Thursday, September 19, 2019
Antigone’s Judicial Hierarchy Essay -- Sophocles Antigone Papers
Antigone’s Judicial Hierarchy In Antigone, one of the most renowned Greek tragedies, Sophocles constructs a conflict that questions the very definition of justice. Considering a play based almost entirely on the acts of a single individual in clear defiance of a king’s decree, questions of right and wrong necessarily persist. It is difficult, however, for one to understand justice in deciphering the opinions of the two conflicting parties, Creon and Antigone, as these two clearly have opposing biased perspectives. It becomes prudent to examine the concept of justice in the eyes of the chorus, who has the necessary perspective to provide unbiased commentary in Antigone. Throughout Antigone, the chorus constructs a judicial hierarchy in which the subjects of the polis must submit to the laws of their king, and the king must fulfill his obligations according to the universal law established by the gods. The judicial hierarchy of Antigone is established early on in the tragedy, and is finally articulated clearly in the final lines spoken by the chorus. For the chorus, justice requires that the ruler of a polis have absolute power, and that his subjects follow his decrees to the letter. Early on, the chorus says, â€Å"to use any legal means lies in your power, both about the dead and those of us who live,†(ln.213-214). This could be interpreted simply as a citizen appealing to the hubris of his ruler, straying from honesty and moving toward appeasement, but given the manner in which the chorus interacts with Creon later in the play, it is much more likely that he truly believes that Creon, or any leader for that matter, is just in demanding that his laws be followed by his subjects. The implication here is that Creon has absolut... ...us in Antigone constructs a controversial conception of judicial hierarchy, which places accountability for the actions of a country’s subjects in the hands of the ruler and the accountability of that ruler in the hands of the gods. According to this system, both Antigone and Creon are guilty of injustices, and both received the just punishment for their actions. Antigone suffered at the hands of her ruler for the violation of his decrees, and rightly so. For what is a constitution in which the word of the sovereign is inefficacious? Creon suffered at the hands of the gods, to whom he alone was accountable. The pain that he feels as a result of the death of his son and wife is swift retribution from the gods, cutting off his foolish path, a path toward injustice. Works Cited Sophocles, Antigone. Trans. Grene. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Bats :: essays research papers
Bats Contents 1. Title Page Page... 1 2.     Contents                                   Page... 2 3.     Bat Facts Page... 3-4 4.     Congress Ave. Bridge Page... 5-6 5.     How To Get A Bat Out Of Your House Page... 6 6.     About Bat Houses                              Page... 7 7.     References                                   Page... 8+      My report is on bats. I will start my story off by telling you some facts about bats. Bat Facts 1. Did you know that the worlds smallest mammal is a Bumblebee bat that lives in Thailand. It weighs less than a penny! 2. Vampire bats adopt orphan pups (the name for a baby bat) and have been known to risk their lives to share food with the less fortunate. 3. The African Heart-Nosed bat can hear the footsteps of a beetle walking on sand from a distance of over six feet! 4. The giant Flying Fox bat from Indonesia has a wing span of six feet! 5. Disk-winged bats of Latin America have adhesive disks on both feet that enable them to live in unfurling banana leaves (or even walk up a window pane). 6. Nearly 1,000 kinds of bats account for almost a quarter of all mammal species, and most are highly beneficial. 7. Worldwide, bats are the most important natural enemies of night- flying insects! 8. A single brown bat can catch over 600 mosquitoes in just one hour! 9. Tropical bats are key elements in rain forest ecosystems which rely on them to pollinate flowers and disperse seeds for countless trees and shrubs. 10. Bat droppings in caves support whole ecosystems of unique organisms, including bacteria useful in detoxifying wastes, improving detergents, and producing gasohol and antibiotics. 11. More than 50% of American bat species are in severe decline or already listed as endangered. Losses are occurring at alarming rates worldwide. 12. All mammals can contract rabies; however, even the less than half of one percent of bats that do, normally bite only in self- defense and pose little threat to people who do not handle them. 13. An anticoagulant from Vampire bat saliva may soon be used to treat human heart patients. 14. Contrary to popular misconception, bats are not blind, do not become entangled in human hair, and seldom transmit disease to other animals or humans.      Well, enough with the facts. I think that should get you ready for the rest of my essay.      Austin, Texas Congress Ave. Bridge      A Bit Of History.......      When Engineers reconstructed downtown Austin's Congress Bridge in 1980, they had no idea that the new crevices beneath the bridge would make an ideal bat roost. Although bats had lived in Austin for years, it was headline news when they suddenly began moving by the thousands under the bridge.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Al Capone Essay -- Biography Biographies
Al Capone In 1920, the United States entered a new stage in its life, the Era of Prohibition. However, flaws in the planning, execution, and administration caused this noble idea to vacillate unquestionably. However, men who were willing to break the law were the ones that were able to build a lucrative life for themselves; one such man was Alphonse Capone. However, honest men such as Elliot Ness fought adamantly to defend their morals, beliefs, and the law of the land. Nevertheless, Capone was a man who took advantage of his time and lived the life of the American Dream: going from rags to riches. However, it was this very same opulence that caused his downfall and incarceration. The tireless efforts of Elliot Ness eventually paid off when On January 16, 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified. This legislation gave legal satisfaction to the temperance movement of the early twentieth century. It officially mandated that the transportation, manufact ure, sale, and consumption of any beverage with an alcohol content of more than .05% was illegal. However, although the U.S. government took the initiative to enact the law, the enforcement of it was severely lacking for several reasons. First, responsibility was given to the Department of the Treasury, not the Department of Justice. This resulted in agents with little to no training in the skills required to execute their duties. Second, these agents received scant salaries that eventually lead to widespread corruption and bribery. In fact, from 1920 to 1926, 148 enforcement employees were convicted of bribery or other alcohol-related offenses. Although the original intent of the Eighteenth Amendment was to lower crime and increase public morale, it mainly served as a catalyst for crime and violence. In 1926, a Senate investigation discovered that most of the illegal liquor being consumed was coming from smugglers, illegal usage of industrial or medicinal alcohol, and moonshine liquor. They concluded that increasing border security could control the smuggling dilemma. The other problems could only be solved by a more competent approach to enforcement, including the restructuring of administration as well as the officers and agents, changes in hiring practices and training, and increased salaries for all agents. However, the main reason for the failure of th... ... and Records Administration 2000). Despite the noble efforts of the U.S. Congress to end the consumption of alcohol, Prohibition was definitely a failure. Both faulty schematization and general sense of public disapproval contributed to the defectiveness of the Eighteenth Amendment. However, from this blunder rose venal men such as the infamous Alphonse Capone. These men gained both notoriety and fear through the practices of corruption and murder. Nevertheless, the tireless efforts of the U.S. government lead by the honest Elliot Ness and his men lead to the eventual downfall of this great pillar of crime. Despite the failure of the Prohibition Era, the United States learn a valuable lesson: the American mind is stubborn and it takes a little more than laws to change it. Bibliography: Bardsley, Marilyn. Al Capone - from the Crime Library. 15 May 2000. http://www.crimelibrary.com/capone/caponemain.htm Wright, Jacob C. The Enforcement Of Prohibition. 15 May 2000. http://mx3.xoom.com/jakewright/prohibition/index.html National Archives and Records Administration. Exhibit: Al Capone Verdict. (15 May 2000). http://www.nara.gov/exhall/originals/capone.html
Monday, September 16, 2019
Comparison of word processors
Use your textbook and online job search sites such as workshop's. Com, monster. Ca, dice. Com (not dice. Ca) or other Government or Company sites of your choice to briefly research each of these five types of jobs. Canadian information is preferred. If you do use IIS information please be sure to indicate it in your description.For each of the five you should, at a minimum, look into and present back: Summaries of job descriptions or functions Experience required Education required Salary or Hourly Rate (if available) Is this a good job for you? Why yes or no? (what am really interested in) Any other valuable or pertinent information Create ONE of the following to share your findings with: Well formatted MS-Word document pages) log type video of you sharing your findings and thoughts (Make sure you include your own thoughts as well. Formatting is up to you but should show consistency in fonts, sizes, color, spacing etc. If you Copy & Paste from a website to MS Word you may need to cl ean up the formatting a bit as well. This is NOT intended to be a huge assignment. Some students have found it to be effective to create a emulate page / form in MS-Word and then fill it out for each job. Flex those Word skills!Please include in your work which website URL you actually referenced. Multimedia submissions should be accompanied with links in the file's description or in a text file submitted alongside the media file. If job reference numbers or some sort of identification is available please include them.
Observing the Role of Homeostasis in the Body after Exercise
Observing the role of homeostasis in the body after exercise Biology (T): Functioning Organisms Biology Practical Report 0383210 Mrs Woinarski Due 14th November 2012 Introduction: Homeostasis plays a vital role in the maintenance of a normal environment in which bodily systems are able to function most efficiently. The importance of homeostasis can be seen in blood pressure and pulse rate, as measurements which are not in the normal range can create serious health problems. Exercise has a known effect on both of these systems, as it results in a rise in body temperature and dilation of blood vessels, as well as an increase in breathing rate.By measuring how these rates return to normal levels after exercise demonstrates homeostasis in the body, and helps to describe the ways in which the endocrine system and organs involved impact this. Aim: To demonstrate the role of homeostasis in reaching normal levels for pulse rate and blood pressure after an increase due to exercise and investi gate which of the relative feedback systems works faster to achieve homeostasis. Apparatus: Stopwatch 1. 5m Skipping Rope Electric blood pressure monitor Method:Using the electric blood pressure monitor, both blood pressure and pluse rate were measured at a resting level for the first participant. In an open area, participant was asked to skip 100 times using rope, without any break. Immediately afterwards, the stopwatch was set and the blood pressure and pulse rate of the participant were measured using the blood pressure monitor and recorded. Using the stopwatch to see time after exercise, blood pressure and pulse rates were measured again at t=1, t=5 and t=10, where t equals minutes after exercising.The entire process was completed on each participant individually. Results: Raw Data Table 1: Results for Participant 1 Time (t) |Pulse rate (bpm) |Blood pressure (mmHg) | |-1 |88 |105/67 | |0 |140 |135/119 | |1 |128 |138/69 | |5 |108 |113/63 | |10 |96 |109/66 | | Table 2: Results for Participant 2 Time (t) |Pulse rate (bpm) |Blood pressure (mmHg) | |-1 |90 |100/70 | |0 |150 |130/100 | |1 |120 |120/82 | |5 |100 |112/75 | |10 |93 |103/70 | | Table 3: Results for Participant 3Time (t) |Pulse rate (bpm) |Blood pressure (mmHg) | |-1 |81 |112/68 | |0 |100 |120/93 | |1 |95 |117/90 | |5 |91 |113/81 | |10 |80 |110/69 | | Table 4: Results for Participant 4 Time (t) |Pulse rate (bpm) |Blood pressure (mmHg) | |-1 |92 |126/79 | |0 |92 |154/65 | |1 |92 |143/67 | |5 |92 |131/60 | |10 |92 |125/71 | | Table 5: Results for Participant 5 Time (t) |Pulse rate (bpm) |Blood pressure (mmHg) | |-1 |86 |80/55 | |0 |90 |85/67 | |1 |89 |85/67 | |5 |87 |83/68 | |10 |83 |79/53 | |Processed Data Discussion:The results of this experiment effectively demonstrate the role of homeostasis in returning both pulse rate and blood pressure to normal rates after exercising, as can be seen in the trends in the data provided. As seen in graphs 1, 2 and 3 the trend was a peak in both blood pressure and pulse rate immediately after exercise, followed by a slower decrease to normal levels. Pulse rate, as seen in graph 1, changed quite dramatically in participants 1 and 2 after exercise, and although this same peak is not so obvious in participants 3 and 5, they show a similar pattern.The difference in scale of change here could be affected by many uncontrollable variables, such as the participants’ fitness levels. However, by comparing each participant’s results to their resting levels, an accurate description can be made. Participant 4 is, in this case, an anomaly, as exercise did not have any effect on their pulse rate (Table 4). Graphs 2 and 3 show the participants’ change in blood pressure as a result of exercise, separated into systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements.Again, a peak can be seen immediately after exercise as blood is being forced throughout the body to supply nutrients to muscles which have just been used, shown in both systolic and diastolic rates. Blood pressure returns to normal through a homeostatic process after exercise, as a result in the changing size of blood vessels. After blood pressure had returned to normal, in the majority of participants, it then in fact continued to decrease slightly before creating a new resting level. This is a result of the dilation of blood vessels, which then move more easily through arteries. Conclusion:In conclusion, the process of homeostasis in returning to normal levels of blood pressure and pulse rate after exercise have effectively been demonstrated. The different speeds at which these homeostatic processes are completed are a result of the endocrine feedback systems involved. Sources of error in the experiment are the limited results obtained as a result of time constraints. For a more accurate outcome, more participants should be tested so that any anomalies can be disregarded, and each participant should be tested multiple times to obtain average results as a way to avoid any mechanical errors.As the same device was used to test the blood pressure and pulse rate of each participant, mechanical error was reduced, however multiple tests would have improved the results. Bibliography: ‘Homeostatic mechanisms’ 2012, WestAustralian Government, viewed 10 November at http://tle. westone. wa. gov. au/content/file/ea6e15c5-fe5e-78a3-fd79-83474fe5d808/1/hum_bio_Science_3a. zip/content/003_homeostasis/page_05. htm Hardy, Richard N. 1983, Homeostasis, 2nd ed, Edward Arnold, London â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [pic] [pic] [pic]
Sunday, September 15, 2019
An Analysis Of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Environmental Sciences Essay
Throughout the nineteenth century, H2O resources became limited and the demand on H2O increasing with the over big population, so the universe started looking for new beginnings of H2O and take attention of useless H2O. Groundwater considered as an of import clean H2O beginning although there are polluted and contaminated, but the most of import and toxic dross is nitrate, which can do serious hazards on human wellness. Nitrate concentration have been increasing rapidly in groundwater due to mixture of its beginnings, for illustration: agricultural use where intensifier of fertilisers is used, waste stuff, discharging of chemical waste H2O of several industrial workss on the state countries as shown in figure below ( Reddy and Linm, May 1999 ) such as ; production of fertilisers, explosives, and polyurethane. Figure ( 1 ) : Nitrate Resources.[ 1 ] The largest sum of the nitrate comes from the fertilisers mills, where the mean usage of the fertiliser use in the universe increases yearly ; this makes nitrate H2O pollution, which considered as one of the most serious environmental jobs in developed states. ( OECD, 2005 ) GENERAL IDEA OF NITRATE VULNERABLE ZONES: The countries which has the chance of nitrate pollution, is brought in head by United Kingdom in 1996 to set the maximal content of nitrate in imbibing H2O to be 50 mg/l. It is brought by to forestall H2O resources from the exposure to nitrate pollution as of agricultural beginnings and it were applied in approximately 8 % of the English land to command the sum of the fertilisers required by the husbandmans. ( Barclay and White, 2009 ) In December 2000, the United Kingdom had failed to propose none usage values European tribunal of justness to protect all H2O resources non merely the imbibing H2O. After that, the authorities in England discussed with husbandmans to finish the nitrates instruction execution which was at beginning of 2002. On June 27th the authorities decided to present excess nitrate vulnerable zones in the state. In 2009, some of ordinances came into position and called NITRATE POLLUTION PREVENTION REGULATIONS 2008, which puts into pattern the nitrates direction in England. Today, the nitrate vulnerable zones are applied in 62 % of England countries. ( Defra, environment bureau, April 2009 ) Figure ( 2 ) : The English country using the NVZs in 2010[ 2 ] The environment bureau is the 1 responsible for gauging and taking down notes the husbandmans jobs by fixing unexpected visits to the farms. There are nine Guidance cusps related to the husbandmans when they are using the nitrate vulnerable zones and they are: Summary of the counsel for husbandmans in nitrate vulnerable zones. Implementing the regulations capacity, timing and enforcement. Reference information criterion values, fertiliser trying protocol and glossary. Storage of organic fertilisers. The stock fertiliser and farm bound. Planing N usage. The harvest nitrogen demand bound. Field application of organic fertilisers. Field application of manufactured N fertilisers. There are many procedures applied and used by the husbandmans in the nitrate vulnerable zones need to be evaluated and controlled by jurisprudence enforcements introduced by the environmental bureau of England, some of these will be discussed subsequently in this study. 2.1 Storage OF ORGANIC Fertilizers: The Torahs or regulations which control the procedure of storage of the organic fertilisers and which the husbandman should follow them in the nitrate vulnerable zones are: The maximal capacity of pigsaa‚Â ¬a„? slurry and domestic fowl storage is 6 months. The maximal capacity of other stock such as cowss slurry storage is 5 months. The storage must be in particular topographic points like stock houses or covered edifices, with exclusion to hive away them temporarily in the field site and guarantee there is no liquid draining during the storage periods. Reconstructing fertiliser storage installations must obey the building criterions set by the control of pollution. New, well enlarged or well reconstructed manure storage installations must follow with the building criterions set down in The Control of Pollution. ( Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil Regulations 1991 ) 2.2 THE STOCK FERTILIZER AND FARM LIMIT: The husbandmans can non travel beyond a maximal storage of 170 kg/ha of entire produced by stock in each twelvemonth averaged by over the country where the European committee has approved an understanding which will let qualified husbandmans those who have with more than 80 % of the farm country as green lands to hive away at a higher sum of 250 kilograms of entire merchandise. The husbandmans must enter information related to this stuff to demo it to the authorities, some of these informations are: The Numberss and types of stock per twenty-four hours during the twelvemonth, every bit good as disbursement or keeping. The sum of N which produced by the stock per twenty-four hours over the twelvemonth must non transcend the standard values including the exported sum of stock to another farms. 2.3 THE HARVEST NITROGEN REQUIREMENT LIMIT: The husbandman must vouch that the content of the N in the crop fertiliser do non transcend the maximal criterion value which specified by the regulations and cusps of nitrate vulnerable zones. 2.4 FIELD APPLICATION OF ORGANIC Fertilizers: All husbandmans at the nitrate vulnerable zones must do certain about the content of the nitrate before using the organic fertilisers, and do n't hold to utilize them if they exceeded the acceptable bounds. The manufacturers of the organic fertilisers must use the fertilisers during the fixed periods within a certain conditions. At the terminal of the closed period, the maximal applying sum is about 50 M3s / hour angle of slurry and 8 tones of domestic fowl. 2.5 THE ORGANIC FERTILIZERS AND FIELD LIMITS: For a twelvemonth, 12 months, the husbandmans must non transcend the degree of N which is 250 kg/ha by utilizing organic fertilisers including stock fertilisers. There must be at least three hebdomads between each single application. 2.6 CLOSED Spread PERIODS FOR MANUFACTURED FERTILIZER: The maker and the client of the organic N fertiliser must non use the production during the specific period of the twelvemonth, but can allow either the specified crops or obtain advice for the other crops from the authorities. 2.7 KEEPING NITROGEN OUT OF SURFACE WATERS: By the beginning of every twelvemonth, there are some demands from the husbandman in the nitrate vulnerable zones, and they are: Transporting out a hazard appraisal in instance of utilizing either organic manure or one of its applications. Producing a hazard map to place suited field locations for fertiliser applications. Where applicable, the map must besides demo sites suited for impermanent field tonss of solid fertilisers. When the husbandmans start the field operations, there are some necessities which are listed below: They should non utilize fertilisers contains N or organic fertilisers when the dirt is H2O logged, flooded, or snow covered, or has been frozen for more than 12 hours in the past 24 hours. They ca n't use organic fertilisers within 10 metres of surface H2O, except on land managed for engendering birds and under certain other limitations. Organic fertilisers must be put within 50 metres of a spring, good or borehole. The manufactured N fertiliser must be used within 2 metres of surface H2O. The husbandmans must do a field review to impose the hazard of skip through to come up H2O before distributing manufactured nitrogen fertiliser or organic fertiliser. If there is any possibility of leaking some of manufactured nitrogen fertiliser or organic fertiliser to the surface H2O, so the husbandmans must halt utilizing the fertilisers and delay while the job is solved and the husbandman must be responsible. The acceptable angle of the land where the fertilisers are used must non transcend or within 12 grade as a maximal value. The ability to utilize and the sanctioned sum of fertiliser depends on: Land drain. Land H2O screen. The nature and type of the dirts and the fertilisers. The husbandmans must enter all informations related to the old regulations in order to look into the records by the environment bureau and guarantee that they apply the nitrate vulnerable zones regulations and set of ordinances. 3. SCOTLAND AS A CASE STUDY: 3.1 CONCERNING EASTERN SCOTLAND: Eastern Scotland considered as one of the largest agribusiness countries in the United Kingdom, and it started using nitrate vulnerable zones instruments and regulations from this twelvemonth. The husbandmans in eastern Scotland are considered as a instance survey in this study to better the storage of slurry in those countries. Where on the other manus Scotland contains tonss of agribusiness countries, so it can be applied and evaluated by the nitrate vulnerable zones regulations on it. The husbandmans in Scotland are carrying up and utilizing the organic slurry for the agribusiness purposes, but this slurry is full of organics and N which may change over to guess nitrate as the undermentioned chemical equation: N2 + 6 H2O 2 NO3 + 6 H2 Then, this nitrate will foul a immense sum of resistance and surface H2O, the simplest solution of this job is using nitrate vulnerable zones on Scotland. 3.2 THE CONDITION OF SCOTLAND: There are many features and belongingss of Scotlandaa‚Â ¬a„?s dirts, and every bit recognized as organic dirts which has the ability to hive away big sum of C contents comparing with other agribusiness zones in UK. The surface of Scotland dirts indicates that it is sensitive to pollution or in peculiar nitrate pollution. Figure ( 3 ) : The types of the Soils in Scotland.[ 3 ] Depending in the maps above, one can observe that the land of the Scotland can be divided in to four basic types: Podzols dirt, which describes a presence of organic that is suited for the forest agribusiness with ash Grey and rich with silica content and have light Greies colour. AA . Brown colored dirts, reasonably contains a thin bed of organic bed, included of mineral medium and good construction with the stone pulverization dirts. Gleys dirts, the dirt consist of many metallic ions like Ag which have the graded blue colourss in comparing to the normal organic content, it responsible for surface H2O production. Organic peat dirts, it contains larger than 60 % of organic content with high surface bed which gives it high ability to agriculture even the sourness is so high ( & lt ; 5 PH ) . 3.3 Evaluation: From the information above, it can be noted that the dirts of Scotland in peculiar the agribusiness countries do non necessitate larger sum of natural or manufactured nitrogen fertilisers, so the authorities and the environmental bureau should do surveies about the needed sum of these fertilisers to procure the maximal sum of use to protect the surface and belowground H2O from the nitrate pollution jeopardy. The function of the nitrate vulnerable zones instrument is to command and oversee the storage procedure for these countries particularly that Scotland is well-known with stock where the Fieldss will be affected by the overall nitrate contents. Problem Impact Recommendation STOCK Storage Leaking to come up country. Using particular storage topographic points. Exploitation Fertilizers Reacted with the surface H2O. Restriction and unchanging the use for particular instances. APPLYING THE RULES The husbandman may non use the regulations. Making difficult regulations to command the countries related to nitrate vulnerable zones. KNOWLEDGE OF THE RULES Some husbandmans do non cognize plenty about regulations. Commercial advertizement. Table ( 1 ) : some of the proposal for existent job. 4. Decision: The nitrate vulnerable zones is a pattern introduced by the environmental bureau of United Kingdom to cut down the H2O nitrate pollution of the agribusiness country in the land, and this pattern is related to the husbandmans who live in the zones where high content of nitrate is caused by the procedure of storage and utilizing the manufactured or natural N fertilisers. From the rating and perusal of Scotland, one can observe that the nature of the dirt needs using nitrate vulnerable zones on those countries to get the better of the job of nitrate. Recommendations: The thought of nitrate vulnerable zones is really of import particularly for the countries causesaa‚Â ¬a„? H2O pollution of nitrate, but it should be international pattern all over the universe, in add-on to do difficult regulations on people who try to change with this pattern. In add-on, this topic is interested by every individual in the universe so the international organisation should assist the hapless husbandman to use nitrate vulnerable zones.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Development Education Essay
Individuals in society, as they grow in their respective environments, in an endeavor to fulfill their needs, encounter many challenges: environmental, social, economic, political and cultural. In everyday life therefore, they have to participate voluntarily or otherwise to overcome them, otherwise they are bound to remain in the same state or dwindle even further. As such, there is need for individuals to participate actively in the development of their communities, their nations and the world as a whole with a special reference to social, economic and political awareness. Kenyans are not facing any different situations. For example, in the education sector, progress towards attaining universal primary education, which was initiated by the incumbent government in 2003, has had the effect of increasing the enrolment by two million children. Recent enrolment gains have benefited the girls, resulting in near gender parity. Despite these gains, regional inequalities are pronounced, particularly in the enrolment of girls in the arid and semi-arid regions (Child, 2006). This initiative has had positive impact whereby the economic ability of the parents is not an excuse for failure to access basic education for their children. As the government endeavors to make this a reality, glaring issues should not be ignored. For example, the student-teacher ratio has increased, hence hampering delivery of quality education. There is dire need therefore to employ more teachers. Resources in the schools; such as text books, laboratory materials, computers among others are limited. What lingers in the minds of many is whether the introduction of free primary education was timely. Were economic issues such as the ability of the government to meet its obligation considered? If yes, would the education budgetary allocation cripple other pillar sectors of the economy such as Roads and Transport or Agriculture? May be the government would have to resort to external funding to finance its budget deficit, but with what implications? My own experience is that, the growing numbers of students in the public schools have been unmanageable with the available resources being stretched to the limit. Mature students have joined primary schools causing social tensions within the school environment. Since adult education programme is in place, such students would have been encouraged to enroll in that programme. It is possible that this was a political move to show the whole world how our government is ‘committed’ to providing education to all. Cultural issues have been a major impediment to provision of education to all. Some communities in Kenya do not encourage girls to take up education opportunities. Or even if they do, women are to play a specific role in society: to do household chores, bring up the children and take care of their spouses. It is no wonder, therefore, that early marriages are still rampant in certain communities. Some young girls fail to complete primary or secondary education because of early pregnancies. With such situations, realizing development is almost futile. The question is whether the government or the communities themselves have been or are committed. If yes, to what extent, and if no, then why and what are the implications? A case in point is in my home village, among the Giriama tribe in Kilifi District, Coast Province. Early pregnancies and marriages for the girls are rampant with little being done to the culprits. Those responsible for these ills in most cases are male adults, who are of sound mind. Hence, the noble effort of free primary education is not appreciated. In my opinion, the effort of the government and the local leaders in designing and implementing educational programmes for the citizens should involve the whole community. The adults could act as good examples, but they have to be sensitized on the importance of education to all. If the adults embrace change, and they actively participate in implementing it, less or no young girls will fall victim to these unfortunate circumstances. Social development in Kenya has also been hampered by diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The current rate of infection for HIV/AIDS is 6. 1% of the adult population down from a prevalence rate of 16% in urban areas and 8% in rural areas in the late 1990’s. This is an encouraging situation with support from the government and its agencies, such as the national Aids Control Council and STDs Control Programme (NASCOP). (Child, 2006). What should not be ignored is about the victims themselves. How does the society engage them in economic, social and political growth of the country? There have been reported cases of stigma at the work place, in schools, religious circles and political arenas. With the availability of Antiretroviral drug therapy, infected individuals can almost live their full lives. It is therefore important for individuals to know their HIV status and be proactive in prevention of its spread. In Sub- Saharan Africa, Kenya has been placed 15th out of the 48 countries on good governance and economic management with an overall index of 59. 3. This index was pegged on the five pillars of good governance: safety and security, rule of law transparency and corruption, participation and human rights, sustainable economic opportunity and human development. (Otieno, 2001). This could be true; however, the index used the 2005 data as the baseline hence it is subject to a variety of opinions presently. As much as we would like to appreciate this growth, the ordinary citizen is still facing enormous challenges. 60% of the Kenyan population is still surviving on less than 2 dollars per day. The Kenyan government has defined the poverty line as 17 dollars per month in the rural areas and 36 dollars in the urban areas. The country lacks robust food production and is vulnerable to unstable rain patterns. (Child, 2006). With these statistics, the country cannot boast of excellent economic growth. It is not surprising therefore that the government’s domestic debt is growing twice as fast this year to seek more funds to finance social expenditure. At the community level, joblessness is still on the rise. As restructuring of government and private entities increases, more Kenyans are retrenched, rendering most of them poorer than they were before. Change is inevitable as companies struggle to stay afloat in the market. However, alternative sources of income have to be provided or sought by the individuals themselves. For example, the government, through the Ministry of Local Government, has initiated the Rural Poverty Reduction and Local Government Support Programme (RPRLGSP) in providing clean drinking water, construction of schools, modern slaughter houses, solid waste management and rehabilitation (Ongwae, 2007). Some of these projects at the community level have provided a way of livelihood to the people. Citizens should not wait for government initiatives to participate in development. However, they need to be critically aware of the resources available within their environments and how to utilize them for their benefit. For example, instead of retired civil servants depending on their children for financial support, they can come together, identify joint projects and may access loans from financial institutions to start them off. Political structures on the other hand are a cornerstone to social and economic growth. Since independence in 1963, Kenya has had three heads of state. Political turbulences have been evident as the country struggles to embrace democracy. The state has witnessed a transition from a one party to a multi party system of government. Government officials have been associated with grand scale corruption malpractices taking the country to economic oblivion. A good example is the Anglo Leasing Scandal, where it was claimed that billions of shillings were paid to dubious companies within and abroad. The perpetrators of this vice have not been brought to book to date. It has been assumed that the law makers always enact laws to protect themselves. A bill was passed in parliament recently to stop the Kenya Anti –Corruption Authority from investigating and prosecuting the individuals with pending corruption cases before 2003, when the current government came into force. Evidently, the members of parliament may be protecting themselves. This therefore is a big challenge to the electorate as campaigns for elections due in December this year are in top gear. Politicians are shifting political alliances by the day and forming new ones. The current government was formed under a coalition of parties. As politicians are criss-crossing the country to secure civic and parliamentary seats, many more parties are finding common grounds to merge. This could be seen as a practice of demonstrating their democratic rights, though many questions linger about the seriousness of these individuals. Hence, should the electorate vote for the individuals by virtue of their political parties or the individuals’ ability to initiate development agendas? What of the politicians who give hand outs during campaign time? Do they realize that the citizens have problems only during the election year? Many promises have been made before by the same or other aspiring candidates. The performance of most of them has been dismal or at all. When they pass bills to reward themselves handsomely in salaries and allowances, who stands to benefit, them or the citizens? Is the economy stable enough to accommodate such hefty wage bill? The Kenyan politician in essence, has been known to be selfish to a larger extent. The electorate has to come to terms with this and cast a vote for a ‘new’ politician who is likely to initiate social, economic and political change. The citizen has to be critical in this political process and participate in the voting process wisely come the December elections. It is clear from this discussion therefore, that it is the citizen who has to participate actively to initiate social, economic and political change. This has to be done with a critical analysis of all the forces in place. It could take time, development could be gradual, but finally, every citizen will take responsibility for their actions and become agents of change for a better future for the generations to come. References: CHILD, K. (2006) The OneWorld Kenya Guide [Online] http://uk. oneworld. net/guides/Kenya/development? gclid=CIHot73j3o4CFRtAgQodkThZPQ [accessed on 18. 09. 07] ONGWAE, E. (2007) Initiative helps improve standards of life. Daily Nation 26 September 2007: p. 35 OTIENO, J. (2007) Kenya in League of 20 states, Daily Nation. [Online]. 26 September 2007. Available from: http://www. nationmedia. com/dailynation/printpage. asp? newsid=107244. [Accessed 29 September 2007] Isaac Oyugi Samwel.
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