Global Outlook Global Free Zones of the Future 2012/13

GLOBAL OutLOOk GLOBAL FREE ZONES OF tHE FutuRE 2012/13 Global Free Zones of the Future 2012/13 Winners fDi MAGAZiNE’S SEcONd GLOBAL RANkiNG OF EcONOMic ZONES HAS AwARdEd duBAi AiRpORt FREE ZONE tHE titLE OF GLOBAL FREE ZONE OF tHE FutuRE 2012/13. Grainne Byrne ANd Courtney FinGar REpORt ON tHE RESuLtS 20 www. fdiintelligence. com June/July 2012 GLOBAL OutLOOk GLOBAL FREE ZONES OF tHE FutuRE 2012/13 D ubai Airport Free Zone (Dafza), located in the United Arab Emirates, has been crowned fDi Magazine’s Global Free Zone of the Future 2012/13. It has moved from second place in the ranking two years ago to be awarded the top spot.Dafza, which was established in 1996 and considers itself to be the fastest growing free zone in the Middle East, impressed the independent judging panel for a variety of reasons. It has excellent transportation links and a clear focus on attracting FDI. The zone only registers foreign companies, and has more than 1300 operational presently. Dafza ha s an increasing environmental awareness and is implementing ‘green buildings’ and an Inter national Organisation for Standardisation energy management system. Second position goes to UAE-based Dubai International Financial Centre, a newcomer to the ranking.Chinabased Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone (WFTZ), the champion from the 2010/11 ranking, moves into third place. The remainder of the top 10 is made up by Iskandar (Malaysia), DuBiotech (UAE), Tanger Free Zone (Morocco), Freeport of Ventspils (Latvia), The Clark Freeport Zone (Philippines), Chittagong Export Processing Zone (Bangladesh) and Dubai Media City (UAE). As well as being overall fDi Global Free Zone of the Future 2012/13, Dafza takes the top spot in the ‘Best Airport Zone’ category. It is followed by Tanger Free Zone and The Clark Freeport Zone.The top three in the ‘Best Port Zone’ category is led by Tanger Free Zone, with Freeport of Ventspils placed second and Mauritius Freep ort coming in third position. Zones from the Middle East – in particular the UAE – dominated the rankings, with 23 of the top 50 zones coming from the Middle East region and 14 of them from the UAE alone. This is the second such ranking produced by fDi Magazine, with the inaugural Global Free Zones of the Future biennial benchmark being published in June 2010. June/July 2012 www. fdiintelligence. com 21 t GLOBAL OutLOOk GLOBAL FREE ZONES OF tHE FutuRE 2012/13 op 50 FREE ZONES OF tHE FutuRE 2012/13: OVERALL RANK NAme of zoNe couNtRy â€Å"We have made plans for expansion in the future, to [eventually] bring another 1500 companies to the dubai airport free Zone† dr mohammed al Zarooni 22 www. fdiintelligence. com June/July 2012 t 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11= 11= 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37= 37= 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Dubai airport Free Zone dubai international Financial centre Shanghai waigaoqiao Free trade Z one iskandar duBiotech tanger Free Zone Freeport of Ventspils the clark Freeport Zone chittagong Export processing Zone dubaiMedia city JLt Freezone katowice Special Economic Zone dubai Silicon Oasis Mauritius Freeport Bahrain international investment park khalifa Bin Salman port Salalah Free Zone Lodz Special Economic Zone Bahrain international Airport Aqaba Special Economic Zone twofour54 (Media Zone Authority, Abu dhabi) walbrzych Special Economic Zone dubai international Academic city dubai Healthcare city Rakia Economic Zone dahej Special Economic Zone dubai Studio city El paso international Airport dubai knowledge Village Bahrain Logistics Zone Ras Al khaimah Free trade Zone Montreal port Aqaba international industrial Estate Astana New city Special Economic Zone pomeranian Special Economic Zone klaipeda Free Economic Zone Starachowice Special Economic Zone Sheffield city Region Enterprise Zone industrial Free Zone – togo SEZ Alabuga Free Zone pirot international Media production Zone Zagreb Free Zone dead Sea development Zone & Jabal Ajloun development Zone polaris international industrial park Birmingham city centre Enterprise Zone technological industrial development Zone Skopje 1 & 2 Southeast-Ecka, Zrenjanin Freeport of Riga Rezekne Special Economic Zone Authority ae uAE china Malaysia uAE Morocco Latvia philippines Bangladesh uAE uAE poland uAE Mauritius Bahrain Bahrain Oman poland Bahrain Jordan uAE poland uAE uAE uAE india uAE uS uAE Bahrain uAE canada Jordan kazakhstan poland Lithuania poland uk togo Russia Serbia uAE croatia Jordan Egypt uk Macedonia Serbia Latvia Latvia Secrets of success The world-beating Dafza has set ambitious targets for expansion and diversification and made a point to hedge against potential challenges presented by the global economic climate in the short to medium term. It has also kept a careful eye on the long term. Speaking to fDi in his Dubai offices in January 2012, the Dafza director-general outlined plans to offset the prospects of a slowdown in its core investor markets of Europe and the US, while also increasing the zone’s status as a contributor to the emirate’s GDP. â€Å"The next expansion will be in the next year,† Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni said. We have made plans for expansion in the future, to [eventually] bring another 1500 companies to the Dubai Airport Free Zone, because we have space for that and we can expand. † In the nearer term, the goal is to attract 600 to 700 additional companies in the next five or six years – in line with Dafza’s rate of growth in the 15 years since its inception, which has seen it average 100 new companies each year. With Dafza currently based on a 700,000-square-metre site, it is hoping to expand eastwards this year, with a view to occupying a 100,000-square-metre leasable area. â€Å"We have [already attracted] 1450 companies,† said Mr Al Zarooni. The intention is to further increase that number, w hile keeping an eye on the quality of investments, he added.While keen to uphold the important role of the European companies in Dafza, which account for 37% of the businesses present, Mr Al Zarooni remains aware of the need to diversify the free zone’s economic partners as it expands. â€Å"The majority of our clients are from Europe and they are facing a lot of problems, but that doesn’t mean we are going to stop,† he said. â€Å"We are thankful we brought many companies in last year from Japan. This year our focus will be on the Far East: Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, GLOBAL OutLOOk GLOBAL FREE ZONES OF tHE FutuRE 2012/13 dubai international airport is home to dubai airport free Zone, which achieved first place in the global free Zones of the future 2012/13 ranking, as well as the leading airport zone top five BESt AiRpORt ZONES RANK NAme of zoNe couNtRy 1 2 3 4 5 5Dubai airport Free Zone tanger Free Zone the clark Freeport Zone Mauritius Freeport Salal ah Free Zone Bahrain international Airport uae Morocco philippines Mauritius Oman Bahrain Japan, China and even India, in case we face some difficulty in bringing in more companies from Europe, America and Australia. † Serving a variety The push for diversification is a mark of many of the world’s more successful zones, according to James Ku, managing director of Indev Partners, who served on the judging panel that helped assess the participating zones for the rankings. â€Å"The most successful zones are either diversified zones with scale or highly specialised zones catering to a specific industry,† he says. Large diversified zones have been able to invest in infrastructure and offer a wide range of amenities, such as ready-built factories that provide flexibility to investors. The large size required to attain economies of scale for such developments have meant that most of the top zones are in the rapidly developing Middle June/July 2012 www. fdiintelligence. com East and Asian countries where land is relatively easier to acquire. Specialised zones have been used most effectively in Dubai, where investors can have access to unique amenities such as laboratories or high-speed communications. † Mr Ku sees the free zone model continuing to have relevance, especially in the current economic climate. Almost all of the zones continue to offer significant tax holidays and fiscal incentives. It highlights that even in a time when budgetary constraints and fiscal austerity are at the forefront, it will be hard for governments to scale back such incentives if they wish to remain globally competitive,† he says. Chairman of the World Free Zone Convention (WFZC) Graham Mather, who served on the judging panel, has also highlighted the vital role that free zones can play in helping the global economy through difficult times. Addressing the 11th â€Å"the most successful Zones are either diversified Zones With scale or highly specialised Z ones catering to a specific industry† James Ku t 25GLOBAL OutLOOk GLOBAL FREE ZONES OF tHE FutuRE 2012/13 tanger free Zone is strategically located near to the tanger-med port and is rated the best port zone and sixth best overall free zone top five BESt pORt ZONES RANK NAme of zoNe couNtRy 1 2 3 4 5 tanger Free Zone Freeport of Ventspils Mauritius Freeport khalifa Bin Salman port Salalah Free Zone Morocco Latvia Mauritius Bahrain Oman WFZC event in Shanghai in November 2011, he said free zones â€Å"have much to offer† at a time when the world is desperately seeking job creation, economic growth and development ahead of an anticipated downturn amid a worsening eurozone crisis. â€Å"Free zones are key to the world’s search for growth,† he added.Citing a World Bank study analysing the benefits of free zones, which include the ability to absorb unemployed labour, raise skills and productivity levels, and generate taxes from inception, Mr Mather said these a re among the reasons why many countries are returning to the free zone model or newly embracing it as a way out of economic troubles. â€Å"All areas of the world could benefit from free zones and they all need them,† he said. zonal marking Eastern Europe was well represented in the rankings, and judge John Worthington of IBT Partners was among those bullish on the region’s offerings. â€Å"Having worked closely with numerous European economic zones, IBT Partners can say from experience that the high quality of infrastructure and extensive network of all forms of transportation is something that sets European economic zones apart from those of other regions,† he says. With world-class airports, road, railway and port systems strategically clustered in various hubs across the continent, companies who are looking to expand their logistics network in Europe are consistently impressed with the efficiency and practicality of its transport systems. According to fDiâ⠂¬â„¢s survey, all the European free zones featured in this list are highly â€Å"all areas of the World could benefit from free Zones and they all need them† graham mather 26 t www. fdiintelligence. com June/July 2012 GLOBAL OutLOOk GLOBAL FREE ZONES OF tHE FutuRE 2012/13 the Waigaoqiao free trade Zone in shanghai is ranked third best free zone of the future accessible and possess well developed transport infrastructure. Asia’s zones are, of course, not to be overlooked. â€Å"With the highest average levels of education among emerging economies, Eastern economic zones have at their disposal a labour force with one of the highest skill-to-cost ratios, resulting in massive influxes of FDI into China and s o u t h – e a s t A s i a ,† s ay s M r Worthington. â€Å"At different stages of transition between primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, these are attractive regions for a wide range of industries. India, China, Singapore and the Philippines, in pa rticular, are regarded as zones of fast growth and attraction, which is reflected by the huge increases in employment in he past two years in their respective economic free zones. † African zones, many of which look to the successful Middle Eastern zones as models, have lagged behind but many are now showing promise. The Industrial Free Zone of Togo was the lone sub-Saharan mainland African zone to make the top 50. â€Å"Due to their comprehensive list of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, low levels of regulatory restrictions, and rapidly improving standards of living, African free zones are becoming increasingly attractive FDI destinations. Those in Morocco and Mauritius, in particular, couple this with a stable political and economic structure, making them highly desirable destinations. It is worth men- ioning that the Tanger Economic Free Zone of Morocco boasts an impressive increase of 20,000 employees in the past two years,† says Mr Worthington. A booming region of the world, South America, has been far behind the curve in using free zones as a path to development, as well as in promoting the zones it does have to the world. This is reflected in the poor participation of zones from this region in the benchmarking study. None were cited in the top 50 list. Two North American zones, meanwhile, made the cut. John Hanna, managing director of GDP Global Development, also served on the judging panel, along with fDi editor Courtney Fingar. n October/November 2007 www. fdiintelligence. com June/July 2012 28 GLOBAL OutLOOk GLOBAL FREE ZONES OF tHE FutuRE 2012/13 skandar in Johor, malaysia, is ranked fourth in the global free Zones of the future 2012/13 JuDGiNG pANeL couRtNey fiNGAR Editor, fDi Magazine More than 600 free zones across 120 countries were invited by fDi Magazine to complete a survey requesting both qualitative and methoDoLoGy quantitative data regarding their free zones. The information collected was set under five categories: incentives , facilities, cost-effectiveness, transportation and best FDI promotion. A total of 56 zones submitted details regarding many aspects of their zones and this was judged and scored by an independent judging panel. JohN hANNA Managing director, Gdp Global development JuDGiNG cRiteRiAGeneral inForMation †¢ Totalsize †¢ Totallandavailablefordevelopment †¢ Expansioninlandareainthepasttwo years; and/or plans for expansion in the next two years †¢ Totalofficespaceavailable †¢ Totalemployment †¢ Increaseinemploymentinthepasttwo years †¢ Numberofbusinessesoperatinginthe zone †¢ Totalvolumeofgoodsprocessedinthe zone †¢ Increaseintotalvolumeofgoods processed in the past two years †¢ Percentageofinvestorcompaniesthat expand their presence in the zone †¢ Anyrestrictionsforsettingupinthe zone inCentives †¢ Typesofincentivesoffered †¢ Descriptionoftheincentivesoffered including any requirements for eligibility †¢ Administratives ervicesofferedtoassist investors FaCilities †¢ Keyeconomicandindustrialsectors supported by the zone †¢ Rangeofwarehousefacilities,industrial units, logistics and office spaces available †¢ Amenitiesofferedtohelpinvestors Costs †¢ Annualaveragerentalcostofindustrial facilities, warehouse space, office space, undeveloped land, condominium and others (per m? ) †¢ Averagecostperunitofwatercosts(per m? ), electricity costs (per kw/hr) and gas costs (per m? †¢ Annualaveragecostoflabourfor unskilled worker, semi-skilled worker and highly skilled worker transportation †¢ Presencewithinzoneofairport,port, major motorways, railway or other †¢ Presencenearzoneofairport,port, major motorways, railway or other †¢ Descriptionofanymajorplanned infrastructure projects proMotion strateGy †¢ Website †¢ Digital/webpromotionactivities undertaken to create interest in the zone †¢ Othermarketing,communicationsor promotional activities undertake n †¢ Methodsusedtoidentifypotential investors, and strategy for approaching and engaging them †¢ Thezone’smarketingslogan/brief summary of its appeal †¢ Statementfromzone’schiefexecutive, director or president on his or her vision for achieving the zone full Fdi potential serviCes *asked of services zones †¢ Descriptionofservicesofferedby companies in the zone †¢Telecommunicationandtechnology infrastructure †¢Disasterrecoveryservicesofferedonsite †¢Internetspeedoffered †¢Availablelabourpoolandthe%ofwhich speak more than one language †¢Officespaceavailability †¢Majorplannedprojects JAmeS Ku Managing director, indev partners GRAhAm mAtheR chairman, world Free Zone convention JohN WoRthiNGtoN partner, iBt partners An additional set of information was sought from airport and port zones regarding their facilities and capacity 30 www. fdiintelligence. com June/July 2012

Early years education Essay

1.1 – Summarise entitlement and provision for early year’s education There are many different types of early year’s provision which has been funded by the government for early years education. All three and four year olds are entitled to 15 hours of free early year’s education entitlement per week across the 38 weeks of the annual year. Theirs are five different settings where Parents can choose to give their child for their Free EY Entitlement they are: †¢Pre-school playgroup-. It is an early childhood program in which children combine learning/education with play and it is an organization that is provided by fully trained and qualified staff †¢Private Day nursery- A facility provided for the care and learning for children from the birth to 5 they are usually run by a business or a private organisation and are not linked with the government. †¢Child-minder (who belongs to a registered child-minder network)-child minders are self-employed providing the care for children in their own homes , they offer full time or part time places or flexible arrangements. Child minders are registered with the Ofsted and are inspected in accordance with the Ofsted procedures and regulations to ensure that he child-minder is providing and safe and suitable environment for the children. †¢Maintained nursery school- is a school for children between the age of 3 and 5. It is run by fully qualified and trained to staff who encourage and supervise education play and learning rather than just providing childcare. It is part of early childhood education. †¢Nursery or reception class in a primary or independent school -Nursery schools provide a more direct and structured education for early years children aged 3 to 5 Some may be part of an independent school for older age groupseg infant and primary schools. Reception classes are run by a qualified teacher. 1.3 – Explain the post 16 options for young people and adults.

Credit Risk Management in Canara Bank Essay

In the past few years, there have been several developments in the field of modeling the credit risk in banks’ commercial loan portfolios. Credit risk is essentially the possibility that a bank’s loan portfolio will lose value if its borrowers become unable to pay back their debts. Arguably, credit risk is the largest risk faced by commercial banks, since loans and other debt instruments constitute the bulk of their assets. In the U. S. , loans made up over 60% of total banking assets at year-end 2000, and fixed-income securities made up an additional 14%. These credit risk models are becoming widely accepted by banks for various purposes; in fact, bank supervisors, including the Federal Reserve, have recently proposed new risk-based capital requirements based partly on such models. This Economic Letter provides a brief survey of how these models are constructed and used for credit risk measurement and management. General modeling procedure Commercial banks have been using credit risk models for their mortgage and consumer lending for decades. These credit risk models, typically known as credit scoring models, were first developed for consumer lending because of the large number of borrowers and their detailed credit histories. In contrast, there are many fewer commercial borrowers, and it is only within the last few years that credit risk models for commercial loans have been successfully created, marketed, and integrated into banks’ risk management procedures. Although a reasonable variety of such models exists, all of them are constructed generally on three standard procedural steps. The first step is to choose the type of credit risk to be modeled. â€Å"Default† models simply estimate the probability that a borrower will default; that is, the borrower will not make any more payments under the original lending agreement. In contrast, â€Å"multi-state† (or â€Å"mark-to-market†) models estimate the probability that the borrower’s credit quality will change, including a change to default status. For example, a multi-state model forecasts the probabilities of whether a B-rated borrower will remain B-rated, will become n A-rated or a C-rated borrower, or will default. Obviously, default models are a special case of multi-state models and are being used less frequently by banks. An important element of this choice is the horizon over which credit losses are measured. For example, a borrower’s credit quality may change several times before a default, and a default model would not be able to capture these changes. Many options are av ailable to the user, but common practice has settled on a one-year horizon, which is shorter than the maturity of many commercial loans. This relatively short horizon is due partly to modeling convenience and partly to the increasing liquidity of the secondary loan market and the credit derivatives market. Both of these markets permit banks to hedge (i. e. , decrease) their credit exposure to a particular borrower or class of borrowers. The second step is to determine the probability of each credit state occurring and the value of a given loan in each of them. In default models, there are two credit states: the credit is simply paid off completely, or it is worth a recovery value in case of default. In multi-state models, the loan’s value in each possible credit state is frequently assessed by referencing credit spreads derived from the corporate bond market. The state probabilities can be calculated in several ways, such as from simple historical experience in the corporate bond market or from models using data from the public debt and equity markets. The combination of the estimated values of a loan in the different states and the estimated probabilities of the states determine the credit loss distribution for that loan. A key element of these loss calculations is the credit rating initially assigned to a loan and its corresponding borrower. Corporate credit ratings for large borrowers that issue publicly traded debt are available from financial information vendors, such as Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. For other borrowers, which, in fact, typically make up the bulk of banks’ commercial loan portfolios, banks must rely on their own internal ratings systems, based on both public information and their own credit experience; see Treacy and Carey (1998) for a survey of banks’ internal ratings systems. The third step combines the credit loss distribution for each loan into an aggregate portfolio loss distribution. This aggregation depends directly on the default correlations between individual credits, that is, the degree to which potential changes in credit status and losses are interrelated. There are generally two ways to model these correlations. In reduced form (or â€Å"top down†) models, correlations are essentially a by-product of the model’s portfolio loss distribution. In structural (or â€Å"bottom up†) models, the default correlations are modeled as functions of several variables, such as a borrower’s industrial categorization and country of origin. In addition, macroeconomic factors can be incorporated into these correlations. Once specified, the correlations are used to combine individual credit losses in different states into a loss distribution for the entire portfolio based on the credit risk model’s underlying assumptions. Credit risk models as a risk management tool A portfolio’s credit loss distribution is a key analytical tool for credit risk management. Once determined, this loss distribution gives a banker a complete forecast of possible portfolio credit losses over the coming year. For example, the mean of the distribution is the expected value of potential credit losses and could be used directly to determine the level of loan loss provisions that should be held for the loan portfolio. Furthermore, the higher percentiles of the portfolio loss distribution can be used to determine the economic capital necessary for the portfolio. Economic capital is the buffer of reserves banks hold to guard against unexpected loan losses. Economic capital is typically set high enough that unexpected credit losses are very unlikely to exhaust it. For example, a banker could determine the amount of capital necessary to insure the solvency of the portfolio with a 99. 97% probability, which roughly corresponds to the annual 0. 03% default probability of AA-rated corporate bonds. Furthermore, the loss distribution provides the banker with a diagnostic tool for examining the impact of changes in credit concentrations on the entire portfolio’s potential losses. This approach to credit risk management has now been explicitly incorporated into the risk-based capital requirements developed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (2001), an international forum for commercial bank regulation. Under the Committee’s recently proposed revisions to the 1988 Basel Capital Accord, national bank supervisors would permit banks that have met certain supervisory criteria to use their own internal models to determine certain inputs to their regulatory capital requirements. However, the new guidelines will not permit banks to set their capital requirements solely on the basis of their own credit risk models. Looking ahead The field of credit risk modeling for commercial loans is still developing, but its core principles have been readily accepted by banks and their supervisors. The next few years of industry practice will be crucial in developing key aspects of the estimation and calibration of the model parameters. (For a thorough survey of the issues, see Hirtle, et al. (2001). ) Resolution of these issues is needed before supervisors and model users can be completely confident with the models’ outcomes. However, as banks gain additional modeling experience and more observations on changes in corporate credit quality, credit risk models should become an integral element of all banks’ risk measurement and management systems. Credit risk refers to the risk that a borrower will default on any type of debt by failing to make payments which it is obligated to do. [1] The risk is primarily that of the lender and include lost principal and interest, disruption to cash flows, and increased collection costs. The loss may be complete or partial and can arise in a number of circumstances. 2] For example: * A consumer may fail to make a payment due on a mortgage loan, credit card, line of credit, or other loan * A company is unable to repay amounts secured by a fixed or floating charge over the assets of the company * A business or consumer does not pay a trade invoice when due * A business does not pay an employee’s earned wages when due * A business or government bond issuer does not make a payment on a coupon or principal payment when due * An insolvent insurance company does not pay a policy obligation * An insolvent bank won’t return funds to a depositor A government grants bankruptcy protection to an insolvent consumer or business To reduce the lender’s credit risk, the lender may perform a credit check on the prospective borrower, may require the borrower to take out appropriate insurance, such as mortgage insurance or seek security or guarantees of third parties, besides other possible strategies. In general, the higher the risk, the higher wi ll be the interest rate that the debtor will be asked to pay onTypes of credit risk Credit risk can be classified in the following way:[3] Credit default risk – The risk of loss arising from a debtor being unlikely to pay its loan obligations in full or the debtor is more than 90 days past due on any material credit obligation; default risk may impact all credit-sensitive transactions, including loans, securities and derivatives. * Concentration risk – The risk associated with any single exposure or group of exposures with the potential to produce large enough losses to threaten a bank’s core operations. It may arise in the form of single name concentration or industry concentration. Country risk – The risk of loss arising from a sovereign state freezing foreign currency payments (transfer/conversion risk) or when it defaults on its obligations (sovereign risk). Assessing credit risk Main articles: Credit analysis and Consumer credit risk Significant resources and sophisticated programs are used to analyze and manage risk. [4] Some companies run a credit risk department whose job is to assess the financial health of their customers, and extend credit (or not) accordingly. They may use in house programs to advise on avoiding, reducing and transferring risk. They also use third party provided intelligence. Companies like Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch Ratings, and Dun and Bradstreet provide such information for a fee. Most lenders employ their own models (credit scorecards) to rank potential and existing customers according to risk, and then apply appropriate strategies. [5] With products such as unsecured personal loans or mortgages, lenders charge a higher price for higher risk customers and vice versa. [6][7] With revolving products such as credit cards and overdrafts, risk is controlled through the setting of credit limits. Some products also require security, most commonly in the form of property. Credit scoring models also form part of the framework used by banks or lending institutions grant credit to clients. For corporate and commercial borrowers, these models generally have qualitative and quantitative sections outlining various aspects of the risk including, but not limited to, operating experience, management expertise, asset quality, and leverage and liquidity ratios, respectively. Once this information has been fully reviewed by credit officers and credit committees, the lender provides the funds subject to the terms and conditions presented within the contract (as outlined above).

American foreign policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

American foreign policy - Essay Example heir own spheres of influence, thus playing a role in shaping the final outcome within the policy making process. Keeping in line with what Robert Divine had once remarked, â€Å"From the Revolution to the Cold War, Americans have been willing to fight for their interests, their beliefs, and their ambitions† (Divine, 1965, 172), there are clear evidences which suggest that the American foreign policies after the WWII, have roots in its domestic issues, concerns, and interests. Various researches on the subject of US international relations have distinguished 3 specific factors that appear to exert their influences on the foreign policies of the country, especially after the end of the WWII. ... Discussion The official goals of US foreign policies as stated by the government, are "to create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community" (US department of state and U.S. Agency for International Development, 2007). While examining the factors that work towards achieving these goals, the first potent question that arises in one’s mind is the fundamental query as to â€Å"who governs?†(Dahl, 1961) This question has been the subject of many studies, related to American politics, and has given rise to many debates within the realms of international relations. The question in the arena of international relations relates to the general attributes of the so called ‘domestic roots’ that help to shape US foreign policies; the democratic aspects in the behaviour of US towards other countries, globally; and whether its national concerns and interests aid in shaping its foreign policies. By seeking an answer to the basic question as to which of these factors actually influence the US government officials the most, would help the reader to understand the determinants of the country’s foreign policies. In this context, we will first examine the 3 main factors considered to have a strong influence in the shaping of US foreign policies. Theories on the nature of the influence of public opinion: Median voter theory contends that the voter preferences for any government policy have a strong influence on the state officials, as these preferences often turn out to be the deciding factor during the electoral results. Various researches and the subsequent

Textbook evaluation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Textbook evaluation - Assignment Example Generally, the books aimed to meet the requirements of ELT are commercialized and generic and lacks to target a specific group of learners. According to Altan (1995, p. 59) Our modern course books are full of speech acts and functions based on situations which most foreign language students will never encopunter..."Globally" designed course books have continued to be stubbornly Anglo-centric. Appealing to the world market as they do, they cannot by definition draw on local varieties of English and have not gone very far in recognizing English as an international language, either. For setting the criteria to select the right course books for ELT, teachers need to consider the learners. the selected material should be motivational, creative, interesting, relevant and it should meet the needs of the individuals. Teachers should know the needs of ELT students. The course books should be picked on the basis of needs analysis. Adopting this technique would outline the needs of the student in listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary knowledge and teaching them the grammar rules. It is also important that course books should be selected on the knowledge and experience of the students, besides their needs. The second important thing to remember is the curriculum and context of the course books. The selected course books should meet the needs of the students and it should have all the material which is required by the teachers to make the students understand the basic rules. Curriculum and context of the course books greatly influence the teachers decision about selecting the right teaching material. The curriculum should meet the goals and objectives for the learners as well as the course of study. Curriculum and context should meet the learning requirements of the ELT students (Nunan, 1998, p. 23). The external evaluation of a specific book begins from its author, publisher, the

Controlling Strategic Plans Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Controlling Strategic Plans - Research Paper Example The research paper "Controlling Strategic Plans" discusses why it is necessary to monitor and control strategic plans and who should be responsible for this. When the organization deviates from the set goal, monitoring and controlling activities help it bring back ‘on track’. Moreover, any lacunae in the planning process can be identified only when proper monitoring process is in place. Needless to say that the controlling activities or corrective actions are possible only through proper monitoring of the implementation of the strategic plan and the results. While developing a strategic plan is important for an organization, it is equally necessary to implement them effectively. Monitoring and controlling activities are essential parts of an implementation program of the strategic plan. Monitoring the plan periodically means ensuring that the plan is progressing ahead in the right direction to fulfill the goals that the organization has earmarked. Monitoring and controll ing exercise should be done by the top person of the organization such as Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer who is responsible for implementing the strategic plan because then it becomes possible for him or her to identify the shortfalls in the strategic plan and take remedial measures. Failing to monitor and control strategic plans will result into non-achievement of the strategic objectives. Deviations in outcomes are bound to come but that is the monitoring and controlling activities that help update the strategic plan time to time.

Speaking Tests Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Speaking Tests - Assignment Example The OPI is a face-to-face or telephonic interview that consists of three phases: a warm-up phase, a series of level checks and probes, and a wind-down phase. This is one of the most widely accepted tests for speaking ability and is used by government agencies (The Defense Language Institute, The Peace Corps), testing institutions (Educational Testing Service) and the Federal Interagency Language Roundtable. There are many advantages to the OPI system of testing. It is easy, quick and apparently accurately forecasts the degree to which a foreign-speaker will be able to communicate in English. Unlike written tests, it actually tests English speaking ability which, as with all languages, is completely separate from the ability to read and write. The test can be performed quickly and the tester can interview multiple people in a single session. This is particularly importance within the context in which this test is often given. Thus graduate students from foreign countries are often given the test before they can perform grading and/or teaching duties in American universities. Resources for such testing are limited, and so the ability for one tester to perform multiple tests in one day is vital. There are, however, detractors who ... Basically, Messick suggests that the OPI tests do not actually represent real-life conversations. Part of the problem with OPI tests are that they do not really reflect the sheer range of speaking that occurs in actual life. Thus there is monologic speaking (one person), dialogue speaking (two people) or multiple speakers, such as in a meeting with several colleagues. The OPI tests tend to test only one of these: the dialogue. As Brown (2003) and Bonk (2003) have suggested, some speakers do better with dialogue and some with discussion activities. A test that tests one over the other is bound to be somewhat limited in its scope. Another basic problem with this type of test (although it may in fact be shared with all speaking tests) is the variability of the interviewer and his/her affect upon the test results. Each interviewer will have a unique speech style, pattern and intonation that may help (or hinder) the interviewee (Brown, 2003). Thus the test result may be seen as a co-score reached by both the tester and the subject, rather than an accurate measure of the non-native sp eaker's communication prowess. This tendency may be countered by careful training of the tester and the equally careful process of self-evaluation and objective supervision which must occur. Within one center periodic test interviews can be undertaken in which the same candidate is tested by all the testers (with suitable renumeration of course) and the tests and then compared. If test results vary too much from the mean then some additional training etc, is perhaps needed. As McNamara (1997, 2002) suggests, the more educated, skillful and eloquent the

Key Business Concepts that Alter Results of Business Entities Essay

Key Business Concepts that Alter Results of Business Entities - Essay Example Business planning Significant issues in business planning include resource allocation, which is a process that involves finding ways of getting the resources needed. This aspect of planning ensures that resources such as human labor are available in good time and the right quantity. Planning is important because it enables management to identify any problem that could occur when implementing new ideas in the organization. Further, planning prepares an organization for forthcoming changes in the organization. During the process of planning, there is a revelation of activities of the selected quota to all employees using the company calendar. Such events as team building and staff appraisals are known earlier, which makes necessary preparations. Employees team up with management in order to set organizational goals and prioritize issues. Additionally, planning enables business enterprises to lay benchmarks of their achievements. It is at the planning stage that business enterprises dec ide on marketing strategies that would increase their sales. Organizations are able to launch new products and adequately prepare them for competition within the market because there is an allocation of time to lay necessary plans. Planning in business also encourages the development of desirable character traits in employees because they tend to adapt to what management has proposed. They are transformed into organized individuals who many employers would wish to recruit. The dynamic business environment Business environments keep changing from time to time because of many reasons; therefore, there should be proper networking for business enterprises to overcome emerging challenges. Issues in the dynamic business environment involve constantly determining opportunities that could make the organization register good growth. The need for business enterprises to identify their strengths and weak points is also important in the dynamic business environment. Possible threats from extern al sources and ways of maintaining transparency at the workplace are more issues concerned with the dynamic business environment.  

Multi model project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multi model project - Essay Example They just want to eject the DVD out of the DVD player or flip the channel if it is on cable network. It would be interesting to take a peek into the kind of work the producers and screenwriters do to create the desired effect in the audience. The impact it makes the viewers say wow. Obviously, everyone is not interested in the technicalities of a film production. However, one should be aware of the perspective that a movie is instilling in the viewer’s mind. Film critics call this the gaze. It tells the point of view of the movie director. Hollywood action blockbusters like the James Bond and Mission Impossible series are very good examples of the male gaze. The protagonist of such movies is a crime-fighting dominant male. He has access to sports car and top female models of the world. The protagonist is living the fantasy of the majority of the male audiences; to live a carefree adventurous life full of beautiful girls and luxury cars. There is no harm in giving the audiences what they want. The problem arises when such movies become the trendsetters. The people who disagree with such fantasies should not consider themselves outcasts but sadly this is the case. Such movies define what a successful person should look and behave like. This is wrong at so many levels. The people who are living â€Å"ordinary† lives should not consider themselves less than the fantasy projected on the cinema screen. Such perspective or gaze is so dangerous that it creates a sense of loss among average people. They want to live a large life but sadly they fall short because what is projected on the screen is just a fantasy. The counter argument that movies are supposed to be fantastical so that people can momentarily get out of their mundane routines and enjoy voyeuristic pleasures, is not valid because there is a difference between confining something and making a fantasy movie. The fantasy movie Lord of the Rings does not have that usual gaze. The values shown

Normative Sexuality in Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Normative Sexuality in Children - Essay Example This has called for knowledge expansion among the practicing pediatricians as regards to what is to be considered normative about sexual actions in children and teenagers and those that might be an indication that the child has been a victim of sexual abused or even acting in a manner that demonstrates sexual aggressiveness to fellow children. However it is worth noting that sexual development and plays are a positive indication of healthy and natural processes in children from toddlers through childhood to adolescence. For the case of toddlers and infant, it may involve body sensations, cuddling and touch amongst others. Behavior such as rubbing of genital parts and even erection experience is witnessed among the infant boys.2 It is also common that early school going children start inquiring about the function of various body parts. This later on graduates to sexual intercourse that is associated with affection and love for the opposite sex. During pre-adolescent stage of child dev elopment, they start getting involved in social relationships and expectation of indulging in clearer sexual feelings. Children touch and rub their sexual organs and this goes to the extent of masturbation. This would go into and even beyond puberty. At puberty and adolescence, the body parts and sex organs develop and this stage sets the onset of menstrual cycles among girls and routine masturbation especially for boys. There is the evidence of a lot of intimacy and romance which ultimately leads to dating, kissing and eventually sexual relationships and intercourse. It is very important to determine the age at which a child is appropriate or inappropriate sexual actions and respectively. For most children, sexual behaviors are exhibited throughout their childhood even before attaining puberty. However it will be considered normative (or expected) when the behaviors are not hostile, overtly sexual and are more exploratory in nature. Behaviors such as genital penetration and private part-mouth contact are not common and therefore considered non-normative.4 Sexual growth just as any areas of growth develops over time. There are certain behaviors that should not be ignored when a child develops. This is because such behaviors can be dangerous to the child and those who associate or interact with them. This therefore calls for keenness in deciding whether the behavior is natural or healthy. In addition the red flag needs to be raised especially when the behavior is considered extensive or involving others in non-consensual ways. For sexually reactive group of children, there is normally a tendency of engaging in several age-inappropriate sexual actions. This is majorly contributed by the fact that they were at one point exposed to sexual experiences. This drives them into engaging in sexual behaviors or relations characterized by too much sexual play, sexual abuse and molestation of other children.5 Exposing children of the age bracket of ten and below the years will lead them into emulating what they observe and hear. Such exposure may include but not limited to all natures of sexual actions with adolescents and adults viewing of sexually explicit and pornographic materials. Witnessing activities considered sexual between adults, adolescent or even other children. Such exposure might drive sexually reactive children into luring and engaging other

Abstraction Reaction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Abstraction Reaction - Assignment Example My expectation changed throughout the project because I gathered confidence as I progressed with the activity. Initially, I doubted I whether I could make a rational sketch without looking at the paper. However, I was surprised of the sketch that I produced after the project because the figure was excellent. Interestingly, I realized that I positioned some of the components of my subject accurately in my sketch. Abstract sketches promote creativity because they provide the artist with the opportunity of employing a diverse range of expressions. This is because abstract sketches should not necessarily represent reality. Moreover, abstract sketches are more personal because they provide a person with an approach of seeing more into a specific artist’s psyche (Cramer 28). I liked the experience after realizing a wonderful collage that I was able to make after the project. The project provided me with good experience that developed my skills. I was conscious about my original subject throughout my sketching activity. For example, I utilized information from my source material when designing an outline of my work. This included using the material in determining the size, and the appropriate color to apply at each section of my work. My expectations increased as I progressed with the project. This is because successful completion of each activity motivated me into working more on the piece in order to make it better. This because I realized I had the potential of producing a masterpiece as I progressed with the project. In abstract sketches, artists can describe all values and concepts that they have about the world in a single sketch. Furthermore, abstract sketches are visually powerful because they combine many aspects of art including color, texture, composition and

Journeys End by R.C. Sherriff Essay Example for Free

Journeys End by R.C. Sherriff Essay How does R.C Sherriff present life in the trenches for the soldiers or World War 1 and the conditions they had to endure? In the play Journeys End by R.C. Sherriff, he describes many conditions that the soldiers had to endure. Life in the trenches was bad, but the men who were signing up for the war were told that it was all a big game, a walk in the park. However, when they got there they got a shock. R.C. Sherriff wanted to tell them all to know the truth about the war. First he starts the play by describing the living conditions: [A pale glimmer of the moonlight shines down the narrow steps into one corner of the dugout.] The words narrow and corner show that they live in a small, narrow and cramped place. Not only was it cramped but it was muddy, cold and wet, and it would be very uncomfortable. If the moonlight can come into the dugout and hit onto a corner of the wall, shows that it is very small and with a company of soldiers living their then that will make it even tighter and there wouldnt be much privacy. The soldiers had to sleep in their uniforms to stay warm, and incase there was an attack at any point, then they would be ready at a moments notice. [As he carefully turns his sock this way and that feeling it against his face to see if its dry,] Having it on constantly would cause moist to appear in the boots and any crevices in the body so they had to stay as clean as possible. But when they took off their boots, because they had them on for a long time, often their toes would come off as well. When reading this, I thought about how uncomfortable they must feel, and this same message would be out to all other readers, and would put people off from going to war. As well as the cramped, cold and wet conditions, they had to put up with little rations of food that tasted horrible, but on occasions, a nice piece of chicken. These are the men that are fighting for our countries, and our lives, and all they get is a small ration and a cheer up from the next poor sap who has to suffer: Trotter: Whats this? Maison: Meat sir. Trotter: I know that. What sort? Maison: Sort of cutlet, sir. The words sort of cutlet shows that the food that they get is low quality, a sort of meat that not good enough to be actual cutlet, and its not good enough to feed the British Army. They are being fed the bare essentials, and if they got any less then I think that they would die from malnutrition. This would also put people off from going to war, because they know that if they are not going to be treated accordingly, and not like animals, then they wont go to war. If the soldiers werent worrying about their food, then they were definitely worrying about the war itself. Many men went mad because of the loud crashes of the bombs and the constant rattle of the guns, some soldiers were so afraid of the war, and because they were told that it was a game, then they would make up conditions so that they didnt have to fight: I dont think that I can manage any supper tonight, Stanhope. Its this beastly neuralgia. It seems to be right inside this eye. The beastly pain gets worse every day. The words beastly pain and worse shows that the conditions were so bad, that Hibbert would pretend that he had neuralgia so that he could be sent home. There were many men out in the war who didnt want to be there, but had to go, and they would try anything to get home. Some soldiers, because of the pressure to go out and fight, they would kill themselves, but this was rare. Along with the pressure of war, they had to deal with other things that affected the mind, like sleep and other peoples thoughts. When they didnt get enough sleep they would get agitated and would spend days without sleep, and if they got on the wrong side of someone, then this would agitate them more, and could lead to outburst at the smallest things: Stanhope: Sit down. Raleigh: Its all right, thanks. Stanhope (Suddenly shouting) Sit down! Stanhope had not slept for days and just the little thing of Raleigh getting on the wrong side of him made him snap. R.C. Sherriff shows that Stanhope is angry in the stage directions: (Suddenly shouting). He gives the reader the impression that Raleigh, because he is the newest, that he doesnt fit in with the rest of the group, that what he is doing is wrong, because he doesnt know any better. Because of this Stanhope gets very angry very quickly. All of these are ways of showing the conditions in which the men had to face during the war. Not only was it the war itself but the pressure of being in a cramped environment, with lots of other men, in the cold and dirt, with little food. R.C. Sherriff brings to the readers what the conditions of war are really like.

Indo American Relations Cold War Crisis History Essay

Indo American Relations Cold War Crisis History Essay Abstract: This extended essay deals with the Indo-American relationship during the Cold War. It deals with Indias foreign policies and its direct effect on the U.S. The foreign policies implemented by India during the Cold War deteriorated its relationship with America by increasing political and social tensions. This investigation will deal with the outcomes of Indias foreign policies and will continue to answer the question: To what extent did the foreign policies implemented by India deteriorate social and political relations with the U.S during the Cold war? The scope of this assessment is restricted between the years of 1947-1979. It will analyze the negative effects of Indias foreign policies on the Indo-American relationship. In order to conduct this investigation, Americas retaliation policies will be analyzed as well. Indias relationship with other countries such as Pakistan and the Soviet Union will be mentioned only if relevant to the Indo-American relationship. The policies of countries such as Pakistan and the Soviet Union will not be evaluated. Sources by Kissinger, Christover Van Hollen, Sumit Ganguly, as well as Srinivas Chary will be used to enhance this essay. At the end of this investigation, it will be clear that Indias foreign policies were the direct cause of the cold relationship between India and America. It will be proven that Indias policies caused tensions to rise between the two nations, ultimately leading to the worst point in Indo-American history. Introduction Benito Mussolini once said O con noi o contro di noi translated in English to Youre either with us or against us. His statement reverberated through the decades, and remained relevant in the foreign policy of the nations entangled in the Cold War. Shortly after gaining independence in 1947, India was amidst a brewing Cold War between capitalism and socialism, the U.S and the Soviet Union. India being a new nation, implemented a number of foreign policies to increase its image on the world stage. This essay will investigate the extent to which the foreign policies implemented by India deteriorated social and political relations with the U.S during the Cold War. Initially this essay will analyze the negative effects of Indias Nonalignment movement on the relationship between the two countries. Furthermore, the Indo-Soviet Treaty of 1971 implemented by Indira Gandhi, led to political complications between the presidents and further deteriorated conditions between the nations. Finally In dias Peaceful Nuclear Explosion of 1974 did not aid in improving relations with America but instead allowed for social tensions to rise between the countries. The foreign policies implemented by India during the Cold War allowed political and social tensions to increase between India and the U.S. This paper will investigate foreign policies adopted by India, as well as some foreign policies adopted by America. The views of the presidents will be evaluated in relation to the foreign policies and their effects. This essay will mention other significant nations to the relationship between India and the U.S, but will not discuss their foreign policies. This essay will only mention events prior to 1947 for historical background, but will not analyze the relationship between India and America prior to it. Events after the year 1979 will not be analyzed as well. A variety of sources and historians with different views and backgrounds were used to aid this investigation. One of the sources is The Eagle and the Peacock: U.S. Foreign Policy toward India since Independence, by Srinivas M. Chary. The other source is THE TRANSFORMATION OF U.S.-INDIA RELATIONS: An Explanation for the Rapprochement and Prospects for the Future by Sumit Ganguly and Paul Kapur. Historical Context Indias relationship with the United States on a grand scale can be seen as a strategic necessity for both nations, initially tracing all the way back to the late 18th century. In 1794, the Jays Treaty (of 1794) was signed between America and England; this treaty authorized trade between America and India.  [1]  The American Mahratta Mission was set up in 1815, missionary activists provided help by establishing schools and providing food to the poverty-stricken areas. The number of missionaries in India rose from 139 in 1885 to 2478 in 1922.  [2]  During the late 19th century to mid 20th century the bond between the two nations improved, in Stephen P Hays words The writings of Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman and of the Sanskritists Hopkins, Lanman and Whitney helped instill in 19th century Americans a respect for Indias cultural heritage.  [3]  In 1893, Swami Vivek Anands words My brothers and sisters of America earned him respect and applause from the World Parliament of Religi ons in Chicago.  [4]  In WWII Britain allowed Americans to use India as a base of operations against Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbour. India received many American products during wartime through Americas Lend-Lease program, India also provided goods to America in pursuance of its reciprocal-aid program.  [5]  During the 1946 Food Famine in India Americans formed the India Famine Emergency Committee(IFEC) with Pearl S. Buck as chairperson in order to achieve acceptance of the principle of equity in relief shipments to Europe and Asia and to ensure the allocation of needed supplies to India by the United States.  [6]   America after ww2 was in an active Cold War with the Soviet Unions. Americans were against Communism, which the Soviets strongly preached. Hence they came up with the policy of containment  [7]  in order to prevent the spread of Communism. India being a relatively new country in 1947 surrounded by Communist nations, spread fear for in America. Therefore to stop the spread of Communism, America got itself involved in the events happening in South Asia during the Cold War, which led to many complications. Argument 1: Initially the relationship between America and India continued to thrive even after Indias independence on August 15th 1947. Harry S. Truman, the President of America at that time, sent a telegram to India which stated, I earnestly hope that our friendship will in future, as in the past, continue to be expressed in close and fruitful cooperation in international undertakings and in cordiality in our relations one with the other.  [8]  In response to the telegram, The Prime Minister of India responded by saying, May I also say that all of us in India know very well, although it might not be so known in public, what great interest President Roosevelt had in our countrys freedom and how he exercised his great influence to that end.  [9]  This strong relationship was short-lived, as the Cold War brought differences in the nations policies that caused them to drift apart. After gaining independence on August 15th 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru became the first prime minister of India and viewed a future for India as one of world powers. To pursue his dream he believed that India should adopt a non-alignment policy. A non-alignment policy keeps a nation from having a political or military alliance with any major super power, this later came to be known as the Non-aligned movement in 1961 which grouped nations which had adopted the non-alignment policy. On December 4th 1947 Nehru declared, We have proclaimed during this past year that we will not attach ourselves to any particular group. That has nothing to do with neutrality or anything else or passivity. If there is a big war, there is no particular reason why we should jump into it. Nevertheless, it is a little difficult nowadays in world wars to be neutral. . . . We are not going to join a war if we can help it and we are going to join the side which is to our interest when the choice comes to it.  [10]  Jawaharlal Nehru was a prominent advocate of this movement. Americans were disappointed by this decision o f India, as they felt they were a relatively new and weak country, they also feared that they can be influenced by the Communist countries around them.  [11]  Indias neighbours were China and the Soviet Union, who were both followers of communism, the U.S feared that the distance between India and the other two nations was much closer than India and the U.S, which would cause India to look at the Soviets or the Chinese for political or economical assistance. The annexation of Kashmir took place in 1947 by Pakistan. Kashmir then relied on India to get rid of the Pakistani raiders from Kashmir on the condition that Kashmir becomes Indian Territory. After successfully driving away most of the Pakistani raiders the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru took this issue to the United Nations (U.N.) on January 1st 1948. At the U.N. the United States were unwilling to declare Pakistan the aggressor despite its attack on a neutral nation, which was now a part of India, the decision of the United States was highly criticized in India.  [12]  America understood the significance of Pakistan to its strategic plans of planting military bases around the Communist nations. Pakistan permitted Washington to have a military base in Pakistan to eavesdrop on the Soviets, Pakistanis in return received considerable economic and military assistance from the Americans  [13]  . Geographically, Pakistan was closer to the Communist nations of China and the Soviet Union than America itself, having military bases in Pakistan would reduce the threat of Communism taking over South Asia. The Americans trusted Pakistan rather than India due to Pakistan supporting Americas containment policy. Pakistan participated in programs such as the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), both these organizations were anti-communist military alliances. Hence it became interested in helping Pakistan in the affairs of Kashmir during the direct negotiations between India and Pakistan (1953-1956).  [14]  Also during the negotiations, the U.S granted Pakistan military aid.  [15]  This stopped the negotiations for a while, and made it clear that U.S was not looking for a solution to the Kashmir issue which favoured India. Instead America proposed a plebiscite to be taken which was opposed by India. During the Kashmir issue, the Soviet Union supported India and vetoed the decision for the plebiscite on J une 22nd 1962.  [16]  The U.S now felt that the Indian policy of non-alignment was not being upheld, and India was leaning toward the Russians, they were threatened by the shift in sides. The U.S press criticized the Indians for the stalemate over the Kashmir issue publishing an editorial in The New York Tribune entitled India Hides behind Russias Veto, which put the entire blame on India for stalling the decision to be made on the future of Kashmir.  [17]  The fight for Kashmir was not over yet, in 1965 a war was fought between India and Pakistan over the issue of Kashmir, this was also called the Second Kashmir war, the first happening in 1947. During this war, Pakistan was armed by American weapons. Pakistan liberally used weapons including Sabre Jets and Panton Tanks which were provided by America.  [18]  Though Pakistan initiated the war of 1965, the U.S again never admitted to Pakistan being the aggressor, and on the other hand it blamed both India and Pakistan of weapon misuse.  [19]  Although eventually the war was lost by Pakistan, suspicions increased amongst Indian citizens over the supply of American weapons to Pakistan. M. Srinivas Chary, a professor at the New School University for Social Research in New York City, who has attained a Ph.D from Kansas State University, states that the war of 1965 reduced the hopes of an improvement between Indo-American relationships.  [20]   Indias affinity of the Soviet Union was not only due to strategic reasons, but as well as subjective preferences. Russias economic success impressed Indias Prime Minister who had socialist tendencies, he also resented Americas free-market capitalism.  [21]  Nehru believed that the key to gaining economic success was by eliminating the difference between the rich and the poor by socialist methods, and that capitalism does not achieve that goal  [22]  . Indias relationship with the Soviet Union strengthened when they sided with the Soviets over controversial issues such as the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Afghanistan in 1979, India denied that Eastern Blocs military capabilities endangered Western Europe.  [23]  Therefore Indias non-aligned frustrated the Americans and became a nuisance as they criticized the Indian government for siding with the Soviets in significant ways. Indias co-operation with the Soviets was perceived by Americans as an attempt to un dermine their power.  [24]  Indias support of Americas arch rival, Soviet Union, and Americas support of Indias arch-rival, Pakistan increased social tensions between the countries and instilled fear in the citizens against each other. The non-alignment policy of India initiated a cat and mouse game between the two nations throughout the majority of the Cold War. Argument 2: The Indo-Soviet treaty of Peace, Friendship and Co-operation implemented by Indira Gandhi in 1971 allowed political tensions to reach a maximum between America and India. The Soviet Foreign Minister, Andrei A. Gromyko, flew to New Delhi on August 8th 1971 to meet Indias minister for External Affairs, Swam Singh. Together the next day they signed a twenty year pact of Peace, Friendship and Co-operation.  [25]  This treaty brought India and the Soviet Union closer than ever, and pushed India and America further apart, the two countries promised to aid each other in the event of a perceived military threat.  [26]  The treaty proposed that India and the Soviets maintain contacts on major global issues, and take effective steps in order to keep peace and security of both the countries, and to develop friendship and good-neighbourly relations with each other  [27]  . The pact was strong enough in deterring any country to declare war on either Russia or India. This was the bigge st deviation from Indias non-alignment policies of 1947. M Srinivas Chary believes that this treaty ended Indias non-alignment movement completely. Americans criticized the Indian Government and felt threatened by the Indians being friendly with the Soviets. The Nixon government felt that this policy endangered the subcontinent of a future warzone.  [28]  To the Indian government the U.S appeared to be strongly linked with China and Pakistan, whereas for the American government, India was evidently associated with the Soviet Union.  [29]  Nixons policy of the Sino-American rapprochement, and Americas assistance of Pakistan in the past, made India suspicious, whereas the Indo-Soviet treaty of 1971 got America worried. Indira Gandhi, the prime minister of India at that time confirmed that the non-alignment policy was still intact, and the treaty was in accordance with the non-alignment policy.  [30]  In November 1971, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi traveled to Washington to ask for the assistance of the U.S government, for the necessities of the refugees who had come to India from East Pakistan  [31]  . Indira Gandhi attempted to persuade Nixon that India was trying its best possible to not engage in a war with Pakistan. At the same time the burden of caring for 9.6 million refugees was more than India could bear.  [32]  Nixon gave her a cold reception. According to Kissinger the conversations between Nixon and Indira Gandhi turned into a classic dialogue of the deaf.  [33]  The two leaders failed to listen to one another not because they did not understand each other but because they understood each other too well.  [34]  After the unsuccessful meeting with Indira Gandhi, President Richard Nixon stated We really slobbered over the old witch his national security advisor Henry Kissinger responded saying The Indians are bastards anywayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦they are starting a war there. Nixon responded saying, While she was a bitch, we got what we wanted too. She will not be able to go home and say that the United States didnt give her a warm reception and therefore in despair shes got to go to war.  [35]  Nixons use of inappropriate language toward a prime minister portrays the amount of hate and political tension between the two nations. Instead of solving a looming war in South Asia, Nixon sanctioned a $40 million parcel of weapons to Islamabad, this allowed for political tensions to rise between the two presidents, Srinivas Chary criticizes Nixon for being prejudiced against India.  [36]  Indira Gandhis plea for help was unheard of, and Nixons decision to help arm Pakistan was seen as a direct insult to the Indian government.  [37]  Nixon was ready to engage in a war with India indirectly, the political and social tensions reached a maximum by the end of 1971. Henry Kissinger commented that Ms. Gandhi and Nixon would never be congenial, he stated Her assumption of almost hereditary moral superiority and he r moody silence brought out all of Nixons latest insecurities. Her bearing toward Nixon combined a disdain for a symbol of capitalism quite fashionable in developing countries with a hint that the obnoxious things she heard about the President from her intellectual friends could not all be untrue. Nixons comments after meetings with her were not always printable.  [38]  Senator Kennedy criticized Nixon and Kissinger for their actions toward India he states We have made her [India] the scapegoat of our frustrations and failures and often the bankruptcy of our policy toward Pakistan.  [39]  In spite of the criticism Nixon was persistent with his pro-Pakistani policy. Nixon was unwilling to better the relationship with India due to his paranoia of communism taking over South Asia. As the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 drew closer, the tensions increased between the two nations. While the Soviets were on Indias side of the war, Pakistan had America. The dramatic and highly controversial dispatch of the nuclear-powered carrier U.S.S. Enterprise to the Bay of Bengal further damaged the U.S. relationship with India.  [40]  The Americans publicized that this action was taken in order to ensure the safe evacuation of Americans in East Pakistan. But the real motive was to indicate U.S. concern regarding the continued integrity of Pakistan. Kissinger, in his book the White House Years, declared that the motivation was to give emphasis to our warnings against an attack on West Pakistan and to have forces in place in case the Soviet Union pressured China. The task force did not enter the Bay of Bengal until mid-December.  [41]  By this point in time Americans who persisted on parting from East Pakistan had been evacuated, and the Indo-Pakistan war was coming to an end. The task force never came close to the shores of East Bengal. In the words of Christopher V an Hollen, deputy assistant secretary for Near Eastern and South Asian affairs in 1971: There is no indication that the Enterprise deployment had any immediate political or military impact of events in South Asia   [42]  .The Enterprise affair led to aggressive demonstrations against Nixon in India. It marked the low point of Indo-American relations and the scars formed never left the minds of the Indians. For the first time many Indians saw the United States as a major hazard to the safety of India because the dispatch of Enterprise might escalate a local war into a much larger and more serious conflagration.  [43]  Nixons policies during the conflict had little effect on the result, although they did contribute to create a good deal of bitterness and alarm in India, the United States, and elsewhere. It exacerbated the strained U.S. relations with India, the Soviet Union, and even Pakistan, for the latter had expected far more from the task force than a temporary show of fo rce in the Bay of Bengal. In conclusion, the Enterprise sent in to the Bay of Bengal only managed to place distrust and anger in the minds of the Indians. Argument 3 The strained relationship between America and India declined even further due to Indias Peaceful Nuclear Explosion in 1974. Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India in 1966, work began on the nuclear program.  [44]  On 7 September 1972, Indira Gandhi authorized the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to manufacture a nuclear device and prepare it for a test.  [45]  Finally on May 18th of 1974, Indira Gandhi gave a green signal and India conducted an underground peaceful nuclear explosion in a Rajasthan desert, unofficially codenamed Smiling Buddha (Pokhran-I).  [46]  This was Indias first nuclear test and was received with immediate disapproval by the American government especially since it provided India with heavy water.  [47]  The Soviet Union on the other hand kept quiet on the matter. The Nuclear test by India was not at all viewed as peaceful by the Americans. They were worried of India becoming a threat, as it was the first country out of the Security Council to conduct a Nuclear Explosion. In retaliation to the test performed by India, America stopped providing enriched Uranium for the Tarapore Plant, as provided under the bilateral agreement of 1963. In 1975 America lifted a 10 year old arms embargo against the sale of lethal weapons to South Asia.  [48]  This increased suspicion and doubt in the minds of the Indians, as they believed America might again start supplying weapons to Indias sworn nemesis, Pakistan. The Indians feared of an incident such as the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 again. The Americans on the other hand were outraged by Indias nuclear test; they were threatened by the actions of India and wanted to be prepared in case of any emergency. Due to this policy by the Americans, the Indians had cancelled the scheduled meeting of its External Aff airs Minister to the U.S.  [49]  A chance of improving the relationship between America and India was lost due to Indias nuclear policy. Following Indias peaceful nuclear explosion America decided to make South Asia a part of its Non-proliferation efforts, a non proliferation treaty is a treaty which prevents the spread of Nuclear weapons and promotes the use of peaceful nuclear energy. It did this by creating legislation such as the 1978 Nuclear Nonproliferation Act, the Pressler Amendment, and the Symington Amendment; these were created in order to prevent India from getting Nuclear Weapons.  [50]  In India, the people highly criticized this policy of the Americans. It was viewed as hypocritical and discriminatory. India questioned that if nuclear deterrence was working in the West, why could it not work in South Asia.  [51]  Nuclear deterrence is a military doctrine that deters the use of nuclear weapons as long as it can be destroyed. India found it unfair that while other countries were conducting nuclear tests, including America, why its nuclear test was looked down upon. It was so deeply resented that e ven 20 years after in 1998, the foreign minister of India, Jaswant Singh, marked the 1978 Nuclear Proliferation treaty nuclear apartheid.  [52]   Conclusion Indias foreign policies from1947 through 1979 deteriorated Indo-American relations by increasing political and social tensions. Jawaharlal Nehrus socialist ideology and non-alignment movement initiated the downhill path for the relations between the two nations. The Indo-Soviet treaty of Peace, Friendship and Co-operation in 1971 led to political tensions between the Indira Gandhi and Richard Nixon. Indias Peaceful Nuclear Explosion caused further complications as it increased social tensions as well as political tensions between the two nations. My enemies enemy is my friend is a quote by Sun Tzu is a concept which is clearly reflected throughout Indias relationship with America during the Cold War. Word Count 3571

Relationships: Reading Material & Student Workbook

Relationships: Reading Material & Student Workbook Love Yourself Be kind to yourself when you make mistakes. Remember no one is perfect. Stop looking towards others for approval. Look inside yourself, and love every part of you. You shouldnt allow other people to tell you who you are. You are the only one who can decide that. You need to love yourself first before you can genuinely love others. Family Time Quality time is time spent doing an activity that is meaningful to the whole family. You learn about your family from the time you spend together. The learning process takes place in the many daily tasks of life done as a family. Like: Eating meals together Talking over the days activities Dealing with challenges Interacting with people outside the family Ideas for family activities: _For Example†¦.Make Tuesday night the family game night or start a new family tradition._____ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Sibling Rivalry What causes sibling rivalry? Birth Order Brothers vs. sisters Age Parental attitude Tips to avoid getting into a fight with your brother or sister: Always stop, breathe, and think before arguing. Remind yourself that you have special talents. Try to praise your siblings for their achievements share their pride. Past experiences with my siblings how I could have handled them differently or better: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thoughts for how I could positively handle other situations with my siblings: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Teen Years The teen years are the most challenging years for families. Remember your parents will always be your parents and still have authority of what you do under their roof. Follow the curfew set and know that parents will always worry about you especially if you are late. Call them when youre going to be late. Effective communication is key. If parents feel that you are keeping them in the loop, you will gain more of their trust and respect. Believe it or not parents do know what is best for you so listen and learn from them. Learn from their life experiences. Choose wisely when selecting your group of friends and/or boyfriend. You are who you hang out with. You will take on their characteristics within one months time. Repeat and Acknowledge Repeat and acknowledge is a communication tool that will help to identify the real problem and allow both parties to fully acknowledge the other persons feeling and concerns with out an argument. Role Play Rules Two participants: A Giver and a Receiver Giver speaks a feeling Receiver states back and ask for corrections, â€Å"What I hear you saying is†¦.. Is this correct?† If the Giver answers YES the Receiver will own, acknowledge and validates the givers feelings, If the Giver answers NO The Receiver will repeat step one until they come to a YES. Choose Your Friends Wisely! Your friends have such a powerful influence over your attitude, reputation and direction. The need to be accepted and part of a group is very powerful. Too often friends are chosen based on whoever will accept us. Its hard, but sometimes it is better to have no friends for a time than to have the wrong friends. The wrong group can lead you down all kinds of paths you really dont want to be on. You can look for friends anywhere; they dont have to be the same age as you. You can be friends with your parents, your grandparents, cousins, etc. Anyone who shares your interests and will be there for you is a friend! Qualities to Look For In a Friend Someone you can trust. Someone who encourages you to succeed and achieve and celebrates your successes. A person of good character (honest, sincere, loyal, respectful, responsible). Peacefully resolves conflicts. Has strong positive relationships with his or her parents and other adults. Serious about school. Knows how to make plans and set goals. Has a positive view of the future. Gets along with many different people. Kind and compassionate. Respects himself or herself. Avoids dangerous situations. Takes positive risks. Gives back to the community and serves others. Is a positive influence on yourself and others. Qualities I feel are important when looking for a friend: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Qualities I want to avoid when looking for a friend: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Qualities that I will have as a friend to others: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Develop Lifelong Friendships While in College Developing lifelong friendships may be one of the most rewarding aspects of college life. Friendship Statistics Between the ages of 15 and 25 is when most people establish lifelong friendships. Singles tend to rely on friends for companionship. Best friends usually become an extended family. College friends are somewhat different than friends from high school because you bond in different ways. You may bond during late night study sessions, making dinner together, or during long drives home. Theyre somewhat like your family away from home. Some friends may make sure that you wake up in time for your midterm or make you soup when youre sick. During college there are a variety of ways to develop these friendships, which have the potential of becoming lifelong friendships. Living with Roommates Sometimes many students make lifelong friendships with their roommates. If you have a good experience with your roommate during your first year of college, you may want to continue living with that roommate. You may also decide to live with other people as well. Sharing a house or an apartment allows you to spend time with people and really get to know who they are. You may learn things that only their families know about them like how long they take in the shower or what kinds of odd things they like to eat. Living together also provides opportunities for a lot of inside jokes, which can create even stronger bonds. You may also become closer when one of you becomes sick, and the parental instinct kicks in. Joining a Club By joining a club, you may be able to find people who share similar interests. Usually college campuses offer a variety of clubs like those that are associated with academic majors, public interests, politics, music, or careers. There are also fraternities and sororities at different colleges. Clubs provide an opportunity to meet people outside of the classroom, and the opportunity for you to get involved with something that youre passionate about. Being involved in extracurricular activities may also alleviate some of your stress. Making Friends for Life Developing lifelong friendships does take some time. Dont be discouraged if the first couple of people you meet dont turn out to be the type of friends you were hoping for. You may need to keep on trying to meet new people. You may make friends with people who you wouldnt have considered being friends with before. If you feel uneasy about the friends you have made, try to remember what you liked about your friends from high school. Keep yourself surrounded by good people who share similar goals to help you stay on track. Tough Decisions You are young, free and have your whole life before you. You have to choose which path you take in life: Do you want to go to college or graduate school? Should you try out for that team? What type of friends do you want to have? Who will you date? What values will you choose? What will you stand for? What kind of relationship do you want with your family? How will you contribute to your community? When The Going Gets Tough The tough challenges are conflicts between doing the right thing and doing the easier thing. They are the key tests, the defining moments of life and how you handle them can literally shape your life. They come in two kinds, small challenges and major challenges. Small Challenges occur daily and are easier to conquer. They include things like: Getting up when your alarm rings Controlling your temper Disciplining yourself to do your homework. Overcoming spending urges and saving money. If you can conquer yourself and be strong during these challenges your days will run much more smoothly. Soon enough, these moments will prove to have less and less power over your life. Major Challenges occur every so often in life and include things like: Choosing good friends Resisting negative peer pressure Rebounding after a major setback Parents divorcing Getting cut from a team These challenges have huge consequences and often strike when youre least prepared for them. If you recognize that these moments will come then you can be prepared for them and meet them head on. Peer Pressure What is Peer Pressure? It is the pressure, stress or strain we all feel from friends and classmates to act, behave, think and look a certain way. This kind of pressure can cover everything from fashion to sex and dating. Peer pressure can be negative, where someone is coerced into doing something that they know is wrong (e.g. drugs, smoking, or pressure to have sex) or it can be positive, for example, a teen whose friends are all high achievers in school will feel pressure to also be successful. Beware of friends that seem to be friends but really are not. They may try to take advantage of you. Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you. They may do some things to you that you would never do to them. Who is Affected By Peer Pressure? Anyone can be affected by peer pressure; however, teens with low-self esteem are most likely to fall victim to negative peer pressure. Overcoming Peer Pressure Some of the hardest moments come when facing peer pressure. Saying no when all of your friends are saying yes takes raw courage. Sometimes peer pressure can be so strong that the only way to resist it is to remove yourself entirely from the environment youre in. This is especially true if you are involved with a gang, sorority, or a tight group of friends. To overcome peer pressure, youve got to care more about what you think of you than what your peers think of you. So Why is Peer Pressure so Hard to Resist? It is because you want to belong. Everyone wants to feel accepted by some sort of a group. Thats why teens are often willing to go through brutal hazing rituals to become a member of a club or get heavy into drugs or drinking in order to fit into a particular group. Sometimes you simply need a wake-up call to snap out of it. Why do Teens Pressure Other Teens to do Things? Some teens believe that manipulating people to do things they shouldnt gives them a sense of control over others. Some teens are jealous and envious of what you have, but only want to be more like you. Some teens think its cool to try to get away with doing things that are wrong just to see if you will side with them. Some teens use pressure to get whats best for them, even though they know that the outcome wont be good for you. This is very self-centered thinking. How do You Walk Away from Peer Pressure when you Know its Having a Negative Impact on you? The idea that â€Å"everyones doing it, so it must be cool† is not always true. Dont go along if you are uncomfortable with the idea. Ignore the person. Hang out with people who dont pressure you to do risky things. Even though its tough to say â€Å"no† you can do it if you believe in yourself. Try it and see how good it makes you feel. Often, you will find others agreeing with you. It can really make things a lot easier if you have at least one other friend who is on your side. Make up your mind beforehand that certain things in life will always be a definite ‘NO; like drugs, cigarettes, lying and stealing. Remember that the values that your parents taught you will make you stronger in handling peer pressure and you can always use them as your excuse as why you wont do something. Since it is rather difficult to always say no to friends, try and choose likeminded people as friends. Refuse to let yourself down. If you can think of peer pressure as letting yourself down, it becomes easier to combat it. It will make you feel more confident and raise your own self -esteem. Ways to Resist Negative Peer Pressure Walk away. Ignore the person Pretend that the person must be joking. (â€Å"What a riot! You are so funny.†) Say no calmly but firmly. Say no and give a reason (â€Å"No. Cigarette smoke makes me sick.†) Say no and state a value or belief thats important to you. (No. Ive decided not to have sex until I get married.†) Say no and warn about the possible consequences. (â€Å"No way! We could all get expelled.†) Say no and change the subject. (â€Å"No, Im not interested. Say, what did you think of that stunt Clarisse pulled in math class today?†) Say no and offer a positive alternative. (â€Å"No thanks, Ill pass. Im going for a bike ride. Want to come?) Say no and ask a question. (No! Why would I want to do that?†) Say no and use humor. (â€Å"Forget it. Id rather go play on the freeway; its safer.†) Say no and apply some pressure of your own. (â€Å"No. Hey, I always thought you were smarter than that.†) Share your feelings. (â€Å"I dont like being around people who are drinking.†) Use your parents as an excuse. (â€Å"My dad would kill me if I ever did that.†) Stick up for yourself. (â€Å"Im not going to do that. It wouldnt be good for me.†) Confront the person. (â€Å"I cant believe youd ask me to do that. I thought you were my friend.†) Call another friend to help you. Always have an out a Plan B. (â€Å"Sorry, I cant come to the party. I promised my sister Id take her to a movie.†) Make an excuse. (â€Å"Gotta run. I told my mom Id clean my room.†) Laugh. Hang out with people who dont pressure you do to risky things. Ask a peer mediator to help. Tell an adult. Trust your instincts. If something doesnt feel right, it probably isnt right. Avoid the person from then on. Just Say NO! Why is ‘NO, a two letter word, so hard to say? Say ‘No it may be tough, but believe in yourself and often you will find others agreeing with you. Practice saying ‘NO for all the right reasons. Role play saying ‘NO with a family member or a friend. Once you say ‘NO understand that there is no going back. People will eventually respect you more for standing up for yourself. Saying ‘NO means you can feel more in control of your life. List any suggestions from class for avoiding peer pressure: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Not all peer pressure is bad. If you can find friends who put positive pressure on you to be your best, then hang on to him or her for dear life, because you have someone very special. If your self-confidence and self-respect is low, how can you expect to have the strength to resist? Make a promise to yourself and keep it Help someone in need Develop a talent Renew Yourself Eventually youll have sufficient strength to follow your own path instead of going down the beaten path. Dating 101 Be clear with yourself about what kind of qualities you ideally want in the opposite sex based upon your needs and values. Once you set the qualities you need, never wavier from them. Know what personality characteristics and values you want your date to have. Be clear with yourself about your minimum requirements and what you will and wont be satisfied with. Dont be misled by what you see in the beginning. Dont make a long-term commitment during the first phase of the relationship. You should also delay committing yourself to the person until after you have had an argument or two. Your potential partner needs to get to know you, so be visible, open and honest from the beginning. Suggested similarities for better relationships Similar core beliefs and values regarding ethics, morals, religion and spiritual issues. Contents and style of life. Desire and need for affection and togetherness. Standards of cleanliness and order. Beliefs regarding division of labor and responsibilities. Level of need and desire for social activities. Amount of involvement with others. Types and frequency of activities. Characteristics Qualities I am looking for in a relationship: _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ As I date, I have learned that I want: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As I date, I have learned that I dont want: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Healthy Vs. Unhealthy Relationships What Makes a Healthy Relationship? Mutual respect The key is that your significant other is into you for who you are for your great sense of humor, your love of reality TV, etc. Does your partner listen when you say youre not comfortable doing something and then back off right away? Respect in a relationship means that each person values who the other is and understands and would never challenge the other persons boundaries. Trust Its ok to get a little jealous sometimes jealousy is a natural emotion. But how a person reacts when he or she feels jealous is what matters. Theres no way you can have a healthy relationship if you dont trust each other. Honesty This one goes hand-in-hand with trust because its tough to trust someone when one of you isnt being honest. Support Its not just in good times that your partner should support you. Some people are great when your whole world is going well, but cant take being there when things are going wrong. In a healthy relationship, your significant other is  there with a shoulder to cry on when  you find out your parents are getting divorced and to celebrate with you when you get the lead in a play. Fairness/equality You need to have give-and-take in your relationship, too. Do you take turns choosing which new movie to see? As a couple, do you hang out with your partners friends as often as you hang out with yours? Youll know if it isnt a fair balance. Things get bad really fast when a relationship turns into a power struggle, with one person fighting to get his or her way all the time. Separate identities In a healthy relationship, everyone needs to make compromises. That doesnt mean you should feel like youre losing out on being yourself. When you started going out, you both had your own lives your own families, friends, interests, hobbies, etc.   and that shouldnt change. Neither of you should have to pretend to like something you dont, give up seeing your friends, nor drop out of activities you love. You also should feel free to keep developing new talents or interests, making new friends, and moving forward. Good communication Youve probably heard lots of stuff about how men and women dont seem to speak the same language. We all know how many different meanings the little phrase no, nothings wrong can have, depending on whos saying it! But whats important is to ask if youre not sure what he or she means, and speak honestly and openly so that the miscommunication is avoided in the first place. Never keep a feeling bottled up because youre afraid its not what your BF or GF wants to hear or because you worry about sounding silly. What Makes an Unhealthy Relationship? A relationship is unhealthy when it involves mean, disrespectful, controlling, or abusive behavior. Some people live in homes with parents who fight a lot or abuse each other emotionally or physically. For some people who have grown up around this kind of behavior it can almost seem normal or ok. Its not! Qualities like kindness and respect are absolute requirements for a healthy relationship. Someone who doesnt yet have this part down may need to work on it with a trained therapist before he or s