of revenue easily on a regular basis. Over the years ‘Innovation’ has been the key to PNR’s success. The company has plans to invest significant amount of resources in the research and development section. A new production plant with state-of-the art technology and advanced research and development facilities is likely to come up in near future. The company’s visi on is to become the market leader in two wheeler tyre industry by means of high degree of innovation and customer satisfaction. In PNR it is believed that management is a concept that is neither solely science nor solely arts, but it is a blend of both. In the present business world which is intensely competitive, organizations fail to succeed if they do not focus on innovation, research and development. Today, most of the managerial decisions are taken after conducting extensive marketing as well as financial research. If management is looked at from this perspective then it can be considered as more of science rather than arts. However, on the other hand management is also about art of convincing and communicating with the staffs. According to Basu, â€Å"management is getting things done through and with others† (Basu, Business Organisation And Management). This statement reflects that art is an important component of management. The management of PNR admits these facts an d believes that management is the combination of both science and art. The next section provides a clear picture of the four important aspects of management i.e. planning, leading, organizing and controlling in the context of PNR. Planning SWOT Analysis SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities) Analysis is a strategic tool that is widely used across all the industry. PNR’s main strength is its strong customer base. Despite

To examine what entrepreneurial activities Abbey properties UK used to Thesis

To examine what entrepreneurial activities Abbey properties UK used to survive the recession from 2007 - 2010 - Thesis Example In this paper, we are going to examine what entrepreneurial activities Abbey properties UK used to survive the recession from 2007 – 2010. The main objective is to find out what challenges business, then real estate companies face during and as a result of the recession. The paper will as well look at entrepreneurial strategies put in place by small real estate companies in the UK to counter effect of recession and provide a model that can aid the understanding of entrepreneurial activities practices by real estate firms. Abbey Properties is a big, well founded, independent real estate agency. The agency has been in operation for over 27 years covering areas in North West and Central London. Abbey Properties specializes in residential sale, residential lettings of properties, residential/commercial development of houses, full property management and management of overseas client accounts. The agency has a team of 17 employees, always focusing on customer service inline with the agency’s aim â€Å"to take the stress and anxiety out of your property transaction† (Abbey Properties, 2011). More so, the employees are friendly and well experienced ready to help the clients before and after business transactions to ensure that the clients receive high quality service. Abbey Properties deals in all types of property and promises to offer unrivalled services (Abbey Properties, 2011). Market experts in the real estate industry projected that in 2008; nearly 15,000 estate agents lost their work in UK due to recession (Turner 2008; 65). The expert went further to predict that the industry would loss about 40,000 jobs in a period of five years from 2008 (2009-2013) (Newman, 2011; 186). According to the Centre for Economists and Business Research (CEBR), the years during recession and even after recession were difficult ones to the industry. The only relief for the industry is the understanding that, whereas property

Report of Warwickshire College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report of Warwickshire College - Essay Example ed for fashion, sport, beauty, hair and sport and after this, in the year 2007 the college merged with Pershore College in Worcestershire which is known as famous Centre of Horticulture Excellence (Warwickshire College, 2014). Liabilities can be defined as the obligations or legal debts which arise during the time of operation of the business. Liabilities can be paid off by money and goods or services. Liabilities include mortgages, both short and long term loans, accrued expenses, deferred revenues and accounts payable. These are important aspect of a business organization as they have an impact on the financial performance of the business. Generally current liabilities are those which are payable in one year and long term liabilities are those which can be paid over years (Holgate, 2006, pp. 122-123). Current Liabilities of the college will include Bank loans of 1000000 pounds, loans from other sources 44000 pounds, creditors of 2278000 pounds, Accruals of 1604000 pounds, unpaid VAT of 63000 pounds, payments that are received in advance of 683000 pounds and 1519000 pounds is to be paid to the skills funding agency. Long term liabilities include bank loans of 17000000 pounds, unpaid VAT of 184 ponds and loans from other sources of 24000 pounds (Warwickshire College, 2013, p. 40). Record keeping is also known as record management which is professional process to get easy and quick access and step by step guidance to access the confidential and archived records which may provide sensitive and personal records about the college. Record management process includes identifying, categorizing, selecting, storing, protecting, archiving, conserving, maintaining and demolishing the records. Record keeping is an important step for start up of Warwickshire College because management of records related to VAT and Tax liabilities will be helpful for the management to track the liabilities in future. The college is comes under Schedule 6of Finance Act 2010 and the college

Causes and Effects of Growing Terrorism

Causes and Effects of Growing Terrorism Chapter 1 Introduction The Threat from Terrorism There are very few humans in the world today who have not had their lives altered or affected in some way through terrorist acts or the threat from terrorism. The highly publicized terrorist attacks in the United States, London, Madrid, and Mumbai were seen worldwide and have lead to sweeping changes in the security postures of many western and developed nations, as well as to a multi-nation war in Afghanistan. For those that have not felt the direct effects by losing someone close to them, there are many life altering after-shocks have had global reach and thus have effected nearly everyone. Every person who uses public transportation, rides in a plane/train, or crosses an international border will feel the effects of international terrorism through vastly increased security measures. Terrorism has changed foreign policy for many nations and has lead to wars.[1] In all, terrorism is rewriting the geopolitical map as we see it now and in the decades to come, will continue to change t he world as we know it. Radical Militant Islamic Groups There are many religions and political factions that have terrorist cells. In fact, in this day and age, one would be hard pressed to find a country or religion that does not have some form of fundamental or radicalized terrorist group in its midst. Groups espousing terror find roots in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism.[2] This being said, in recent times, the most dangerous threat to western and developed nations comes from the Radical Militant Islamic Groups. These Islamic Militants have not only local and national reach, but can project their influence regionally and even globally (as seen with Al Qaeda and Hezbollah), and thus will be the focus of this dissertation. Shifting Sands: Since as far back as history dates, there has been war between peoples. Sometimes these peoples were evenly matched, and the battles pitted large armies against one another. Yet at other times, the odds were heavily in favor of one side, and the lesser of these groups had to resort to non-traditional warfare to inflict losses on their enemy. Sometimes these attacks were focused on the enemys military, and sometimes these attacks were focused on the citizenry of the enemy nation. The enemies could be nation vs nation or sometimes they were nation vs a non-state actor group. The pendulum has swung back and forth throughout history as to what is the root of terrorist groups. With the emergence of Al Qaeda we have seen that in the present day the non-state actor terrorist groups have taken center stage, though this may be about to change. Attempt to predict the future This paper engages the probability of predicting the future of global terrorism. This is achieved by analyzing the history of the origins and conceptual changes of terrorism over years past and current trends of terrorism as seen through the data available from the terrorism scholars of today. Though terrorism is not a completely Islamic phenomena, this paper will focus on terrorism from Radical Militant Islamic Groups, as this is the most predominant form of terrorism seen in the present day. It will attempt to lay out the evolution of terrorism to give some basis for a review of the current most important trends in terrorism. It will discuss the origins of ethno-nationalist (or state sponsored) terrorism and further discuss how this has morphed into the new transnational (or non-state actor) terrorism of today. Finally the paper will set the stage for the prediction of a future shift back to state sponsored terrorism and outline the reasons why this is going to occur. Chapter II Evolution of Terrorism – Historical Roots Mr. Speaker, I agree with those who say that the Global War  on Terrorism is actually a Global War of Ideas and that  terrorism is one of the tactics used in that War. Mac Thornberry (US Congressman) P re-Modern World: 1st Century BC to the 13th Century The history of [6] 1793: The Origins of Modern Terrorism In 1793, following the French revolution, Maximilien Robespierre instigated a reign of terror on those who opposed the French revolution.[7] This reign of terror is conventionally known as the birthplace of the word Terrorism.[9] Robespierres sentiment is the keystone in the beliefs of many modern terrorists, who consider violence the best and most efficient way to get to their desired outcome. As decades passed, the categorization of terrorism as a state action has blurred, as the idea of terrorism as an attack against an existing political order became more prominent. 1950s: The Rise of Non-State Terrorism Terrorism in the 1950s got its start from the guerilla warfare tactics popular with many insurgent groups of the time. This rise of guerrilla tactics by non-state actors in the last half of the twentieth century was due to several factors. These included the blossoming of ethnic nationalism (e.g. Irish, Basque, Zionist), anti-colonial sentiments in the vast British, French and Dutch empires, and new ideologies such as communism. In near recent times, terrorist groups with nationalist agendas have sprung up in every part of the world. For example, the Irish Republican Army grew from the desire of Irish Catholics to form an independent republic, and break their ties with Great Britain.[10] Similarly, the Kurds, a distinct ethnic and linguistic group in Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq, have sought national autonomy since the beginning of the 20th Century.[13] 1970s: The International Turn of Terrorism International terrorism came to the forefront as a prominent issue in the late 1960s, when hijacking of large airliners became a favored tactic. In 1968, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine became the first group to hijack an aircraft.[18] 1990s: 21 st Century: The Rise of Religious Terrorism Though an argument can be made that the rise of religiously motivated terrorism got its modern day start in Iran and Afghanistan to counter the political issues of the Shah and the Soviet Union, it came to the forefront with many highly visible violent acts committed during the 1990s. Groups that justify their violence on Islamic grounds Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah come to mind first. But Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and other religions have given rise to their own forms of militant extremism.[19] In recent years RMIGs have taken center stage for their astoundingly violent acts perpetrated against the citizenry of non-Muslim cultures. Chapter III Trends in Terrorism When you give religiously inspired zealots weapons of mass destruction and you promise them that if they kill innocent people they will go to heaven, imagine what the consequences are. Major Changes are Ahead There are major changes coming to terrorism in the years ahead. These changes can be seen from the trends of today, and will deeply change the threat to marked nations by terrorists and the terms on which we must fight the war against RMIGs. The top trends that will influence the changes in Terrorism Globally are summarized below. Fertility rates will lead Western Countries to come under Islamic rule In contrast to the developing world, many industrialized countries are currently, or will soon, see fertility rates below the replacement level and hence significant declines in populations, excluding the effects of immigration[22] Militant Islam continues to grow in both membership and power It has been clear for years that many Islamic nations face severe problems with religious extremists who are dedicated to advancing their political, social, and ideological views by any means necessary.[23] Nearly all of the Muslim lands are overcrowded and short of resources. Many are poor, save for the oil-rich states of the Middle East.[27] The Terrorist Ranks Are Growing The post 9/11 invasion of Afghanistan that lead to the unseating of the Taliban regime deprived Al Qaeda of a safe haven, striking a major blow against the global terrorist movement, yet by not following up effectively on that initial success, a great deal of benefit that could have been solidified was squandered. Additionally, with the invasion of Iraq, Al Qaeda and its sympathizers now have new grounds from which they can unite their members and, more importantly, recruit new ones.[32] At the heart of the Middle East fundamentalist movement are the wahabists of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has recently been forced to enact a program designed to keep Muslim men from going to Iraq to wage war against the coalition forces in a global jihad.[35] In this way, the foundation for terrorist cells are built which are independent of Al Qaeda but resolutely committed to the same objectives. Examples of this have been seen in the Madrid railway bombings which were carried out by Al Qaeda inspired Moroccan terrorist cell who were motivated by the Iraq invasion.[39] It is clear that RMIGs have significant sympathy among Europes Muslim population. The French riots of October and November 2005 affected at least twenty cities in that country, resulting in 2,888 arrests, leading to a further spill over of violence in Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, and Switzerland.[40] It has been proven that Saudi Arabia continues to fund and maintain connections with a broad group of religious schools, stretching from Pakistan to New York, and from the Philippines to India.[44] Individuals from Europe and the Middle East are embracing the extremist teachings, traveling to Afghanistan, Kashmir and Iraq to fight, and returning to their own countries, with the rights of western citizens to carry the fight against the very nations they were born to. RMIGs Will Gain Access to Weapons of Mass Destruction It must be assumed that tomorrows terrorists will make every effort to ensure that they have more than unconventional amounts of conventional explosives with which to make their violent point.[46] Pakistan represents by far the greatest opportunity for would-be nuclear terrorists to become nuclear terrorists. If Muslim extremists cannot gain access to stolen weapons from the former Soviet Republics, Islamabad may be their provider. Thankfully, this seems not to be a guarantee that terrorists will use nuclear weapons against the potential western targets. RMIGs will most likely receive large, hard to conceal, low-yield devices that will be difficult to smuggle to their target. Though one can be certain that terrorist organizations will try anyway, other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) look to be a much more likely option. Clouds of toxic gas or incompletely weaponized bacteria could find their way into New York City, London or Paris. Even more likely is the chemical weapon threat. As the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo, demonstrated in a Tokyo subway in 1995, chemical weapons are available to essentially anyone who wants them badly enough to put in a modest effort to make or buy them.[47] The Home Grown threat from Muslim extremists is on the rise A 1994 terrorism study by the US Department of Defense predicted that by 2020 a majority of the worlds most important Muslim lands could be controlled by extremist religious governments.[52] Beyond that, for the first time, an Islamic country, Pakistan, has nuclear weapons. As previously mentioned, Islamic extremists view this technology as an Islamic bomb that could be used to promote their apocalyptic ideology, making nuclear terrorism a realistic threat. This threat will grow as Iraq, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and other countries establish fundamentalist regimes that are willing to back the cause of jihad against the West. Saudi Arabia is well on the path to be taken over by a fundamentalist regime, and to attempt to postpone this, the Saud family will continue to provide more support to extremists and endeavor to direct the RMIGs attention to the West.[53] The overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq have strengthened the global jihadist movement, given them a training ground and built up the contacts for future terrorist acts. The gap between the Haves and the Have Nots will continue to increase The growing gap in wealth between the rich and poor countries looks as if it will further destabilize the world order, continuing to encourage prospective RMIGs in the less developed nations to foment violence against the rich in their own countries, or when available against western targets. This rising gap in wealth within many prosperous nations has the possibility to set off discontent among the less well-off, possibly helping to inspire random violence and acts of domestic terrorism in the West. The growing gap in wealth and income between the rich and the poor also may inspire conversion to Islam in the West, principally among the underprivileged. As seen in England and Australia, this can be a source of violent extremism among both immigrant and native populations.[54] Population growth is highest in those countries least able to support the growth The greatest fertility rates are found in those countries least able to support their existing populations: the largest population increases projected between 2000 and 2050 include the Palestinian Territory (217 percent), Niger (205 percent), Yemen (168 percent), Angola (162 percent), the Democratic Republic of Congo (161 percent), and Uganda (133 percent).[55] The Muslim world is reproducing at an extremely high rate, with fertility rates of 7.5 in Afghanistan, 6.0 in Yemen, and 4.9 in Iraq.[57] Even these estimates appear to be on the low side. According to CSIS, most official projections underestimate both the fertility rates and age of mortality, as well as making the assumption that life expectancy will grow more slowly in the future, which seems unlikely as world healthcare only continues to get better. Growing Western prosperity relative to other countries with rapidly growing populations and overburdened economies will continue to make the developed nations a target for terrorism. Shortages of food could help to motivate extremism unless the industrialized nations make a determined, visible effort to provide for the worlds poor. (Food production in the next 40 years will need to be significantly higher then ever before in the worlds history to keep the exploding world population from starvation).[58] Urbanization, will continue to increase rapidly According to the Population Reference Bureaus 2006 World Population Data Sheet, Forty-eight percent of the worlds population currently lives in cities. By 2030 that figure is expected to grow to 60 percent, as approximately 2.1 billion more people move to the worlds urban centers.[59] In industrialized nations, on average, more than three-fourths of the population lives in urban areas (urban areas are defined differently for each country).[62] Right now, there are billions of people who live in urban areas who lack adequate clean water, shelter, toilets and hygiene areas, and/or electricity.[63] The problems this raises with reference to crime, violence, and religious extremism is readily apparent. Concentrating the poor, oppressed and powerless in large cloistered urban centers produces conditions ideal for the spread of crime and the type of religious extremism that lends itself to violent ideologies. Chapter IV Old Terrorism Any government that supports, protects or harbours terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent and equally guilty of terrorist crimes. George W. Bush Old Terrorism – Ethno -nationalist or Ideological, and state sponsored What are the differences between the legitimate tactics used by authorities in the quelling or defence of terrorism, and terrorism itself? Nations at times will use violence to control or manipulate parts of their populace, or use intimidation to get what they desire.[67] A government that is an adversary of Country B may apply terror tactics in an effort to make up for real or perceived inadequacies in conventional warfare capabilities. Repression through terror of the indigenous population of their own country may occur to stop the dissent or violent uprising inside the country that Country B might exploit. Special Operations forces, paramilitary forces and state intelligence assets could conduct terrorist operations against Country B interests both inter-regionally and as far outside the countries borders as the abilities of their external security apparatus will allow to destabilize Country B and bring desired visibility to the sponsoring governments issues. Finally, attacks on Country B on their home soil may be conducted by RMIGs of the state or by other domestic proxies.[68] This is being seen today in Iraq with the Iranian involvement to destabilize Iraq and kill coalition servicemen, as well as Pakistans efforts to destabilize the Jammu and K ashmir region of India. Forms of State Terror Governmental or State terror State involvement in terror State sponsorship of terrorism Turning a blind eye to the harboring/funding of terror groups in their borders[69] Governmental or State terror Governmental or State terror is normally seen when a regime uses threats or outright terror to its own populace to exert power over or suppress them.[73] These weapons were not used against the majority Muslim population in the southern 2/3 of Iraq, where he accomplished his goals using conventional state terror methods. State involvement in terror State involvement in terror includes the activities where government personnel perform operations using terror tactics that are directed against other nations interests, individuals or private groups that have opposing or controversial opinions/actions viewed as counter to that of the state. In essence, it is governmentally authorized terrorism, though these sanctions hardly ever come to public light. Some past examples of this governmentally authorized terrorism are the assassination include the Soviet and Iranian assassination operations aimed at state dissidents who moved abroad for fear of their lives. Additionally, the targeting and destroying (through a covert bombing campaign carried out by Libyan and North Korean intelligence officers) of international airliners was another past example of this form of terrorism.[75] A further form of state involvement in terror is pro-state terror. This is a terror campaign carried out by small groups or individual people who have no authorized status in the system. These type of attacks generally are lacking in official support as well. Pro-state terror may have the end result of a desired outcome which the government wants. In these cases, with official use of violent crime tacitly supported by the authorities, even though the groups or individuals have gone outside the rule of punishment of the terrorists is rare. State sponsorship of terrorism State sponsorship of terrorism, also referred to as state supported terrorism, represents a situation when non-state terrorist organizations are trained, equipped and operationalized by an authorized national governmental agency. A very productive aspects of this support is the providing of safe havens for terrorists organizations.[78] Examples of state sponsorship of terrorism are the overt support by the government of Syria to Hamas as well as Lebanons overt support and backing of Hezbollah. Syrian funding and the providing of safe havens facilitate many training areas in the Beka Valley territory.[81] Chapter V New Terrorism Terrorism is carried out purposefully, in a cold-blooded, calculated fashion. The declared goals of the terrorist may change from place to place. He supposedly fig problems his only solution is the demolition of the whole structure of society. No partial solution, not even the total redressing of the grievance he complains of, will satisfy him until our social system is destroyed or delivered into his hands. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, International Terrorism New Terrorism – Transnational or Global Jihadism The first efforts to describe a new form of terrorism began to occur in the 1990s, when scholars of terrorism attempted to make sense of a phenomenon they were seeing that did not fit into the previous model of terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s. Attacks such as that of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo did not make sense without a reconsideration of the old model. In reality, the term new terrorism truly came into its own only after the September 11, 2001 attacks.[82] In a short comparative of the new and old terrorism, it has been stated that: * The new terrorism is justified on religious and apocalyptic grounds, while the old terrorism was rooted in political ideology.[83] * The new terrorism aims at destruction as an end in itself, while the old terrorism used violent destruction as a means to a political end;[84] * The new terrorism is organizationally distinct from the old terrorism. It is hierarchical (has many equally authoritative points of leadership) and horizontal, rather than hierarchical and vertical; it is decentralized rather than centralized;[85] * The new terrorism aims at as much destruction as possible, whether through devastating forms of weaponry or techniques such as suicide terrorism, whereas the old terrorism sought to create a dramatic spectacle with as little damage as possible;[86] More recently, those who write about new terrorism have focused on a perceived new threat of mass casualties caused by chemical, biological or other agents.[89] On the counter point, when one looks holistically and historically at Terrorism, there seems to be no old or new terrorism, just a Darwinistic evolution of violence for political purposes. Even Martha Crenshaw, the noted terrorism expert who is a staunch advocate against the use of the term New Terrorism states the following in comparing and contrasting the goals, methods, and organization of New and Old Terrorism: Goals The new terrorism model assumes uniformly that religion, primarily of those groups with millennial and apocalyptic ideologies, is the main precipitating factor. The new terrorists are said to have ambiguous goals on the systemic level and to value destruction for its own sake (i.e., the means are the ends). By contrast, the old terrorism is seen as comprehensible, limited, more specific, and often tied to territory – thus making the grievance more susceptible to negotiation. How well does the new terrorism model fit the historical record? Crenshaw observes that the religion behind various groups (e.g., Aum Shinrikyo versus Al Qaeda) differs, as do their goals (i.e., local or global). She also notes that some of the old terrorist groups (e.g., the 19th century anarchists and the Red Army Faction) had broad, transnational goals.[90] Means According to the new terrorism model, groups seek to kill as many people as possible and are particularly drawn to weapons of mass destruction, whereas the old terrorism approach assumed that the groups were limited in their means as well as goals. Crenshaw acknowledged that the new terrorism model best fits with respect to this criterion. [91] Organization and structure The new terrorists are decentralized and networked, are inspiration-driven, and often include amateurs. By contrast, the old terrorists are centralized, top-down, professional organizations that are often state sponsored. The new terrorism distinction only partly meets this criterion as many of the old terrorist groups, such as the Red Army faction, were not so monolithic. The bottom line seems to lend itself to seeing terrorism as not new in kind, but in degree and structure.[92] The new terror groups of today (Al Qaeda being the most well known) center mainly around religion as a core for recruitment and promulgation of ideology. Islam is the religion of choice and has found a massive following in Middle Eastern Arab Muslims, especially the Wahabists of Saudi Arabia, but the splinter groups, or those groups loosely associated, have worldwide reach.[93] These organizations differ significantly from more traditional terrorist organizations of past decades. The groups of today do not depend on the sponsorship of a political state, and, unlike the PLO or the IRA, they are not defined by a particular conflict. Instead, these groups operate analogous to the businesses McDonalds or Starbucks. Al Qaeda is the franchise owner, providing financial and logistical support, as well as name recognition, to local, regional and transnational terrorist groups operating in such diverse places as the Philippines, Algeria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Somalia, Ye men, and Kashmir. Local groups may carry out acts in the name of al-Qaeda in order to bolster their own reputation—even if they are not receiving support from the organization. This is possible because the ideology that al Qaeda has developed and promulgated focuses their concepts to stress a few main tenants to ensure the survival and spread of the movement. Ensuring the perpetuity of the fight.[94] Obeying the individual obligation to fight Islams enemies regardless of the apparent outcome of battle[95] Institutionalizing a culture of martyrdom[96] Pinpointing Islams enemies through the refining process of jihad, and thus maintaining its identity[97] Establishing pride, brotherhood, and unity in the face of threats to the ummah[98] Creating a parity of suffering with Islams enemies—especially the Jews and Crusaders[99] Victory is seen in the maladies afflicting Gods enemies, especially economic recession and natural disasters[100] Observing miracles and dreams in jihad, which foretell of divine guidance and ultimate victory for the mujahedeen[101] As long as groups follow these main tenants, and focus their violence against the common enemy, then they are supporting the common cause. Due to this, Scott Atran argues that it is not religion, but group dynamics based off of social needs that fuels the Global Jihadist movement but small-group dynamics involving friends and family that form the diaspora cell of brotherhood and camaraderie on which the rising tide of martyrdom actions is based.[102] As mentioned by Crenshaw above, one of the main improvements of New terrorism is that of decentralized execution of actions that may or may not have been planned by some higher authority. As stated in the United States Air Force Defense Doctrine publication 1, Decentralized execution is, the delegation of execution authority to responsible and capable lower-level commanders to achieve effective span of control and to foster disciplined initiative, situational responsiveness, and tactical flexibility.[103] Chapter VI New Old Terrorism In todays wars, there are no morals. We believe the worst thieves in the world today and the worst terrorists are the Americans. We do not have to differentiate between military or civilian. As far as we are concerned, they are all targets. Osama Bin Laden Time magazine profile (16 September 2001) The Pendulum Swings Back For better or worse (and this author believes it is worsemuch worse) the pendulum is swinging back in the direction of state sponsored terrorism. For nations like Pakistan and Iran, the pendulum never moved, as these countries have been manning, training, equipping, and operationalizing terrorist groups for decades.[108] Iran has consistently been described by the United States as the worlds foremost state sponsor of terrorism. It actively supports terrorist groups, most prominently the Lebanese group Hezbollah.[115]. Iran and Hezbollah Hezbollah, a radical Shiite militia based in Lebanon, is a direct product of funding and training by Irans IRGC (QF). It was formally established in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, aimed at uprooting the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) bases there.[119] RMIG takeover of Islamic Nations For other nations that have not been wholly engaged in state sponsored terrorism, there are growing dangers as well. There are two types of new and developing state sponsored terrorism which may very soon roll a number of these nations into the terrorist state fold. The first one, unfortunately, we are all familiar with, as the most accurate example being the Al Qaeda infiltration of Afghanistan. After the Soviet Union finally withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 the communist Afghani government hung on for three more years, and then was finally overrun by RMIGs.[121] These services and practical, day-to-day contributions to the lives of ordinary citizens will provide a legitimacy and underpinning for future political activities by terrorist organizations. This RMIG sponsored ground root social support, combined with the reality that in almost every country in the Muslim world, western focused terrorism already has the sympathy of a majority of the population and the strong allegiance o f many, will in the near future give rise to terrorist based governments in many middle-eastern countries. The second development in state sponsored terrorism is focused at the western nations, with Europe directly in the crosshairs and North America soon to follow. The most dangerous and most likely future development in the spread of terrorism is that caused by population growth and immigration of Muslims into western lands. The bottom line is that there is a near irreversible trend in the expansion of Islam into Europe and Canada.[125] In essence, Europe in the next 50 years will be of a very different demographic makeup as it is now. Of all population growth in the EU in the last 20 years, 90% has been from immigrants, much of which were Islamic.[126] In France, though the statistics vary, the Islamic fertility rate is considered much higher than the 1.8 of native Frenchmen, as Islamic immigrants make up only 7.5% of the population yet account for 20% of the fertility rate.[128] It is not just France. As of 2001, the Muslim population in Great Britain rose from 82,000 in 1991 to 1,600,000 (Estimated at 2,500,000 today).[131] Compared to the decline in population of a majority of the industrialized nations, The United States (thanks to Latino immigration) will maintain the current fertility rate of 2.11 children per couple, thus providing the body pool to maintain strength in the global economy, as the European Union falls to third place behind the United States and China.[132] Whether it be by overthrow in an unstable middle-eastern country, or out-breeding the populations of western nations, it can be assumed that RMIGs will gain control of (or at least strong influence over) a functioning country in the next half century. If the terrorists do gain control of a country with a fully functioning and stable government, the nature of the game changes drastically. When terrorists becomethe government, all terrorism is state-sponsored The nations wealth, scientists, laboratories and research facilities can be focused to develop weapons of mass destruction of all types for use in the global jihad. Even in the absence of WMD, by gaining the status and legitimacy of a national government, radical Islamists will present western and developed nations with a difficult problem. We have seen in Afghanistan and Pakistan the benefits that a sovereign safe-haven has provi Causes and Effects of Growing Terrorism Causes and Effects of Growing Terrorism Chapter 1 Introduction The Threat from Terrorism There are very few humans in the world today who have not had their lives altered or affected in some way through terrorist acts or the threat from terrorism. The highly publicized terrorist attacks in the United States, London, Madrid, and Mumbai were seen worldwide and have lead to sweeping changes in the security postures of many western and developed nations, as well as to a multi-nation war in Afghanistan. For those that have not felt the direct effects by losing someone close to them, there are many life altering after-shocks have had global reach and thus have effected nearly everyone. Every person who uses public transportation, rides in a plane/train, or crosses an international border will feel the effects of international terrorism through vastly increased security measures. Terrorism has changed foreign policy for many nations and has lead to wars.[1] In all, terrorism is rewriting the geopolitical map as we see it now and in the decades to come, will continue to change t he world as we know it. Radical Militant Islamic Groups There are many religions and political factions that have terrorist cells. In fact, in this day and age, one would be hard pressed to find a country or religion that does not have some form of fundamental or radicalized terrorist group in its midst. Groups espousing terror find roots in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism.[2] This being said, in recent times, the most dangerous threat to western and developed nations comes from the Radical Militant Islamic Groups. These Islamic Militants have not only local and national reach, but can project their influence regionally and even globally (as seen with Al Qaeda and Hezbollah), and thus will be the focus of this dissertation. Shifting Sands: Since as far back as history dates, there has been war between peoples. Sometimes these peoples were evenly matched, and the battles pitted large armies against one another. Yet at other times, the odds were heavily in favor of one side, and the lesser of these groups had to resort to non-traditional warfare to inflict losses on their enemy. Sometimes these attacks were focused on the enemys military, and sometimes these attacks were focused on the citizenry of the enemy nation. The enemies could be nation vs nation or sometimes they were nation vs a non-state actor group. The pendulum has swung back and forth throughout history as to what is the root of terrorist groups. With the emergence of Al Qaeda we have seen that in the present day the non-state actor terrorist groups have taken center stage, though this may be about to change. Attempt to predict the future This paper engages the probability of predicting the future of global terrorism. This is achieved by analyzing the history of the origins and conceptual changes of terrorism over years past and current trends of terrorism as seen through the data available from the terrorism scholars of today. Though terrorism is not a completely Islamic phenomena, this paper will focus on terrorism from Radical Militant Islamic Groups, as this is the most predominant form of terrorism seen in the present day. It will attempt to lay out the evolution of terrorism to give some basis for a review of the current most important trends in terrorism. It will discuss the origins of ethno-nationalist (or state sponsored) terrorism and further discuss how this has morphed into the new transnational (or non-state actor) terrorism of today. Finally the paper will set the stage for the prediction of a future shift back to state sponsored terrorism and outline the reasons why this is going to occur. Chapter II Evolution of Terrorism – Historical Roots Mr. Speaker, I agree with those who say that the Global War  on Terrorism is actually a Global War of Ideas and that  terrorism is one of the tactics used in that War. Mac Thornberry (US Congressman) P re-Modern World: 1st Century BC to the 13th Century The history of [6] 1793: The Origins of Modern Terrorism In 1793, following the French revolution, Maximilien Robespierre instigated a reign of terror on those who opposed the French revolution.[7] This reign of terror is conventionally known as the birthplace of the word Terrorism.[9] Robespierres sentiment is the keystone in the beliefs of many modern terrorists, who consider violence the best and most efficient way to get to their desired outcome. As decades passed, the categorization of terrorism as a state action has blurred, as the idea of terrorism as an attack against an existing political order became more prominent. 1950s: The Rise of Non-State Terrorism Terrorism in the 1950s got its start from the guerilla warfare tactics popular with many insurgent groups of the time. This rise of guerrilla tactics by non-state actors in the last half of the twentieth century was due to several factors. These included the blossoming of ethnic nationalism (e.g. Irish, Basque, Zionist), anti-colonial sentiments in the vast British, French and Dutch empires, and new ideologies such as communism. In near recent times, terrorist groups with nationalist agendas have sprung up in every part of the world. For example, the Irish Republican Army grew from the desire of Irish Catholics to form an independent republic, and break their ties with Great Britain.[10] Similarly, the Kurds, a distinct ethnic and linguistic group in Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq, have sought national autonomy since the beginning of the 20th Century.[13] 1970s: The International Turn of Terrorism International terrorism came to the forefront as a prominent issue in the late 1960s, when hijacking of large airliners became a favored tactic. In 1968, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine became the first group to hijack an aircraft.[18] 1990s: 21 st Century: The Rise of Religious Terrorism Though an argument can be made that the rise of religiously motivated terrorism got its modern day start in Iran and Afghanistan to counter the political issues of the Shah and the Soviet Union, it came to the forefront with many highly visible violent acts committed during the 1990s. Groups that justify their violence on Islamic grounds Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah come to mind first. But Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and other religions have given rise to their own forms of militant extremism.[19] In recent years RMIGs have taken center stage for their astoundingly violent acts perpetrated against the citizenry of non-Muslim cultures. Chapter III Trends in Terrorism When you give religiously inspired zealots weapons of mass destruction and you promise them that if they kill innocent people they will go to heaven, imagine what the consequences are. Major Changes are Ahead There are major changes coming to terrorism in the years ahead. These changes can be seen from the trends of today, and will deeply change the threat to marked nations by terrorists and the terms on which we must fight the war against RMIGs. The top trends that will influence the changes in Terrorism Globally are summarized below. Fertility rates will lead Western Countries to come under Islamic rule In contrast to the developing world, many industrialized countries are currently, or will soon, see fertility rates below the replacement level and hence significant declines in populations, excluding the effects of immigration[22] Militant Islam continues to grow in both membership and power It has been clear for years that many Islamic nations face severe problems with religious extremists who are dedicated to advancing their political, social, and ideological views by any means necessary.[23] Nearly all of the Muslim lands are overcrowded and short of resources. Many are poor, save for the oil-rich states of the Middle East.[27] The Terrorist Ranks Are Growing The post 9/11 invasion of Afghanistan that lead to the unseating of the Taliban regime deprived Al Qaeda of a safe haven, striking a major blow against the global terrorist movement, yet by not following up effectively on that initial success, a great deal of benefit that could have been solidified was squandered. Additionally, with the invasion of Iraq, Al Qaeda and its sympathizers now have new grounds from which they can unite their members and, more importantly, recruit new ones.[32] At the heart of the Middle East fundamentalist movement are the wahabists of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has recently been forced to enact a program designed to keep Muslim men from going to Iraq to wage war against the coalition forces in a global jihad.[35] In this way, the foundation for terrorist cells are built which are independent of Al Qaeda but resolutely committed to the same objectives. Examples of this have been seen in the Madrid railway bombings which were carried out by Al Qaeda inspired Moroccan terrorist cell who were motivated by the Iraq invasion.[39] It is clear that RMIGs have significant sympathy among Europes Muslim population. The French riots of October and November 2005 affected at least twenty cities in that country, resulting in 2,888 arrests, leading to a further spill over of violence in Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, and Switzerland.[40] It has been proven that Saudi Arabia continues to fund and maintain connections with a broad group of religious schools, stretching from Pakistan to New York, and from the Philippines to India.[44] Individuals from Europe and the Middle East are embracing the extremist teachings, traveling to Afghanistan, Kashmir and Iraq to fight, and returning to their own countries, with the rights of western citizens to carry the fight against the very nations they were born to. RMIGs Will Gain Access to Weapons of Mass Destruction It must be assumed that tomorrows terrorists will make every effort to ensure that they have more than unconventional amounts of conventional explosives with which to make their violent point.[46] Pakistan represents by far the greatest opportunity for would-be nuclear terrorists to become nuclear terrorists. If Muslim extremists cannot gain access to stolen weapons from the former Soviet Republics, Islamabad may be their provider. Thankfully, this seems not to be a guarantee that terrorists will use nuclear weapons against the potential western targets. RMIGs will most likely receive large, hard to conceal, low-yield devices that will be difficult to smuggle to their target. Though one can be certain that terrorist organizations will try anyway, other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) look to be a much more likely option. Clouds of toxic gas or incompletely weaponized bacteria could find their way into New York City, London or Paris. Even more likely is the chemical weapon threat. As the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo, demonstrated in a Tokyo subway in 1995, chemical weapons are available to essentially anyone who wants them badly enough to put in a modest effort to make or buy them.[47] The Home Grown threat from Muslim extremists is on the rise A 1994 terrorism study by the US Department of Defense predicted that by 2020 a majority of the worlds most important Muslim lands could be controlled by extremist religious governments.[52] Beyond that, for the first time, an Islamic country, Pakistan, has nuclear weapons. As previously mentioned, Islamic extremists view this technology as an Islamic bomb that could be used to promote their apocalyptic ideology, making nuclear terrorism a realistic threat. This threat will grow as Iraq, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and other countries establish fundamentalist regimes that are willing to back the cause of jihad against the West. Saudi Arabia is well on the path to be taken over by a fundamentalist regime, and to attempt to postpone this, the Saud family will continue to provide more support to extremists and endeavor to direct the RMIGs attention to the West.[53] The overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq have strengthened the global jihadist movement, given them a training ground and built up the contacts for future terrorist acts. The gap between the Haves and the Have Nots will continue to increase The growing gap in wealth between the rich and poor countries looks as if it will further destabilize the world order, continuing to encourage prospective RMIGs in the less developed nations to foment violence against the rich in their own countries, or when available against western targets. This rising gap in wealth within many prosperous nations has the possibility to set off discontent among the less well-off, possibly helping to inspire random violence and acts of domestic terrorism in the West. The growing gap in wealth and income between the rich and the poor also may inspire conversion to Islam in the West, principally among the underprivileged. As seen in England and Australia, this can be a source of violent extremism among both immigrant and native populations.[54] Population growth is highest in those countries least able to support the growth The greatest fertility rates are found in those countries least able to support their existing populations: the largest population increases projected between 2000 and 2050 include the Palestinian Territory (217 percent), Niger (205 percent), Yemen (168 percent), Angola (162 percent), the Democratic Republic of Congo (161 percent), and Uganda (133 percent).[55] The Muslim world is reproducing at an extremely high rate, with fertility rates of 7.5 in Afghanistan, 6.0 in Yemen, and 4.9 in Iraq.[57] Even these estimates appear to be on the low side. According to CSIS, most official projections underestimate both the fertility rates and age of mortality, as well as making the assumption that life expectancy will grow more slowly in the future, which seems unlikely as world healthcare only continues to get better. Growing Western prosperity relative to other countries with rapidly growing populations and overburdened economies will continue to make the developed nations a target for terrorism. Shortages of food could help to motivate extremism unless the industrialized nations make a determined, visible effort to provide for the worlds poor. (Food production in the next 40 years will need to be significantly higher then ever before in the worlds history to keep the exploding world population from starvation).[58] Urbanization, will continue to increase rapidly According to the Population Reference Bureaus 2006 World Population Data Sheet, Forty-eight percent of the worlds population currently lives in cities. By 2030 that figure is expected to grow to 60 percent, as approximately 2.1 billion more people move to the worlds urban centers.[59] In industrialized nations, on average, more than three-fourths of the population lives in urban areas (urban areas are defined differently for each country).[62] Right now, there are billions of people who live in urban areas who lack adequate clean water, shelter, toilets and hygiene areas, and/or electricity.[63] The problems this raises with reference to crime, violence, and religious extremism is readily apparent. Concentrating the poor, oppressed and powerless in large cloistered urban centers produces conditions ideal for the spread of crime and the type of religious extremism that lends itself to violent ideologies. Chapter IV Old Terrorism Any government that supports, protects or harbours terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent and equally guilty of terrorist crimes. George W. Bush Old Terrorism – Ethno -nationalist or Ideological, and state sponsored What are the differences between the legitimate tactics used by authorities in the quelling or defence of terrorism, and terrorism itself? Nations at times will use violence to control or manipulate parts of their populace, or use intimidation to get what they desire.[67] A government that is an adversary of Country B may apply terror tactics in an effort to make up for real or perceived inadequacies in conventional warfare capabilities. Repression through terror of the indigenous population of their own country may occur to stop the dissent or violent uprising inside the country that Country B might exploit. Special Operations forces, paramilitary forces and state intelligence assets could conduct terrorist operations against Country B interests both inter-regionally and as far outside the countries borders as the abilities of their external security apparatus will allow to destabilize Country B and bring desired visibility to the sponsoring governments issues. Finally, attacks on Country B on their home soil may be conducted by RMIGs of the state or by other domestic proxies.[68] This is being seen today in Iraq with the Iranian involvement to destabilize Iraq and kill coalition servicemen, as well as Pakistans efforts to destabilize the Jammu and K ashmir region of India. Forms of State Terror Governmental or State terror State involvement in terror State sponsorship of terrorism Turning a blind eye to the harboring/funding of terror groups in their borders[69] Governmental or State terror Governmental or State terror is normally seen when a regime uses threats or outright terror to its own populace to exert power over or suppress them.[73] These weapons were not used against the majority Muslim population in the southern 2/3 of Iraq, where he accomplished his goals using conventional state terror methods. State involvement in terror State involvement in terror includes the activities where government personnel perform operations using terror tactics that are directed against other nations interests, individuals or private groups that have opposing or controversial opinions/actions viewed as counter to that of the state. In essence, it is governmentally authorized terrorism, though these sanctions hardly ever come to public light. Some past examples of this governmentally authorized terrorism are the assassination include the Soviet and Iranian assassination operations aimed at state dissidents who moved abroad for fear of their lives. Additionally, the targeting and destroying (through a covert bombing campaign carried out by Libyan and North Korean intelligence officers) of international airliners was another past example of this form of terrorism.[75] A further form of state involvement in terror is pro-state terror. This is a terror campaign carried out by small groups or individual people who have no authorized status in the system. These type of attacks generally are lacking in official support as well. Pro-state terror may have the end result of a desired outcome which the government wants. In these cases, with official use of violent crime tacitly supported by the authorities, even though the groups or individuals have gone outside the rule of punishment of the terrorists is rare. State sponsorship of terrorism State sponsorship of terrorism, also referred to as state supported terrorism, represents a situation when non-state terrorist organizations are trained, equipped and operationalized by an authorized national governmental agency. A very productive aspects of this support is the providing of safe havens for terrorists organizations.[78] Examples of state sponsorship of terrorism are the overt support by the government of Syria to Hamas as well as Lebanons overt support and backing of Hezbollah. Syrian funding and the providing of safe havens facilitate many training areas in the Beka Valley territory.[81] Chapter V New Terrorism Terrorism is carried out purposefully, in a cold-blooded, calculated fashion. The declared goals of the terrorist may change from place to place. He supposedly fig problems his only solution is the demolition of the whole structure of society. No partial solution, not even the total redressing of the grievance he complains of, will satisfy him until our social system is destroyed or delivered into his hands. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, International Terrorism New Terrorism – Transnational or Global Jihadism The first efforts to describe a new form of terrorism began to occur in the 1990s, when scholars of terrorism attempted to make sense of a phenomenon they were seeing that did not fit into the previous model of terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s. Attacks such as that of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo did not make sense without a reconsideration of the old model. In reality, the term new terrorism truly came into its own only after the September 11, 2001 attacks.[82] In a short comparative of the new and old terrorism, it has been stated that: * The new terrorism is justified on religious and apocalyptic grounds, while the old terrorism was rooted in political ideology.[83] * The new terrorism aims at destruction as an end in itself, while the old terrorism used violent destruction as a means to a political end;[84] * The new terrorism is organizationally distinct from the old terrorism. It is hierarchical (has many equally authoritative points of leadership) and horizontal, rather than hierarchical and vertical; it is decentralized rather than centralized;[85] * The new terrorism aims at as much destruction as possible, whether through devastating forms of weaponry or techniques such as suicide terrorism, whereas the old terrorism sought to create a dramatic spectacle with as little damage as possible;[86] More recently, those who write about new terrorism have focused on a perceived new threat of mass casualties caused by chemical, biological or other agents.[89] On the counter point, when one looks holistically and historically at Terrorism, there seems to be no old or new terrorism, just a Darwinistic evolution of violence for political purposes. Even Martha Crenshaw, the noted terrorism expert who is a staunch advocate against the use of the term New Terrorism states the following in comparing and contrasting the goals, methods, and organization of New and Old Terrorism: Goals The new terrorism model assumes uniformly that religion, primarily of those groups with millennial and apocalyptic ideologies, is the main precipitating factor. The new terrorists are said to have ambiguous goals on the systemic level and to value destruction for its own sake (i.e., the means are the ends). By contrast, the old terrorism is seen as comprehensible, limited, more specific, and often tied to territory – thus making the grievance more susceptible to negotiation. How well does the new terrorism model fit the historical record? Crenshaw observes that the religion behind various groups (e.g., Aum Shinrikyo versus Al Qaeda) differs, as do their goals (i.e., local or global). She also notes that some of the old terrorist groups (e.g., the 19th century anarchists and the Red Army Faction) had broad, transnational goals.[90] Means According to the new terrorism model, groups seek to kill as many people as possible and are particularly drawn to weapons of mass destruction, whereas the old terrorism approach assumed that the groups were limited in their means as well as goals. Crenshaw acknowledged that the new terrorism model best fits with respect to this criterion. [91] Organization and structure The new terrorists are decentralized and networked, are inspiration-driven, and often include amateurs. By contrast, the old terrorists are centralized, top-down, professional organizations that are often state sponsored. The new terrorism distinction only partly meets this criterion as many of the old terrorist groups, such as the Red Army faction, were not so monolithic. The bottom line seems to lend itself to seeing terrorism as not new in kind, but in degree and structure.[92] The new terror groups of today (Al Qaeda being the most well known) center mainly around religion as a core for recruitment and promulgation of ideology. Islam is the religion of choice and has found a massive following in Middle Eastern Arab Muslims, especially the Wahabists of Saudi Arabia, but the splinter groups, or those groups loosely associated, have worldwide reach.[93] These organizations differ significantly from more traditional terrorist organizations of past decades. The groups of today do not depend on the sponsorship of a political state, and, unlike the PLO or the IRA, they are not defined by a particular conflict. Instead, these groups operate analogous to the businesses McDonalds or Starbucks. Al Qaeda is the franchise owner, providing financial and logistical support, as well as name recognition, to local, regional and transnational terrorist groups operating in such diverse places as the Philippines, Algeria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Somalia, Ye men, and Kashmir. Local groups may carry out acts in the name of al-Qaeda in order to bolster their own reputation—even if they are not receiving support from the organization. This is possible because the ideology that al Qaeda has developed and promulgated focuses their concepts to stress a few main tenants to ensure the survival and spread of the movement. Ensuring the perpetuity of the fight.[94] Obeying the individual obligation to fight Islams enemies regardless of the apparent outcome of battle[95] Institutionalizing a culture of martyrdom[96] Pinpointing Islams enemies through the refining process of jihad, and thus maintaining its identity[97] Establishing pride, brotherhood, and unity in the face of threats to the ummah[98] Creating a parity of suffering with Islams enemies—especially the Jews and Crusaders[99] Victory is seen in the maladies afflicting Gods enemies, especially economic recession and natural disasters[100] Observing miracles and dreams in jihad, which foretell of divine guidance and ultimate victory for the mujahedeen[101] As long as groups follow these main tenants, and focus their violence against the common enemy, then they are supporting the common cause. Due to this, Scott Atran argues that it is not religion, but group dynamics based off of social needs that fuels the Global Jihadist movement but small-group dynamics involving friends and family that form the diaspora cell of brotherhood and camaraderie on which the rising tide of martyrdom actions is based.[102] As mentioned by Crenshaw above, one of the main improvements of New terrorism is that of decentralized execution of actions that may or may not have been planned by some higher authority. As stated in the United States Air Force Defense Doctrine publication 1, Decentralized execution is, the delegation of execution authority to responsible and capable lower-level commanders to achieve effective span of control and to foster disciplined initiative, situational responsiveness, and tactical flexibility.[103] Chapter VI New Old Terrorism In todays wars, there are no morals. We believe the worst thieves in the world today and the worst terrorists are the Americans. We do not have to differentiate between military or civilian. As far as we are concerned, they are all targets. Osama Bin Laden Time magazine profile (16 September 2001) The Pendulum Swings Back For better or worse (and this author believes it is worsemuch worse) the pendulum is swinging back in the direction of state sponsored terrorism. For nations like Pakistan and Iran, the pendulum never moved, as these countries have been manning, training, equipping, and operationalizing terrorist groups for decades.[108] Iran has consistently been described by the United States as the worlds foremost state sponsor of terrorism. It actively supports terrorist groups, most prominently the Lebanese group Hezbollah.[115]. Iran and Hezbollah Hezbollah, a radical Shiite militia based in Lebanon, is a direct product of funding and training by Irans IRGC (QF). It was formally established in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, aimed at uprooting the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) bases there.[119] RMIG takeover of Islamic Nations For other nations that have not been wholly engaged in state sponsored terrorism, there are growing dangers as well. There are two types of new and developing state sponsored terrorism which may very soon roll a number of these nations into the terrorist state fold. The first one, unfortunately, we are all familiar with, as the most accurate example being the Al Qaeda infiltration of Afghanistan. After the Soviet Union finally withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 the communist Afghani government hung on for three more years, and then was finally overrun by RMIGs.[121] These services and practical, day-to-day contributions to the lives of ordinary citizens will provide a legitimacy and underpinning for future political activities by terrorist organizations. This RMIG sponsored ground root social support, combined with the reality that in almost every country in the Muslim world, western focused terrorism already has the sympathy of a majority of the population and the strong allegiance o f many, will in the near future give rise to terrorist based governments in many middle-eastern countries. The second development in state sponsored terrorism is focused at the western nations, with Europe directly in the crosshairs and North America soon to follow. The most dangerous and most likely future development in the spread of terrorism is that caused by population growth and immigration of Muslims into western lands. The bottom line is that there is a near irreversible trend in the expansion of Islam into Europe and Canada.[125] In essence, Europe in the next 50 years will be of a very different demographic makeup as it is now. Of all population growth in the EU in the last 20 years, 90% has been from immigrants, much of which were Islamic.[126] In France, though the statistics vary, the Islamic fertility rate is considered much higher than the 1.8 of native Frenchmen, as Islamic immigrants make up only 7.5% of the population yet account for 20% of the fertility rate.[128] It is not just France. As of 2001, the Muslim population in Great Britain rose from 82,000 in 1991 to 1,600,000 (Estimated at 2,500,000 today).[131] Compared to the decline in population of a majority of the industrialized nations, The United States (thanks to Latino immigration) will maintain the current fertility rate of 2.11 children per couple, thus providing the body pool to maintain strength in the global economy, as the European Union falls to third place behind the United States and China.[132] Whether it be by overthrow in an unstable middle-eastern country, or out-breeding the populations of western nations, it can be assumed that RMIGs will gain control of (or at least strong influence over) a functioning country in the next half century. If the terrorists do gain control of a country with a fully functioning and stable government, the nature of the game changes drastically. When terrorists becomethe government, all terrorism is state-sponsored The nations wealth, scientists, laboratories and research facilities can be focused to develop weapons of mass destruction of all types for use in the global jihad. Even in the absence of WMD, by gaining the status and legitimacy of a national government, radical Islamists will present western and developed nations with a difficult problem. We have seen in Afghanistan and Pakistan the benefits that a sovereign safe-haven has provi

The Ambiguous Nature of Hamlet :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Hamlet

The Ambiguous Nature of Hamlet       In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the protagonist exhibits a puzzling, duplicitous nature. Hamlet contradicts himself throughout the play. He endorses both the virtues of acting a role and that of being true to one's self. He further supports both of these conflicting endorsements with his actions. This ambiguity is demonstrated by his alleged madness, for he does behave madly, only to become perfectly calm and rational an instant later. These inconsistencies are related with the internal dilemmas he faces. He struggles with the issue of revenging his father's death, vowing to kill Claudius and then backing out, several times. Upon this point Hamlet stammers through the play. The reason for this teetering is directly related to his inability to form a solid opinion about role playing. This difficulty is not present, however, at the start of the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the first act, Hamlet appears to be very straightforward in his actions and inner state. When questioned by Gertrude about his melancholy appearance, Hamlet says, "Seems, madam? Nay it is. I know not `seems.' (1.2.76). This is to say "I am what I appear to be." Later In Act I,   Hamlet makes a clear statement about his state when he commits himself to revenge. In this statement the play makes an easy to follow shift. This shift consists of Hamlet giving up the role of a student and mourning son. Hamlet says, I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,  Ã‚   All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,  Ã‚   That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live  Ã‚   Within the book and volume of my brain (1.5.99-103).    Hamlet is declaring that he will be committed to nothing else but the revenge of his father's death. There is no confusion about Hamlet's character. He has said earlier that he is what he appears to be, and there is no reason to doubt it. In the next act, however, Hamlet's status and intentions suddenly, and with out demonstrated reason, become mired in confusion. When Hamlet appears again in act two, it seems that he has lost the conviction that was present earlier. He has yet to take up the part assigned to him by the ghost. He spends the act walking around, reading, talking with Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and the players. It is not until the very end of the act that he even mentions vengeance.

Presentation Skills Essay

Introduction Presentations are a way of communicating ideas and information to a group. A good presentation has: †¢ Content – It contains information that people need. Unlike reports, it must account for how much information the audience can absorb in one sitting. †¢ Structure – It has a logical beginning, middle, and end. It must be sequenced and paced so that the audience can understand it. Where as reports have appendices and footnotes, the presenter must be careful not to loose the audience when wandering from the main point of the presentation. †¢ Packaging – It must be well prepared. A report can be reread and portions skipped over, but the audience is at the mercy of a presenter. †¢ Human Element – A good presentation will be remembered much more than a good report because it has a person attached to it. But you still need to analyze if the audience’s needs would not be better met if a report was sent instead. The Voice The voice is probably the most valuable tool of the presenter. It carries most of the content that the audience takes away. One of the oddities of speech is that we can easily tell others what is wrong with their voice, e.g. too fast, too high, too soft, etc., but we have trouble listening to and changing our own voices. There are four main terms used for defining vocal qualities: †¢ Volume: How loud the sound is. The goal is to be heard without shouting. Good speakers lower their voice to draw the audience in, and raise it to make a point. †¢ Tone: The characteristics of a sound. An airplane has a different sound than leaves being rustled by the wind. A voice that carries fear can frighten the audience, while a voice that carries laughter can get the audience to smile. †¢ Pitch: How high or low a note is. Pee Wee Herman has a high voice, Barbara Walters has a moderate voice, while James Earl Jones has a low voice. †¢ Color: Both projection and tone variance can be practiced by taking the  line â€Å"This new policy is going to be exciting† and saying it first with surprise, then with irony, then with grief, and finally with anger. The key is to over-act. Remember Shakespeare’s words â€Å"All the world’s a stage† — presentations are the opening night on Broadway! There are two good methods for improving your voice: †¢ †¢Listen to it! Practice listening to your voice while at home, driving, walking, etc. Then when you are at work or with company, monitor your voice to see if you are using it how you want to. To really listen to your voice, cup your right hand around your right ear and gently pull the -1-  ear forward. Next, cup your left hand around your mouth and direct the sound straight into your ear. This helps you to really hear your voice as others hear it†¦and it might be completely different from the voice you thought it was! Now practice moderating your voice. The Body Your body communicates different impressions to the audience. People not only listen to you, they also watch you. Slouching tells them you are indifferent or you do not care†¦even though you might care a great deal! On the other hand, displaying good posture tells your audience that you know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture helps you to speak more clearly and effective. Throughout you presentation, display: †¢ Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals interest in others and increases the speaker’s credibility. Speakers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest,  concern, warmth, and credibility. †¢ Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm, and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and others will react favorably. They will be more comfortable around you and will want to listen to you more. †¢ Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures attention, makes the material more interesting, and facilitates understanding. †¢ Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward communicates that you are approachable, receptive, and friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when you and your audience face each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest. †¢ Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading other’s space. Some of these are: rocking, leg swinging, tapping, and gaze aversion. Typically, in large rooms, space invasion is not a problem. In most instances there is too much distance. To counteract this, move around the room to increase interaction with your audience. Increasing the proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for others to speak. †¢ Vary your voice. One of the major criticisms of speakers is that they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as boring and dull. People report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when listening to those who have not learned to modulate their voices. -2- Active Listening Good speakers not only inform their audience, they also listen to them. By listening, you know if they are understanding the information and if the information is important to them. Active listening is NOT the same as hearing! Hearing is the first part and consists of the perception of sound. Listening, the second part, involves an attachment of meaning to the aural symbols that are perceived. Passive listening occurs when the receiver has little motivation to listen carefully. Active listening with a purpose is used to gain information, to determine how another person feels, and to understand others. Some good traits of effective listeners are: Spend more time listening than talking (but of course, as a presenter, you will be doing most of the talking). †¢ Do not finish the sentence of others. †¢ Aware of biases. We all have them. We need to control them. †¢ Never daydream or become preoccupied with their own thoughts when others talk. †¢ Let the other speaker talk. Do not dominate the conversation. †¢ Plan responses after others have finished speaking†¦NOT while they are speaking. Their full concentration is on what others are saying, not on what they are going to respond with. †¢ Provide feedback but do not interrupt incessantly. †¢ Analyze by looking at all the relevant factors and asking open-ended questions. Walk the person through analysis (summarize). †¢ Keep the conversation on what the speaker says†¦NOT on what interest them. Listening can be one of our most powerful communication tools! Be sure to use it! Part of the listening process is getting feedback by changing and altering the message so the intention of the original communicator is understood by the second communicator. This is done by paraphrasing the words of the sender and restating the sender’s feelings or ideas in your own words, rather than repeating their words. Your words should be saying, â€Å"This is what I understand your feelings to be, am I correct?† It not only includes verbal responses, but also nonverbal ones. Nodding your head or squeezing their hand to show agreement, dipping your eyebrows to show you don’t quite understand the meaning of their last phrase, or sucking air in deeply and blowing out hard shows that you are also exasperated with the  situation. Carl Roger listed five main categories of feedback. They are listed in the order in which they occur most frequently in daily conversations (notice that we make judgments more often than we try to understand): -3- 1. Evaluative: Makes a judgment about the worth, goodness, or appropriateness of the other person’s statement. 2. Interpretive: Paraphrasing – attempt to explain what the other persons statement mean. 3. Supportive: Attempt to assist or bolster the other communicator 4. Probing: Attempt to gain additional information, continue the discussion, or clarify a point. Understanding: Attempt to discover completely what the other communicator means by her statements. Nerves The main enemy of a presenter is tension, which ruins the voice, posture, and spontaneity. The voice becomes higher as the throat tenses. Shoulders tighten up and limits flexibility while the legs start to shake and causes unsteadiness. The presentation becomes â€Å"canned† as the speaker locks in on the notes and starts to read directly from them. First, do not fight nerves, welcome them! Then you can get on with the presentation instead of focusing in on being nervous. Actors recognize the value of nerves†¦they add to the value of the performance. This is because adrenaline starts to kick in. It’s a left over from our ancestors’ â€Å"fight or flight† syndrome. If you welcome nerves, then the presentation becomes a challenge and you become better. If you let your nerves take over, then you go into the flight mode by withdrawing from the audience. Again, welcome your nerves, recognize them, let them help you gain that needed edge! Do not go into the flight mode! When you feel tension or anxiety, remember that everyone gets them, but the winners use them to their advantage, while the losers get overwhelmed by them. Tension can be reduced by performing some relaxation exercises. Listed below  are a couple to get you started: †¢ Before the presentation: Lie on the floor. Your back should be flat on the floor. Pull your feet towards you so that your knees are up in the air. Relax. Close your eyes. Fell your back spreading out and supporting your weight. Feel your neck lengthening. Work your way through your body, relaxing one section at a time – your toes, feet, legs, torso, etc. When finished, stand up slowly and try to maintain the relaxed feeling in a standing position. †¢ If you cannot lie down: Stand with you feet about 6 inches apart, arms hanging by your sides, and fingers unclenched. Gently shake each part of your body, starting with your hands, then arms, shoulders, torso, and legs. Concentrate on shaking out the tension. Then slowly rotate your shoulders forwards and the backwards. Move on to your head. Rotate it slowly clockwise, and then counter-clockwise. †¢ Mental Visualization: Before the presentation, visualize the room, audience,and you giving the presentation. Mentally go over what you are going to do from the moment you start to the end of the presentation. -4- †¢ During the presentation: Take a moment to yourself by getting a drink of water, take a deep breath, concentrate on relaxing the most tense part of your body, and then return to the presentation saying to your self, â€Å"I can do it!† †¢ You do NOT need to get rid of anxiety and tension! Channel the energy into concentration and expressiveness. †¢ Know that anxiety and tension is not as noticeable to the audience as it is to you. †¢ Know that even the best presenters make mistakes. The key is to continue on after the mistake. If you pick up and continue, so will the audience. Winners continue! Losers stop. Never drink alcohol to reduce tension! It affects not only your coordination but also your awareness of coordination. You might not realize it, but your audience will! Questions  Although some people get a perverse pleasure from putting others on the spot, and some try to look good in front of the boss, most people ask questions from a genuine interest. Questions do not mean you did not explain the topic good enough, but that their interest is deeper than the average audience. Always allow time at the end of the presentation for questions. After inviting questions, do not rush ahead if no one asks a question. Pause for about 6 seconds to allow the audience to gather their thoughts. When a question is asked, repeat the question to ensure that everyone heard it (and that you heard it correctly). When answering, direct your remarks to the entire audience. That way, you keep everyone focused, not just the questioner. To reinforce your presentation, try to relate the question back to the main points. Make sure you listen to the question being asked. If you do not understand it, ask them to clarify. Pause to think about the question as the answer you give may be correct, but ignore the main issue. If you do not know the answer, be honest, do not waffle. Tell them you will get back to them†¦and make sure you do! Answers that last 10 to 40 seconds work best. If they are too short, they seem abrupt; while longer answers appear too elaborate. Also, be sure to keep on track. Do not let off-the-wall questions sidetrack you into areas that are not relevant to the presentation. If someone takes issue with something you said, try to find a way to agree with part of their argument. For example, â€Å"Yes, I understand your position†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"I’m glad you raised that point, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The idea is to praise their point and agree with them. Audiences sometimes tend to think of â€Å"us verses you.† You do not want to risk alienating them. Preparing the Presentation -5- Great presentations require some preplanning. First, read Meetings for an outline of preparing and conducting a meeting, such as acquiring a room, informing participants, etc. A presentation follows the same basic guidelines as preparing for a meeting. The second step is to prepare the presentation: †¢ A good presentation starts out with introductions and an icebreaker such as a story, interesting statement or fact, joke, quotation, or an activity to get the group warmed up. The introduction also needs an objective, that is, the purpose or goal of the presentation. This not only tells you what you will talk about, but it also informs the audience of the purpose of the presentation. †¢ Next, comes the body of the presentation. Do NOT write it out word for word. All you want is an outline. By jotting down the main points on a set of  index cards, you not only have your outline, but also a memory jogger for the actual presentation. To prepare the presentation, ask yourself the following: What is the purpose of the presentation? Who will be attending? What does the audience already know about the subject? What is the audience’s attitude towards me (e.g. hostile, friendly)? †¢ A 45 minutes talk should have no more than about seven main points. This may not seem like very many, but if you are to leave the audience with a clear picture of what you have said, you cannot expect them to remember much more than that. †¢ There are several options for structuring the presentation: Timeline – Arranged in sequential order. Climax – The main points are delivered in order of increasing importance. Problem/Solution – A problem is presented, a solution is suggested, and benefits are then given. Classification – The important items are the major points. Simple to complex – Ideas are listed from the simplest to the most complex. done in reverse order. †¢ Can also be You want to include some visual information that will help the audience understand your presentation. Develop charts, graphs, slides, handouts, etc. -6- †¢ After the body, comes the closing. This is where you ask for questions, provide a wrap-up (summary), and thank the participants for attending. Notice that you told them what they are about to hear (the objective), told them (the body), and told them what they heard (the wrap up).  And finally, the important part – practice, practice, practice. The main purpose of creating an outline is to develop a coherent plan of what you want to talk about. You should know your presentation so well, that during the actual presentation, you should only have to briefly glance at your notes to ensure you are staying on track. This will also help you with your nerves by giving you the confidence that you can do it. Your practice session should include a â€Å"live† session by practicing in front of coworkers, family, or friends. They can be valuable at providing feedback and it gives you a chance to practice controlling your nerves. Another great feedback technique is to make a video or audio tape of your presentation and review it critically with a colleague. Habits We all have a few habits, and some are more annoying than others. For example, if we say â€Å"uh,† â€Å"you know,† or put our hands in our pockets and jingle our keys too often during a presentation, it distracts from the message we are trying to get across. The best way to break one of these distracting habits is with immediate feedback. This can be done with a small group of coworkers, family, or friends. Take turns giving small off-the-cuff talks about your favorite hobby, work project, first work assignment, etc. It talk should last about five minutes. During a speaker’s first talk, the audience should listen and watch for annoying habits. After the presentation, the audience should agree on the worst two or three habits that take the most away from the presentation. After agreement, each audience member should write these habits on a 8 1/2†³ x 11†³ sheet of paper (such as the word â€Å"Uh†). Use a magic marker and write in BIG letters. The next time the person gives her or his talk, each audience member should wave the corresponding sign in For most people, this method will break a habit by practicing at least once a day for one to two weeks. Tips and Techniques For Great Presentations †¢ If you have handouts, do not read straight from them. The audience does they should read along with you or listen to you read. not know if †¢ Do not put both hands in your pockets for long periods of time. This tends to make you  look unprofessional. It is OK to put one hand in a pocket but ensure there is no loose change  or keys to jingle around. This will distract the listeners. -7- †¢ Do not wave a pointer around in the air like a wild knight branding a sword to slay a  dragon. Use the pointer for what it is intended and then put it down, otherwise the audience will become fixated upon your â€Å"sword†,  instead upon you. †¢ Do not lean on the podium for long periods. The audience will begin to are going to fall over. wonder when you †¢ Speak to the audience†¦NOT to the visual aids, such as flip charts or overheads. Also, do not stand between the visual aid and the audience. †¢ Speak clearly and loudly enough for all to hear. Do not speak in a inflection to emphasize your main points. monotone voice. Use †¢ The disadvantages of presentations is that people cannot see the punctuation and this  can lead to misunderstandings. An effective way of overcoming this problem is to pause at the time when there would normally be punctuation marks. †¢ Use colored backgrounds on overhead transparencies and slides (such as yellow) as  the bright white light can be harsh on the eyes. This will quickly cause your audience to tire. If all of your transparencies or slides have clear backgrounds, then tape one blank yellow one on the overhead face. For slides, use a rubber band to hold a piece of colored cellophane over the projector lens. †¢ Learn the name of each participant as quickly as possible. Based upon the atmosphere  you want to create, call them by their first names or by using Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms. †¢ Tell them what name and title you prefer to be called. †¢ Listen intently to comments and opinions. By using a lateral thinking technique (adding  to ideas rather than dismissing them), the audience will feel that their ideas, comments, and opinions are worthwhile. †¢ Circulate around the room as you speak. This movement creates a the audience. physical closeness to †¢ List and discuss your objectives at the beginning of the presentation. Let the audience know how your presentation fits in with their goals. Discuss some of the fears and  apprehensions that both you and the audience might have. Tell them what they should expect of you and how you will  contribute to their goals. †¢ Vary your techniques (lecture, discussion, debate, films, slides, reading, etc.) †¢ Get to the presentation before your audience arrives; be the last one to leave. †¢ Be prepared to use an alternate approach if the one you’ve chosen seems to bog down. You should be confident enough with your own material so  that the audience’s interests and -8- concerns, not the presentation outline, determines the format. Use your background, experience, and knowledge to interrelate your subject matter. †¢ When writing on flip charts use no more than 7 lines of text per page and no more  than 7 word per line (the 7/7 rule). Also, use bright and bold colors, and pictures as well as text. †¢ Consider the time of day and how long you have got for your talk. Time of day  can  affect the audience. After lunch is known as the graveyard section in training circles as audiences will feel more like a nap than listening to a  talk. †¢ Most people find that if they practice in their head, the actual talk will take about 25 per cent longer. Using a flip chart or other visual aids also adds to the time. Remember – it is better to finish slightly early than to overrun.