History and Memory Essay Example

History and Memory Essay Example History and Memory Essay History and Memory Essay All individuals hate being lied to. We are always on a quest to find the truth. How do we discover what is real and what is illusion? We look for documented evidence of course, but this alone is not enough. We also need to discover eyewitness testimony and crave to find individuals whose memories will unlock the door to the mystery that lies before us. It is the memories of others that add substance to evidence, that fill in the blanks that cannot be captured on paper. Our legal system relies heavily on both memory and documented evidence, and so the two are inexplicably entwined. History needs memory, without it, we cannot create a whole picture. Mark Raphael Baker, a historian and writer discovered that History and Memory are inseparable in his search for the truth about the Holocaust, as shown in his biography The Fiftieth Gate. He needed both to make sense not only of his parents lives and that of the millions of Jewish people that died, but also his own. The documentary Nazi Hunters, produced by ________________ also reveals that any quest needs a combination of both History and Memory to forge an accurate image of past events. Wilfred Owen’s poem Dulce Et Decorum Est, provides a powerful and moving indictment against war captured in his personal and documented experiences. His poems are not just recorded histories but also memories and evidence of the destruction of the First World War. Without memory, we cannot paint an accurate picture of our past. Mark Baker discovers this on his journey back to Poland with his mother Genia and his father Yossl. On Mark’s journey to Wierzbnik, he is confronted by the graves of his grandmother and aunties whom he never knew. Joe, a cheerful 86 year old Holocaust survivor who originated from Hungary, who took â€Å"†¦only 30 minutes† to summaries his own personal history. His commentary had been based upon his memories, which were complimented by several historical facts. Certain comments made by Joe were quite surprising, due to their absence in historical writings, such as his repeated motto â€Å"Do not hate. † The impression and aura given out by him failed to express any excessive sorrow or grief. I don’t personally know how he manages to do such, after all the terrible experiences of human evil, being able to live such a joyful life. I would have every right to hate, but I do not hate†¦but I do remember†¦do not forget†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , these heart touching words of Joe presented the whole anticipated response with an unexpected twist. The prominence in his words was simply unbelievable, where hate was expected there had been mercy and gratefulness present. Keith Moer man, another Holocaust survivor from Holland had also encountered an unusual experience during the war period as retold his story on a German soldier offering him a lollipop while Keith had been on his way of getting water, â€Å"†¦but I wasn’t going to take a lolly from a German. † Keith added. Factual evidence tends to leave out little details, details such as the presence of kind German soldiers, or the peaceful feedback of the survivors. Its focus is based on the majority of the cases, which stated the cruelty of these soldiers, as 75% of Jews were killed during the Holocaust. There are points were memories-collective memories-can be used to validate the historical documents. The evidence for the existence of the ‘Underground’ can be verified by the mentioning of it by both Keith and Joe. Both determined to survive and live pass this horrifying war had fought against the Germans. Even the individual memories being so incredibly powerful in relation to the human feelings and emotions, on their own they continually encounter disbelief and skepticism. â€Å"†¦I doubted her†¦never believed her, that I only recognize suffering in numbers and lists and not in the laments and pleas of a human being†¦screaming for acknowledgment. † Mark Baker’s realization of how important and significant history is to the logical human brain doesn’t occur until the awareness of the truthfulness behind his own mother’s story. I can imagine how hurt Genia, his mother, must have felt by her own son mistrusting her memories, brings me back to my own occurrences of being mistrusted. It is impossible to prove anything without having proof in today’s society. Present generations believe in alleged ‘proven facts’, which tend to signify the major struggle in keeping these significant memories alive. Baker’s doubt in his own parents presents a good example of this. This then raises the question- If this already the case with the current generation, what will happen in the future. Will the knowledge of the past just simply fade away? Memories alone are not the perfect source of re-establishing the events of the past, as they are personal, enclosed to certain detail, inconsecutive at a frequent rate and lack logical progression. All, Joe, Keith and Yossl are exemplary examples of this. The failure of keeping a chronological order draws the chance of neglecting vital parts of the actual event. â€Å"It was cold, winter, we had winter boots on†¦Ã¢â‚¬ according to Yossl’s definite description of the terribly cold day, 27th October 1942. Although of the convinced assurance, the memory is proven incorrect by written recordings of the other Jews. It had been a hot autumn day, whose heat Yossl is incapable of recalling. The presence of confusion is evident in the attempt of educing memory. Who doesn’t experience this? I’ve had troubles with drawing onto my own memories at times. I would say human beings tend to link inner feelings and emotions with the surrounding environment-as did Yossl-happens to the best of us. Neither memories nor historical facts work independently of each other to retell the past. Hence a combination of personal experiences, memories and documented evidences are essential for establishing the most accurate and reliable representation of history.

Free Essays on Calvism

Reformation was a 16th century movement in western Europe that aimed at changing many teachings of the Roman Catholic church, which resulted in the establishment of the Protestant church. One church existed in Western Europe in the year 1500. The Roman Catholic Church. At the top was the Pope in Rome who literally governed everything. Three things greatly affected the reformation, the renaissance, men were beginning to dominate thought, The printing press, and last but not least the rise of powerful Nation-States with an all powerful monarch. One individual named Martin Luther got extremely angry at the churches selling of indulgences, he posted his 95 Theses at Wittenberg Castle, in which he criticized the selling of indulgences. Part of his anger was that the German money was going to Rome. Thanks to the printing press, the 95 theses was printed all over Germany, and eventually Europe. The reformation strengthened the middle class, Reformation encouraged the spread of education. In both Catholic and Protestant countries, the reformation strengthened the state at the expense of the church. Reformation also led to the colonization of North America, protestants in England were persecuted for their religious beliefs by Queen Mary. "Bloody Mary" murdered many protestants to prevent the growth of the protestant faith in England. This led to a group of Protestants called pilgrims, to make a pilgrimage to the new world, where they would be free to practice their religious belief without fear of persecution. Calvinists are not followers of John Calvin, but of his idea. Calvin's Protestant faith emphasizes the omnipotence of God and the salvation of the elect by God's grace alone, basically the theory of predestination. The "elected" are known as "saints" in the Calvinist faith. Calvin denied that human beings were capable of free will. Calvin also stated that the writings of the scriptures are to be taken literally. Following the history o... Free Essays on Calvism Free Essays on Calvism Reformation was a 16th century movement in western Europe that aimed at changing many teachings of the Roman Catholic church, which resulted in the establishment of the Protestant church. One church existed in Western Europe in the year 1500. The Roman Catholic Church. At the top was the Pope in Rome who literally governed everything. Three things greatly affected the reformation, the renaissance, men were beginning to dominate thought, The printing press, and last but not least the rise of powerful Nation-States with an all powerful monarch. One individual named Martin Luther got extremely angry at the churches selling of indulgences, he posted his 95 Theses at Wittenberg Castle, in which he criticized the selling of indulgences. Part of his anger was that the German money was going to Rome. Thanks to the printing press, the 95 theses was printed all over Germany, and eventually Europe. The reformation strengthened the middle class, Reformation encouraged the spread of education. In both Catholic and Protestant countries, the reformation strengthened the state at the expense of the church. Reformation also led to the colonization of North America, protestants in England were persecuted for their religious beliefs by Queen Mary. "Bloody Mary" murdered many protestants to prevent the growth of the protestant faith in England. This led to a group of Protestants called pilgrims, to make a pilgrimage to the new world, where they would be free to practice their religious belief without fear of persecution. Calvinists are not followers of John Calvin, but of his idea. Calvin's Protestant faith emphasizes the omnipotence of God and the salvation of the elect by God's grace alone, basically the theory of predestination. The "elected" are known as "saints" in the Calvinist faith. Calvin denied that human beings were capable of free will. Calvin also stated that the writings of the scriptures are to be taken literally. Following the history o...

I need 5 seperate one page weekly current events Article

I need 5 seperate one page weekly current events - Article Example This took place after his plea. After his prosecution, the federal government prosecutors had told a judge in New York about their exaggeration regarding the capabilities of the equipment found in the goods that he had previously been arrested for exporting. The judge has not made any efforts to change the judgment although the lawyers from both sides are continuing to press on the charges This is a complex case within which some banned actions can become legal after sometime. It shows how laws can shift from governing a certain activity to the providence of freedom. In this case, it moved from national security to freedom of internet for Iranians. A dilemma is thus presented regarding those who had been convicted of an action that has now become legal. In my opinion, they should be given consideration especially if it is later found that the activities in which they were involved were not as harmful as it had been earlier stated. The article focuses on the speech given by Governor Bobby Jindal on the significance of protecting liberty in the religious context. Majorly, he focused on some of the major attacks that have taken place against religious liberty citing especially the Obama administration. The speech was related to law in the sense that it talked about the rights of all American citizens as a whole and not the prerogative of a chosen few. This was mainly with the concern of people’s freedom. According to him, despite the diversity in belief shared by members of different denominations and faiths, every citizen still bears an intrinsic right to life, liberty and to pursue happiness. Instead of it bringing out a major difference, the diversity should be a foundation that forms the basis of law and foundation. It is thus an important aspect especially if people want to work together including the entrepreneurial spirit since they form the basis of

Teenage pregnancy in ireland Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Teenage pregnancy in ireland - Thesis Example The teenage pregnancy is a contentious issue in Ireland, and the problem is especially pronounced in County Louth which is one of smallest counties in Ireland with the highest rate of teenage pregnancies (Crisis Pregnancy Agency, 2007). Many society members view most cases of teenage pregnancy as a burden and a barrier to the achievement of the necessary education status and employment standards. However, there is also a growing acceptance of non-standard family models. This research will aim to explore the attitudes of the society toward teenage pregnancy. The literature review will comprehensively discuss the problem of teenage pregnancy, teenage birth rates in Ireland, risk factors and health risks of teenage pregnancies to provide the theoretical aspects of the research on teenage pregnancy as well as the society attitudes toward young mothers. According to Keller (2002), the rate of teenage pregnancies in both County Louth and Dublin is the same i.e. 6.8pc. However, the statisti cs from the 2002 research could be currently different due to the fact that the difference in the sizes of the two cities leads to a difference in the social norms. Being larger than County Lough, the teenage birth rates could be higher in Dublin because the sexual activities will be more rampant, the catholic culture will have less impact, and the multicultural impact is high. The 2010 statistics from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) indicates that teenage pregnancy in Ireland has been reduced in significant levels and it led to birth of 2, 043 babies for the mothers under the age of 20 (CSO, 2010). This was a decline from the 2006 statistics, when 2352 cases represented 0.4% of the total births among women that year (Crisis Pregnancy Agency, 2007). Majority of the teenage births are noted among girl between eighteen to nineteen years old. For example,

Project management and strategic planning Essay Example for Free

Project management and strategic planning Essay Question: Language style: English (U.K.).   Write strategic planning and implementation steps involved in any project within IT department. Mention the Total quality management steps followed. What are the problems faced? Which problem solving and decision making methods would you suggest to be utilized? Explain. References: Any 2 Sources from the Internet, or Textbooks or journals. An organisation’s IT Strategic planning should combine some amount of tactical planning.   An IT department would require a strategic planning policy to ensure that the staff members and students can use the network on the campus as and when required.    As per the university requirements, all the schools should have a functional IT system, with certain criteria and specifications.   The IT planning would also help the school to share and receive technology from other schools and in this way be of immense help to the students. An IT Department should form a part and parcel of the education policy and processes of the educational institute.   It should be considered as a very important educational and information tool, for the students and staff members.   Let us now look at the actual strategic planning process and how it can be implemented in an educational institute. Strategic Planning is a process of making important decisions in the organisation so that a link between the present and the future trends is formed, choosing the organization’s goals, establishing the policies needed to meet specific objectives and recognising the means of assuring that policies are implemented in an appropriate manner. In a nutshell strategic plans are the â€Å"action plans† (Majdà ºchovà ¡, 2003 Strategic Initiatives, 2007). STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS: Considering an example of a Management institute with special reference to the project to be carried out in the IT department, the following detailing a manager in the unit will have to accomplish and organize (ICFAI). A Manager who is responsible for strategic planning would convert the intentions or objectives of the organisation concrete and measurable strategic plans, policies and budget allocations (Majdà ºchovà ¡, 2003 Strategic Initiatives, 2007). Step one: Defining the mission of the organization Based on the above work assignments, companies change their mission over a period of time to reflect changes in the external environment. The IT unit should address three important issues: What is the business supposed to do? Who are the customers? What goods or services does it offer? An IT department targets the various problems and issues, which are normally faced in a laboratory system of an organisation.   The IT department would provide services to the staff and the students and not merely provide goods alone to the audiences mentioned above (Kotler, 1999). Step two: Drawing up organizational objectives The strategic planning process in an IT department will broadly comprise of the following main objectives to be achieved.   This would help to determine the means of accomplishing the mission: Students online exams / reports / marks, Laptop management (Wi-Fi connection), Internet control, LAN Connections, PC Maintenance, AMC – annual maintenance contract, Software and hardware troubleshooting, UPS, Vendor management, Requisition and procurement of PCs, UPS etc, Intranet management, ERP package connectivity, and Server support  Ã‚   (Kotler, 1999 ICFAI) Step three: Assessing and Analysing SWOT The mangers need to analyse thoroughly the organisation’s current situation in order to develop an effective strategy to gain a competitive edge: Availability of KRA’s Availability of E-commerce technologies and processes Availability of skills in management of the supply chain or the vendor Management of Proprietary technology, superior technological skills, IP, Patents, and the issues concerned with them (Kotler, 1999 ICFAI) Step four: Formulating strategy Michael Porter has described three strategies which can help a firm / unit to gain competitive edge over others. Overall Cost Leadership: An IT firm has to consider the capital investment and access to it, the engineering skills required, intense supervision of labour, products designed for ease in manufacture, etc in order to achieve the its objectives (Kotler, 1999). Differentiation: The IT department may differentiate its products and services into technical and engineering support, strong capability in identifying the LAN, vendors, ERP, Wi-Fi, Internet, skills of the staff members needed, Intranet, etc (Kotler, 1999). Focus: All the above mentioned policies should be directed towards meeting the strategic target of fulfilling the staff’s and the student’s requirements (Kotler, 1999). Step five: Implementing strategy According to McKinsey et al, the best-managed companies exhibit the following 7 elements, known as â€Å"McKinsey 7-S framework for business success†. These include strategy, structure, and systems (known as ‘hardware to success†); and style, skills, staff and shared values (known as â€Å"software to success†) (Kotler, 1999 ICFAI). In an IT department, style refers to the common ways of thinking and behaving of the staff members.   Skills refer to the unique method of handling problems experienced by the organization, especially using creative solutions.   Staffing is the process of hiring, training and allocating the work by the department.   Shared values refer to the common guiding values shared by the staff members (ICFAI). During the implementation, the manager should constantly monitor the technology, staff, incentives/reward system, decision-making processes, structures and functions (ICFAI). IMPLEMENTING TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT This involves selecting the right staff members and using ensuring that the services are of high quality.   The process of TQM is continuous in the organisation so that quality of the organisation would improve (through having appropriate processes, products and services).   Feedback regarding customer satisfaction is gained, and accordingly improvements are made.   The company needs to gain an insight of how the user would be using the product.   Any shortcoming should be identified and modified, as and when needed.   Some of the steps in TQM include: Studying the current quality situation Defining the quality needs Planning for a quality control program initiated by the managers Having structures, functions and strategies for implementing the quality program Allocating and obtaining the resources Monitoring and evaluation of the quality control program (Hashmi, 2000) PROBLEMS FACED: The IT department may face several major problems in cases of IT resource troubleshooting, logistics management, customer satisfaction, changes in the vision of the organisation, leadership problems, incompetent human resources, adoption of new technologies, managing the IP, obsolete facilities, etc (ICFAI). One of the major problems faced by the organisation previously, was regarding the presence of viruses in various network systems.   This seemed a threat to the security of the network.   The organisation had to develop a policy to prevent entry and spread of such virus on its network system.   This ensured that all external connections including CD’s, pen drives, removable discs, etc, were thoroughly scanned so that any virus threat would be contained.   The users were also informed of the security measures that had to be followed whilst using the network.   A strong firewall was installed to ensure that all data entering and existing the network was thoroughly monitored.   In this way, the IT department effectively handled virus threats. A study was conducted in the Institute’s IT Department to determine the effectiveness and the efficiency of the IT department’s network system.   More than 100 individuals were interviewed, which included 80 students and 20 teachers.   It was found that when a definite plan was introduced since 2004, the quality of services provided by the IT department improved drastically.   About 75 % of the staff members and 65 % of the students agreed to this.   The IT personnel are conducting quality checks at various levels to ensure that the services are effective and can enable the organisation to achieve its goals. Services Provided Percent of Staff who felt that the services were good Percent of Staff who felt that the services were satisfactory Percent of Staff who felt that the services were poor Comments Internet 75 21 4 Internet services are very good with fast connectivity and lightning speeds Intranet 50 35 15 Intranet exists, but not updated regularly Messenger 25 13 63 Not utilised very often during instruction Mail 65 26 9 Utilised very frequently and beneficial to all the faculty members and students.   Each staff and student is given their own id and password Library 78 12 10 Services are limited (no of databases subscribed) College Database 50 24 26 Not updated for long Teleconference system 56 25 19 Although, the system is effective and very useful, frequent disruptions occur PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING METHODS: Group Decision making method may be useful in large and complex departments, as the decision adopted seem to be better. Delphi group technique brings a panel of experts together in order to identify the problem and develop solutions for them.   Responses are collected and averaged by the people coordinating the group. It is utilised more often to immediately solve acute problems faced by the unit.   Such problems are time consuming and expensive to solve.   Interacting groups is the most common form of group decision making, in which the members openly discuss the problem, develop ideas, argue about each of them, and choose the best alternative. Decision Tree is a complex instrument that helps the decision-maker to consider various alternative courses needed to solve the problem and select the most appropriate alternative. The decision-maker can implement and monitor the alternative (Kotler, 1999 ICFAI).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, I do feel that from the efforts of the management of the organisation and from the IT department itself, an effective network system has been develop which is very useful for the students and the staff members.   This educational tool helps in education, instruction, and research and even in providing information to the general public.   Regular feedback should be taken from the users, administrators, etc, in order to determine if any modification is required for the IT System, and effectively introduced into the IT strategic plan.   Over, the last four years, incorporation of an IT plan has ensured a faster network, security, greater access, and increased support.   The IT department has also certain trouble shooting devices in place to handle any situation.   This has helped the organisation to achieve its objectives. References: Hashmi, K. (2000), Introduction and Implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM), [Online], Available: http://www.isixsigma.com/library/content/c031008a.asp, [Accessed: 2007, November 23]. ICFAI Introduction to management, ICFAI Center for Management research. ICFAI Project Management, ICFAI publication of management research.    Kotler, P. (1999), â€Å"Marketing Management: the Millennium edition,† 10th ed, Prentice Hall. Majdà ºchovà ¡, H. (2003), â€Å"Strategic Management For The Nonprofit Organizations†, Electronic Library of Scientific Literature, vol. 51, no. 3. http://www.sav.sk/journals/ekoncas/ekon2003_07.htm   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Strategic Initiatives Leading Transformative Change†, [Online], Available: http://www.strategicinitiatives.com/, [Accessed: 2007, November 23]. The University of Colorado at Boulder (2002). â€Å"2002 Information Technology Strategic Planning Report.† [Online], Available: http://www.colorado.edu/ITplan/2002itsp.pdf, [Accessed: 2007, November 23]. The University of Colorado at Boulder (2002). 2002 IT Strategic Vision, [Online], Available: http://www.colorado.edu/ITplan/vision.pdf, [Accessed: 2007, November 23]. The University of Colorado at Boulder (2002). Current Situation (Trends), [Online], Available: http://www.colorado.edu/ITplan/trends.pdf, [Accessed: 2007, November

Child Abuse Case Study: Peter Connelly Essay -- Toddler Peter Connell

Child abuse does not discriminate against a child because of age, sex, religion, or socioeconomic background. Every child is vulnerable to abuse. Parents today face the possibility that someone they know or a stranger may hurt or take advantage of their children. Research indicates that as many as one out of every four children will be the victims of some kind of abuse (National Child Abuse Statistics). Furthermore, one of the biggest ironies of child abuse is that the family, a child’s primary source of care, love, and security, can also be their most taunting experience. This was the case of 17 month old baby, Peter Connelly. Throughout his short life span, he suffered from neglect and physical abuse that ultimately caused his death. Child abuse is a serious problem that is being taken too lightly. Peter Connelly was born March 1st, 2007 in Haringey, London. In a two month period Peter’s father moved out of the house, while his mother Tracey Connelly met a new guy Steven Baker at a club. On October 13th Peter was taken to the doctor’s office with bruises to the side of his head. His mother told the authorities that he fell out of his crib. Sometime around December Peters mothers thirty-two year old boyfriend, Steven Baker, moves into the home. Within the same month he was rushed to the emergency room with head injuries, bruising to the bridge of the nose, sternum, right shoulder and buttocks. Peter’s mother said he fell off of his seat. Ultimately, his case was referred to social services. Peter was given temporarily to a friend of the family. Pursing this further, on January 26th Peter is returned to his mother, even though Tracey Connelly was still on bail for assaulting and neglecting the baby. Time... ...Baby P Death Named." BBC News - Home. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. . Hughes, Mark. "Baby P's Killers: the Untold Story - Crime, UK - The Independent." The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. . Layman, Richard. Child Abuse. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 1990. 15+. Print. "National Child Abuse Statistics | Childhelp." Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse | Childhelp. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. . "Timeline Leading to Toddler Peter Connelly's Tragedy | The Sun |News." The Sun | The Best for News, Sport, Showbiz, Celebrities | The Sun| The Sun. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. .

Hard Times by Charles Dickens Essay

Hard Times by Charles Dickens juxtaposes fact with fancy and also describes the effects of industrialization on the contemporary human being. An important statement comes from Mr. Gradgrind about the importance of facts He says; Now, what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the mind of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This novel sets in the Victorian period and a fabricated town of Coketown. Mr. Gradgrind opens the novel who comes to teach at a school in Coketown. He is overpowered by his philosophy of facts. He cross-examines his pupils against his notions of facts and calculations. Imaginative Sissy is among those students. He raises his own children according to his own philosophy. Another person, Josiah Bounderby, is introduced as a friend of Gradgrind who is completely devoid of emotions. He is an industrialist who earns all his capital through industry. He is contrasted with the workers of the mills. James Harthouse, who is a wealthy and young Londoner, comes to become a disciple of Gridgrand and has interest in politics. He takes interest in Louisa, daughter of Gradgrind. He declares his love for Louisa and she promises her to meet him. But she goes to her father and explains her that his upbringing has made her to marry against her will. Sissy, who loves Louisa too much, goes to Harthouse and asks her to leave Coketown forever. Later on Gradgrind and Louisa discovers that Tom, son of Gradgrind has looted a bank. They plan to help him escape with circus performers with the help of Sissy but they are stopped by Bitzer who attended Gradgrind school and is a thorough rational. But they are helped by circus manager and Tom finally sneaks out of England. At the end Louisa become a part of Sissy’s family and learns about sympathetic feeling and emotions. Overall, this is an interesting that provides a deep insight into the emotional and psychological aspects of a human being. This book helped me to look at life from a human perspective and not a mechanical or materialistic perspective.