Presidential Contenders 2008 Essay Example for Free

Presidential Contenders 2008 Essay Pre-election convention of the Democratic Party will pass on August 28 in Denver. The tensest conflict of the elections is between the candidates of the Democratic Party B. Obama and H. Klinton. The representative of Democratic Party will get the victory at the basic elections as Republicans have lost considerable support among the population because of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Besides, there is the crisis of crediting of a category subprime, which led to unemployment’s growth and to substantial damages of the companies. That’s why the results of the primaries are significant. Barack Obama won Wisconsins and Hawaii’s primaries on Tuesday, which extends his winning tendency and makes him hard to surpass in the remaining sixteen races. Clinton hasnt won a contest since Super Tuesday on Feb. 5. On Wednesday Obama picked up the support of the 1. 4 million-member Teamsters, his fourth labor endorsement in a week. Union support is expected to be key in the upcoming Ohio and Pennsylvania races. Clinton is behind in delegates, and the gap has been growing. She has to win fifty seven percent of the remaining primary and caucus delegates to erase Obamas lead, a daunting task requiring landslide-sized victories. According to some information, up to primary elections in Wisconsin Obama had on the account 1281 voices of party delegates at main congress whereas Clinton was the second (1218 voices). In Wisconsin 74 voices were played. In total the candidate from democrats have to get support of 2025 party delegates for promotion. Therefore the basic struggle still ahead. Obama also won â€Å"the Democrats Abroad global primary† on Thursday, giving him eleven straight wins. â€Å"More than 20,000 U. S. citizens living abroad voted in the primary, which ran from Feb. 5 to Feb. 12. Obama won about 65 percent of the vote, according to the results released Thursday. † (The Daily Tribune Newspaper, Feb 21) Hillary Clinton is not paying much attention to foreign policy. Clinton is going to establish a deadline for the American troops in Iraq. She will begin dialogues with Iran and she will try to limit Chinese imports to the American market probably to avoid recession. The race for democratic nominee isnt over yet the future situation can not be predicted exactly. Bearing in mind the trend of Obama’s winning the primaries will continue to show the desire of the American people.

Effective Time Management for Success

Effective Time Management for Success Time management is a vital aspect for college success. By managing your time more efficiently you can become less stressed, finish projects and assignments on time, and put an end to procrastination. Time management is not just about rearranging your time, its about rearranging your entire thought process. The first step in effective time management is setting goals. Self-discipline is a valuable skill that helps you influence different aspects of your life whereas a lack of self-discipline keeps you from setting and achieving meaningful goals.(Newman, Floyd) When it comes to making goals there is a method that was created by George Doran, which was published in the November 1981 issue of the Management Review. This method is called the S.M.A.R.T method.(Scott, S.J.) This is an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. Specific goals answer your six W questions: who, what, where, when, which and why. (Scott, S.J, (p. 12) When you can break down the long term goals into a subset of short term goals, youll be more able to identify exactly what steps you are going to need to take to reach your goal. Each short term goal should have a specific outcome. Once you have a specific outcome you are looking for, you need to ensure it is measurable. Measur able goals are goals with clear attainable outcomes. Both long term and short term goals should have some point of reference to see if you are making progress. This means that each goal should have a specific deadline that you are reaching for. The third step in the S.M.A.R.T model is making goals attainable. You should be able to achieve goals, but they should not be so easy that they are easily within reach. You should challenge yourself to reach goals. Make the goal seem a little out of reach, so even if you fail, you still have accomplished something significant. The fourth step is to make goals relevant. Make sure that goals are relevant to your life, that they are what you really want or need. If you have goals at school, your career, and your personal life, it is helpful to integrate them. By integrating goals into all aspects of your life, it gives you more drive to reach for them. It lets you know that each component of your life works together to help you succeed to the be st of your ability. [Goals should be] in harmony with everything that is important in your life, from success in your career to happiness with the people you love.(Scott, S.J., pp. 13-14, Kindle edition) The final step is time bound. Every goal should have a very clear time line. You can set this time line anyway you want, whether you want to be accomplished today, tomorrow, next week, or in a year from now. The key to creating any time line for goals is that you set the time and work backward, marking concise benchmarks along the way. This way you know when the goal needs to be complete, and where you should be in the process of success. Now that you know what your goals are, it is important to set priorities. Decide what is important and what is not. Make a list of these priorities and put them in order of what needs to be done first, second, third, and so on. One you understand what your priorities are, it is important to plan out a schedule for the whole semester as a whole. The second step in effective time management is scheduling. Making a schedule for the whole semester will help you understand where your priorities stand, and what should be worked on and when. Calenders are one tool that is imperative to the time management process. You should begin by looking at each class syllabus and block in all school and lab times. Secondly, you should block in all standing commitments such as work, church, meetings and so on. Next it is important to highlight all exams and project due dates. This will help you break down your academic routine for homework and study days. Look at your calendar and work backward from exams and papers. This will help you determine when to start working on your papers or study for exams. Beginning every week, you should spend roughly thirty minutes looking at your calendar and mapping out the week. Remember to ask yourself questions about the week. What are your expectations? What do you plan to accomplish during the week? What t asks are more important than others? What will you have to do to reach your goals? How much time will each activity take? When will I do each activity? Remember to keep goals realistic, theres only twenty-four hours in a day, and you need to rest some of that time. It is also thought that if you study at the same time each day, you condition your brain to know that it is study time, this makes studying a habit. It is also thought that dividing study time into fifty minute blocks, followed by a ten minute break, helps you retain information better, and sets you up for higher success. As part of the scheduling process it is important to revisit and revise your schedule. Take an inventory of how you are choosing to spend your time. Was there any time that was wasted? What did you accomplish? What didnt get done? What changes need to be made to your weekly schedule to help you succeed? Are you sticking to your plans and goals? Is procrastination an issue? These questions can aid you in understanding where your time is being spent, what changes do or do not need to be changed, and help you take an inventory of your self. Once you take an inventory of how your schedule is going, it will help you to be able to understand more of what you have to do to be successful in your goals. Procrastination is arguably productivitys number one enemy. (Newman, Floyd. Time Management: The Art Of Being Productive (Increase Productivity, Get Organized And Get Things Done) (Increase Productivity Reduce Stress Save Time Book 1) (Kindle Locations 219-220). Kindle Edition.) It is hard to fight procrastination because it is a mental battle that one must fight. You have to dedicate yourself to be on time and to stop doing what ever you are using as an excuse not to complete your work. One of the best tools you can use to help you conquer procrastination is to divide a big job into smaller parts. When you break them down to smaller chunks, you avoid being discouraged or the temptation to procrastinate. (Taylor, Dane. Time Management: The Ultimate Productivity Bundle Become Organized, Productive Get Clear Focus (Time Management Tips, Time Management Skills, Productivity Hacks) (Kindle Location 1203). UNKNOWN. Kindle Edition.) This makes the goal more attainable and helps you feel accomplished along the way. When you break them down to smaller chunks, you avoid being discouraged or the temptation to procrastinate.

National Crisis :: essays papers

National Crisis Our society is being forced to deal with uneducated, illiterate high school graduates. You may ask how is a high school graduate so ill prepared for the world. Have you ever been to a store where a young person, maybe a high school student is the sales associate and the register shuts down right before you receive your change? Did you notice the look of panic on their face because they were not sure how much change you were supposed to receive? It is because of the national crisis, social promotion that can be accredited to this dependency on everything except their educated brain’s. We as educated people must help find a way to save our children from wasting their academic careers due to social promotion. "Truly embracing the idea that all children can learn and making sure that all children do, requires that we all take responsibility for ending social promotion." (www.ed.gov) If we accept and aim to prove that all people are capable of learning life’s basic necessities we will start breaking down the wall of stupidity social promotion has built. Social promotion, the national crisis, is the promotion of students to the next grade level without mastery of their current curriculum.(www.ncrel.org) "More than half of teachers surveyed in a recent poll stated that they had promoted unprepared students in the last school year, often because they see no alternative." (www.ed.gov) If a teacher sees no option for a student other than failing or socially promoting them, the teacher generally promotes them, because it goes over easier with in society and authority. This is essentially depleting the educational standards of our country. Standards are lowered as students are continually cheated of the material necessary to independently survive in the "real" world. The realization that I was cheated by social promotion finally came about my senior year of high school. As far back as I can remember I have had problems with math, but I passed every year up until I met Coach Taylor. He was a nonconformist in nearly every sense of the word. He definitely did not jump on the bandwagon of socially promoting students. I learned the hard way about the true aftermath of social promotion that year. I was held accountable for things I didn't know. Therefore, I was fairly distraught to discover I wouldn't be graduating with all my friends.

The Industry and Competition of the Bus Industry :: Buses Transportation Automobiles Essays

The Industry and Competition of the Bus Industry Several large companies have focused on the multi-occupant vehicle market, specifically school bus production, in North America. Competitors within the school bus manufacturing industry consist of the Henlys Group PLC, a British based company, and two U.S. bus companies, Collins Industries Inc. and Navistar International. Henlys consists of Blue Bird Corporation, Prevost Car Inc., Nova Bus and TransBus International Ltd. Collins Industries operates seven vehicle companies including Collins Bus Corporation and Mid Bus Corporation that make up their school bus line. And finally, Navistar International, which also produces school buses, is divided into three principal industry segments. These segments are trucks/buses, engines, and financial services. In October 1999, Henlys acquired Blue Bird Corporation. This horizontal acquisition gave Henlys a competitive advantage in the North American school bus market. Currently, Blue Bird has increased its market share to over 47% making the bus market Henlys core business. Blue Bird, financially, accounts for 59% of total corporate sales and 81% of Henlys profits. Within Blue Bird, school bus sales accounted for 83% of total sales. Blue Bird offers three styles of small buses and three different large buses, all designed to meet customer needs. They have also teamed up with the Southwest Research Institute to develop the bus of the future, Envirobus. The joint venture was commissioned by the Department of Energy in response to increased pressure from various environmentalist groups to develop buses that are safer and environmentally conscious. This acquisition makes Henlys the largest company in sales of school buses in the North American Market. Besides school buses, Blue Bird a lso produces commercial buses and recreational vehicles. Henlys is also able to take advantage of Blue Bird’s extensive network of distributors. These areas complement Henlys other areas of operations by building on their core competencies. Prior to the Blue Bird acquisition, Henlys Group used the cooperative strategy of equity strategic alliance to expand its bus and coach operations outside of its borders. With this one acquisition, the Henlys Group has achieved economy of scale and now controls 47% of the school bus market in North America. Henlys equity alliance partner profile includes a partnership with Volvo that jointly owns Prevost car Inc. and Nova bus. This joint venture accounts for a 25% market share in North America’s coach market and is the market leader in bus shells for motor homes supplying 80% of that market.

Free Essays - Consequences of Passion in Othello :: Othello essays

Consequences of Passion in Othello Being too passionate about something or someone, can sometimes over ride one's good judgement. Too much passion can bring about ever-lasting consequences and regrets. When put into a tense, specific situation, you usually wont make wise choices. You wont stop and think, "what is going on" or "what is the right thing to do" but instead, we let our emotions take over. For instance, in the play Othello, Othello is passionately in love with his wife and when he hears a disturbing rumor about her, instead of thinking over what he heard or if it is true, he let his jealousy take over his actions. In Othello, Iago, Othello's dear truthful friend, wants to ruin Othello's life by "plaguing" his mind of depressing thoughts. He plans to tell Othello that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him with his ex-lieutenant, Cassio. "At least jealousy so strong that judgment cannot cure." (p. 79, Iago) Othello being passionately in love with Desdemona begins to believe the rumors he is told, and it breaks his heart. He is not only envious that his beloved wife would cheat on him with Cassio but that idea of her not loving him, troubled him the most. "By heaven, thou echo'st me/ As if there were some monster in thy thought/ too hideous to be shown." ( W.S, 3.3; 121) Othello's emotions begin to grow from jealously to anger. He has never been heart broken before and now all his emotions of melancholy is running through his mind. "How shall I murder him, Iago?" (p. 171, 4.1) Already Othello had sunken in everything Iago had said. Not thinking straight and letting his emotions ru n untamed, he can only think of death as a way to resolve everything. He soon pays for his jealousy rage by taking both his wife and his own life. In addition, from the play, Iago seems to let his infatuation over seek his reasoning as well. Iago is one of Othello's respectable friends. When Othello, the General, had to pick a lieutenant, he chose Cassio. Iago was furious at Othello's decision. He wanted to be lieutenant with his dear Othello, but when hearing that he chose Cassio, Iago breaks out like a beast expressing all his fury and resentment.

Iraq War Was Wrong Essay

The Iraq war was a horrible thing. It caused many things to happen. I’m against going to war with them because there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as the US government claimed. One of the main reasons listed by George W Bush for the war was to secure Iraq’s chemical and biological weapons, which did not even exist. Secondly, there were no terrorists in Iraq, and Iraq had no connection to Sept. 11. We should have focused our resources in Afghanistan where the real terrorists were. Thirdly, we were underprepared for the occupation of Iraq and couldn’t deal with the insurgency that followed. And lastly, the war was a huge waste of resources which the US gained nothing from. The United States lost over 1,040 American soldiers fighting in this war that we got nothing from. The war has hurt our country economically greatly. Over $151.1 Billion has been out towards the war. I feel since from this outcome that we shouldn’t have gone to war with them. It’s a hard thing to put our country through. Iraq was attacked by the United States in the year of 2003. The US went to war with Iraq, because on either the administration or disinformation, and the started reason have changed over the time. The main reason given by the administration of George W. Bush was that Saddam Hussein the leader of Iraq was engaged in having nuclear weapons. Many thought that Hussein might use these weapons to attack against The United States. One of the main reasons for the attacks on Iraq was to disarm them of any weapons of mass destruction that they have. This makes sense to prevent future terrorist attacks, but no weapons of mass destruction were in Iraq. Iraq did use weapons of mass destruction in the 1980’s but not since then. Almost all of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction were destroyed or otherwise made unusable in the 1990’s. Also, Saddam wanted to stay in power. Using weapons of mass destruction would mean a sure end to his power. This calls into question whether or not invading Iraq was justified because the Bush administration should have known that weapons of mass destruction in Iraq were effectively contained. Because Iraq is effectively contained, it was no longer an imminent threat to the United States or any other countries anymore. Saddam Hussein had never threatened to attack the United States or to use weapons of mass destruction offensively. Sure, Iraq’s surrounding countries such as Kuwait and Iran hated Saddam Hussein, but they were not afraid of him. They knew that Iraq was the weakest country in the region. Iraq had been weak and under control since the Gulf War and has not troubled its neighbors. If Iraq is not a threat, there was no reason to be attacking them. Iraq was not involved in the September 11th attacks. So why did we go to war with them? Since, the war had continued, because the forces of the US were attacked by Iraqi guerillas. The US supported a new democratic government within Iraq, which was opposed by various Islamic groups that held power in the country. The US attempted to control the flow of oil from Iraq, one of the largest petroleum producers in the Middle East.

Street Children

Street Children â€Å"People don't love us,† says Tigiste, a 12 years old street girl from Addis Ababa. A small example of how these kids suffer everyday, as Tigiste, there are many kids like her all over the world. One of these countries that has a huge problem in this issue is Egypt. But who is a street kid? how can we classify these children by that name? and what is the number of them? â€Å"A street child is defined as any boy or girl for whom the street in the widest sense of the word has become his or her habitual abode and/or source of livelihood, and who is inadequately protected, supervised, or directed by responsible adults† (ESCWA).Omneya Ragab, writer in Al-Ahram weekly says, â€Å"Among the estimated tens of thousands children in street situations, 65% escape family problems, 30% are out in the streets to earn money for themselves and their families while 23% are forced to leave by family members. It is estimated that the number of these children is range d between 200,000 and 2,000,000. You can find them sleeping on pavements, standing at traffic, shining shoes, selling newspapers or notice them under bridges. The main cause of this phenomenon is poverty.Although there are not reliable studies, but it is assumed that â€Å"the percentage of those living on less than $1 a day is 3. 4 % while the percentage of those living on less than $2 a day is 42. 8 %†(ESCWA). Other causes are : violence, an old thought that a child has to work at an early age and stop education and falling preys for employers, a member in family or by their peers. Effects are clearly observed as this resulted to depending on charity, sexual abuse and continuing of a series of violence in general and illness.So, this essay will demonstrate the causes of this problem, then the effects in details and how can this problem be solved tackling some projects that are already done to face this. So as to analyze any problem we should know its cause which will lead u s to understand its effects in a better way. A life of a child is at stake, everyday these innocent kids are exposed to danger. First it comes from family, which circumstances affects them and lead to uncontrollability in actions whether from a member of a family or by any sudden unexpected event, like the one that happened at AL Dewe'a or by losing contact with the parents including death.This could result in displacement of these children were they can't find a place or shelter except under a bridge, infront of mosques or in any public place like gardens for example. Also, another cause is, the deprivation of education. Based on the Egyptian 2006 census, â€Å"the percentage of children between 6 and 18 years who never enrolled or who have dropped out of basic education was 14. 7 %, amounting to around three million children. The gross enrolment rate of children in basic, secondary and tertiary levels was 76. %†. It was found that the main causes of that is the violence the y suffer at home, school or at work; which lead afterwards that parents urge them to work only because that is more profitable and gives instant cash flows. The problem is that the child becomes fed up and start to search for the prefered environment but finds that in the street which is an exit to change their lives. Yet they suffer more violence with a constant feeling of insecurity; from older street children, abusive community members or from the police.So they are urged to submit, whether it was for an employer who could be an older street child or to the police and in both ways they will feel pain and humiliation. This can be by abuse, rape or other ways of torture. According to Human Rights Watch, police beatings are purely punitive or correctional in approach: in other words, they are used to â€Å"teach the children a lesson†! And by the street children you can find the worse as sexual violence may lead to unwanted pregnancies for girls and extreme injuries for both genders. Street Children [pic] NAME OF CANDIDATE: CENTER #: CANDIDATE #: TERITORY: JAMAICA YEAR: 2013 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Street children in my community ? What are the factors that influence children to live on the streets? ? What are the measures that can be taken to get them into homes/places of safety? RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. What are the factors that influence children to live on the streets? 2. What are the effects of living on the streets affects these children? 3. What are the measures that can be taken to get street children off the streets? METHOD OF INVESTIGATION The method of investigation chosen is the questionnaire.The questionnaire as chosen as a tool for collecting information because of a number of advantages they are: 1. It requires less time to be completed. 2. It is highly confidential since no name is required. 3. It can be done base on the person’s schedule. REASON FOR SELECTING AREA OF RESEARCH The area in which the research will be done is the down town area. The reason for sele cting this particular area is as a result of the high rate of street children on the streets of down town. It was observed that these children have been on the street on several occasions. I want to explore the causes and effects of their phenomena.PROCEDURES FOR DATA COLLECTION In the area of Down Town Kingston there are thousands of different streets. Some of which are more crowded with street children than others. There was a minimum of 1 street children present on these streets and a maximum of 2. In the less crowded streets of the area, 10 street children were present respectively, questionnaires were given to each. On the streets which were less crowded 6 males were present and 4 females, their ages from 10-17 years. On the street that was more crowded, 16 males and 4 females present their ages also ranged from 10-17 years.When approached and asked if they would complete the questionnaire some demanded money while others immediately agreed, no one refused. Some needed little o r no help. 30 questionnaires were issued, all of which were complete and returned immediately to the researcher who waited on them patiently. When they were finished and counted 8 females and 22 males actually completed the questionnaires. DATA ANALYSIS Street children, where is their place in society? Red Rat, a local DJ aptly describes Jamaicans view on the home of street children when he sang that they â€Å"No Live Nuh Wey†.His song also highlights the hardship experienced by children, the activities they get involved in and their aspirations. This project then, seeks to answer two main questions: 1. Why are these children living on the streets of my community? 2. What are the measures that can be taken to get street children off the streets? In order to provide a comprehensive answer to these two questions, the project will first look at the major cause of this phenomenon, urbanization. It will then look at the spatial location of street children in my community and in K ingston.The focus will then move to who they are, why they are on the streets and the activities in which they are engaged. It will also examine how effective institutions are in meeting the needs of the children. This is done in an attempt to determine whether or not there is hope for these children. This project will conclude by making suggestions on how to give hope to street children. Waugh, (2000), describes urbanization as the process by which an increasing proportion of the total population, usually of a country, lives in towns and cities. This growth is due to natural increase and to a larger extent rural-urban migration.Map 1,page 2, shows that the most densely populated parishes are in the areas of the Kingston Metropolitan Region, which includes Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Catherine, (Census 2001). Urbanization in these areas has placed stress on the available resources and has led to overcrowding, which in turn has led to several problems. These include shortages of hou ses and the development of slums/ghettos, crime and violence, unemployment and underemployment and the incidence of street people specifically, children. The stance of this project is that street children are victims of urbanization.Agnelli, 1986 confirms our stance when he wrote that the phenomenon of street children is urban in nature, as there are no rural street children. Map 2, page 3, further confirms this. [pic] [pic] The writer of this project define Street children as those children who are under the age of seventeen years who live or work on the streets as a regular daily activity. This is endorsed by Lusk et. al (1992) in an article entitled Children in need, described street children as any child for whom the street has become his or her habitual abode and /or source of livelihood, and who is inadequately protected, supervised, or directed by adults.In an interview with a social worker, the profile of a street child was outlined; he mistrust people, he enjoys his indepen dence, he tends to be rebellious, he dislikes authoritarianism or ridged control, he can be rehabilitated, he can cope under difficult circumstances and he is nomadic. The writers of this article indicated that there are three categories of street children: Children on the streets – are those who still have links with families and attend school, but work on the streets outside of school hours.Children of the streets – are those whose links with the family are remote and who consider the street to be their home. Abandoned children – are those who are completely on their own and have no links with their families. Numerous reasons have been given to explain the presence of the children on the roads. A Gleaner article of August 23, 2011 highlighted three reasons: It claimed that some children are orphaned as their parents were killed in shooting sprees in the inner city areas, some parents have migrated and have left them in the care of uncaring relatives, friends a nd older siblings.In another article found in the Sunday Gleaner on August 25, 2011, the writer quoted the former project coordinator of Wings, in saying that the boys were put out of their homes by their parents, and that some were coerced into the streets because of overcrowded homes. In another article found in the Gleaner on March 15, 2002, the writer critically stated that the children were on the streets because they were either truants from the school system or a product of dysfunctional families.From our research, we have found that a typical street child is a 12-year-old boy from a female- headed household, the average size of which is five persons, where his guardian either is unemployed or marginally employed. The responses from the questionnaire regarding the reason for their absence from school suggest that socio-economic deprivation is indeed a major factor. Some even responded sayings that they were forced peddle wares on the streets to supplement the family’s income; others were suspended or expelled from school, while there were a few who stated that there was no reason.Irregular school attendance for those who are actually enrolled into a school is a popular feature found among the street children interviewed. Many went to school only three days per week; using the remaining days of the week to perform their personal activities. For those who were absent from school only once or twice per week, Thursday and Friday were their preferred days to be absent. This they stated enabled them to go to the market to beg and or sell. Thursday is the wholesale day in the major retail market and Friday being payday, is a popular market day for workers in the urban centres.These days proved to be most profitable for these child labourers as they earn much of their money transporting goods for the shoppers. Based on the responses of the children from the questionnaire, it is possible to assess and determine the main â€Å"push factors† which ha s inevitably resulted in them being on the street. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF STREET CHILDREN 11% 30%State 19% 33% Parents Abusers Peers 7%Severe Poverty Push Factors a) The state – Overcrowding of the educational or childcare system is the primary cause for movement of the children from the institutions provided.The state neglects their responsibilities by not adequately funding these institutions. The signs were evident in the inner city schools visited where the teacher – pupil ratio is about 1:60. In addition, the lack of desk and chairs, stationery and other vital equipment causes discomfort for the students and teachers. b) The consequences of the actions of parents such as neglect, migration or directly sending their children out on the streets, forces them to fend for themselves hence causing child labour. ) Physical, sexual or emotional abuse, caused by parents or guardians usually leads to the child running away from home and thereby bei ng forced into child labour d) Peer pressure –The feeling of inadequacy at school discourages then from wanting to learn, especially if they are being teased and ridiculed and hence they are push into child labour. e) Severe poverty – The children are forced unto the streets to supplement the inadequate income of the household, often following the laying off from work of the primary caregiver. ) Those who enter into child labour primarily of their own volition, in order to help out their parents or to become more independent themselves; and g) Those entering as a direct result of family crisis like the illness or death of the primary caregiver. Pull Factors A. â€Å"Pop Culture† influences children, in that it dictates the clothing and styles to be worn in order for them to be considered fashionable. When children of a poor socio economic background see their friends in the latest fashions, living a carefree life without any responsibilities this entices them to want to follow this trend.However due to their poor financial circumstances they are unable to afford these trends, hence leading them to go out and fend or work for themselves in an attempt to afford these styles. B. In a paper published by David Dunkley’s on February 11, 1999, Turf wars were cited as one of the reasons for boys not returning home at nights. From having spoken to street children ourselves, we saw that this was in fact one of the reasons many felt they could not return home at nights and so remained on the streets, as they feared for their lives.Others received money, protection and the needed support from the â€Å"don† (local area leader), who used them as carriers for their illicit wares. On interviewing these children, we also realized that a few of them had behavioral problems. It was found that the children, who exhibited extreme forms of behavioral problems, were from larger families with one or no parent and were the ones who were particularly into sporadic school attendance. They were the ones who were also from depressed communities where overcrowding was a problem and living conditions were poor.During our research, a child highlighted some of his reason for being on the streets. He reported that he lived in a single room house with his mother and other siblings and was forced to leave the house when his mother was â€Å"entertaining†. Another child, who resided with his grandparent, complained that he could not live with her because she was miserable and demanding. Hence he avoided going home as he disliked the living conditions and is thereby a street child. In our survey, 92% of the children were boys and they were involved in a number of activities: they pushed carts, they carried people’s luggage.They sold items for others, they bought and sold items, some went to sea and some were there just to check their â€Å"brethren†. One little boy in particular said that when he is on the street he â €Å"run up an’ down†. Not surprisingly though is the fact that the majority are involved in one or another economic activity. In fact 75% admitted to be so involved. These activities, according to these children yield great returns. In 1986 children were making a maximum of $21. 00 per day, now 75% of them made over $1000. 00 per day. One child stated that he made over $1,800. 0 per day. Seventeen percent of them were reluctant to reveal their daily earnings or simply did not know. If these figures are truly representative of what a child makes on the street, it is no wonder that they are willing to remain there regardless of the harsh treatment, which is meted out to them by the general public. It is evident that the economic pull to street life is greater now than in the 1980s and 1990s. Hence this remains a major factor for children being on the streets. When we question, â€Å"Why are these children living on the streets in my community? there are many reasons and excuses. Many are in search of love and acceptance; others see it as a means of survival or an outlet. The real question however is, â€Å"Is there hope for these children? † In answering the question, is there hope for these children, one would be tempted to give a resounding yes. But can this be justified? The plight of the street children has not been ignored by the Jamaican Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and International organizations. In fact, programmes have been put in place to alleviate problems of child labour in Kingston.These include RISE Life Management who plays a great role in my community, Children First, Hope for Children, The Possibility Programme, St. Andrew Care Centre, the National Initiative for Street Children (NISC), Tackle Child Labour by the International Labour Organization and the Socialization Project by the Kingston Restoration Company. Mainly the United Children Educational Foundation (UNICEF) funds many of these programmes. All of the named institutions have been established to alleviate problems of child labor and neglected children in the metropolitan area.Most of these institutions aim at giving these children institution Management provides counseling, classes and youth programs for street children in my community. Children First aims at reintroducing them into the formal school system. It reunites them with their families and monitors their attendance in the government schools. Map 3 shows their specific location in Kingston, and proximity to my community the main study area. The residence of the street children are located in mostly densely populated homes where the standard of living is low and living conditions harsh.Many of the institutions that are put in place to help them are located within the community or close by. [pic] In these institutions, a number of activities are planned for the children, some outside the classroom. All the organizations have regular school activities inclusive of Mathematics, English, Reading, Social Studies, Science, and Computing. At Children First there is a thematic teaching system in which themes are chosen by the students, for example, â€Å"Children Rights†. They also offer skills training programs such as cosmetology, barbering and photography. At NISC,Children First for example, has aided a number of students to attend universities both local and international. For example, there is a student studying medicine in Cuba, and one, at The Edna Manley School Of Art is studying to become an actor. Two-thirds of the staff is graduates of the program. Mrs. Pious, executive director of Children First has found that in order to improve the lives of the children, it is often necessary to improve the lives of the parents or guardians as well. As a result, the program has enabled many parents to start small businesses such as chicken rearing, ewing and goat rearing. At Hope for Children, students have been involved in drama. A few of thei r past productions include â€Å"Come Listen to We†, â€Å"Wicked Reality† and â€Å"Man, Woman and Child†. The street children in my community seemed very ambitious and their occupational aspirations were wide and varied. Figure 2 shows the career choice of the street children. DESIRED OCCUPATION OF THE STREET CHILDREN 10 8 6 4 2 0 OCCUPATIONS What is noticeable is that only the needs of the carpenter and the fisherman and to a lesser extent that of a truck driver are catered to by these institution.The implication of this is that if they boys are taken off the street and placed in any of these institutions, their aspirations would not be met. The formal educational institutions however could meet their goals, but they have to, to a large extent turn their backs on these institutions. One still have to wonder, is there hope for these children? What is heartening is that the children, although they were on the street, thought that education was important and tha t it was the only way for them to achieve their goals. In fact, 83% of them believe that education is important in their acquiring their career goals.It is often times said that where there is a will there is a way. Even though many of the children have the desire to attain upper socio-economic mobility, they were often times forced to attend these institutions. When the Administrators were asked about the institutionalization of the children, they indicated that few children came in voluntarily. In fact, Most of the children were sent there by parents, concerned citizens and police officers. Overall, having been forced to attend has caused them to be defiant and hostile to the programme.At Children First most of the children attend voluntarily and hence their level of success is greater. We also found from our interview that 6% of the children did not even know where the institutions were located or even that they existed. Overall, from my observation, the programmes I have studied have shown a level of success. But in light of the negative aspects, which we have observed, I recommend the following: 1. A public education programme on radio and television, which highlights why contributions should be given directly to the programmes in place instead of the children. . Implementing more self-help schemes for the parents or guardians of the street children, that is, helping them to generate a steady income. 3. Government should make the needs of street children one of its priorities. More money should be allocated to these programmes to effect changes. 4. Make the public aware of the plight of our nation’s future through the introduction of a Street Children Day in Child month and Media coverage (when people become aware, they will become sympathetic and generous). DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT Sample of Questionnaire 1. Gender Tick (/)Male ( )Female ( ) 2. Age 10-11 years ( )12-13 years ( )14-15 years ( )16-17 years ( ) 3. How long have you been on the stre ets? 6 months-1 year ( )2-3 years ( )4-5 years ( )6 years and over ( ) 4. When you were at home, what type of family did you live in? Single ( )Nuclear ( )Extended ( ) Other ( ) 5. Do you plan on returning home? Yes ( ) No ( ) 6. Do you like living on the street? Yes ( ) No ( ) 7. What are some of the factors that are responsible for you becoming a street child? Abandoned by parents ( )Disruptive behaviors/can’t be controlled ( )Ran away from home ( )Other ( ) 8. What was the main punishment received at home? Beating/Flogging ( )Indecent language ( )Being put to starve ( ) Other ( ) 9. What type of relationship do you have with your family now that you are on the streets? Excellent ( )Poor ( ) Fair ( ) None ( ) 10. Do you think its better being on the streets that at home? Yes ( ) No ( ) If yes why? ______________________________________________________________ 11. How do you provide for yourself on the streets? Begging ( )Stealing ( )Searching household garbage ( ) 12. Do yo u ever wish you never left home?Yes ( )No ( ) 13. How does being a street child affect you emotionally? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 14. How does being a street child affect your physical appearance? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 15. Were you in school? Yes ( )No ( ) 16. If yes what grade/form where you in? 17. Are you able to read and write? Yes ( )No ( ) 18.What are the measures that can be taken to get street children off the streets? Put them in state homes ( ) Have counseling sessions with them and put them up for adoption ( ) Establish laws to punish parents who contribute to their child being on the streets ( ) 19. Do you think the measures will work for you? Yes ( ) No ( ) Maybe ( ) 20. What can persons who wish to become parents do to avoid chil dren leaving home to live on the streets? Attend parenting sessions on how to care for the child ( ) Talk to the child/children to find out what is bothering them ( )Get involved in activities at the child school to see how well they are doing () BIBLIOGRAPHY Agnelli (1986), Street Children- A growing urban tragedy -Report for the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues Boyce-Reid, k. (1993) A Report on Street Children Projects http://gvnet. com/streetchildren/Jamaica. htm David Dunkley(1999) :Street Children- effects of urbanization ———————– School Based Assessment on Street Children in my community FISHERMAN FIRE MAN CARPENTER PERCENTAGES DOCTOR BUSINESS MAN TEACHER TRUCK DRIVER BANK CLERK Stall Cart Street Children [pic] NAME OF CANDIDATE: CENTER #: CANDIDATE #: TERITORY: JAMAICA YEAR: 2013 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Street children in my community ? What are the factors that influence children to live on the streets? ? What are the measures that can be taken to get them into homes/places of safety? RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. What are the factors that influence children to live on the streets? 2. What are the effects of living on the streets affects these children? 3. What are the measures that can be taken to get street children off the streets? METHOD OF INVESTIGATION The method of investigation chosen is the questionnaire.The questionnaire as chosen as a tool for collecting information because of a number of advantages they are: 1. It requires less time to be completed. 2. It is highly confidential since no name is required. 3. It can be done base on the person’s schedule. REASON FOR SELECTING AREA OF RESEARCH The area in which the research will be done is the down town area. The reason for sele cting this particular area is as a result of the high rate of street children on the streets of down town. It was observed that these children have been on the street on several occasions. I want to explore the causes and effects of their phenomena.PROCEDURES FOR DATA COLLECTION In the area of Down Town Kingston there are thousands of different streets. Some of which are more crowded with street children than others. There was a minimum of 1 street children present on these streets and a maximum of 2. In the less crowded streets of the area, 10 street children were present respectively, questionnaires were given to each. On the streets which were less crowded 6 males were present and 4 females, their ages from 10-17 years. On the street that was more crowded, 16 males and 4 females present their ages also ranged from 10-17 years.When approached and asked if they would complete the questionnaire some demanded money while others immediately agreed, no one refused. Some needed little o r no help. 30 questionnaires were issued, all of which were complete and returned immediately to the researcher who waited on them patiently. When they were finished and counted 8 females and 22 males actually completed the questionnaires. DATA ANALYSIS Street children, where is their place in society? Red Rat, a local DJ aptly describes Jamaicans view on the home of street children when he sang that they â€Å"No Live Nuh Wey†.His song also highlights the hardship experienced by children, the activities they get involved in and their aspirations. This project then, seeks to answer two main questions: 1. Why are these children living on the streets of my community? 2. What are the measures that can be taken to get street children off the streets? In order to provide a comprehensive answer to these two questions, the project will first look at the major cause of this phenomenon, urbanization. It will then look at the spatial location of street children in my community and in K ingston.The focus will then move to who they are, why they are on the streets and the activities in which they are engaged. It will also examine how effective institutions are in meeting the needs of the children. This is done in an attempt to determine whether or not there is hope for these children. This project will conclude by making suggestions on how to give hope to street children. Waugh, (2000), describes urbanization as the process by which an increasing proportion of the total population, usually of a country, lives in towns and cities. This growth is due to natural increase and to a larger extent rural-urban migration.Map 1,page 2, shows that the most densely populated parishes are in the areas of the Kingston Metropolitan Region, which includes Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Catherine, (Census 2001). Urbanization in these areas has placed stress on the available resources and has led to overcrowding, which in turn has led to several problems. These include shortages of hou ses and the development of slums/ghettos, crime and violence, unemployment and underemployment and the incidence of street people specifically, children. The stance of this project is that street children are victims of urbanization.Agnelli, 1986 confirms our stance when he wrote that the phenomenon of street children is urban in nature, as there are no rural street children. Map 2, page 3, further confirms this. [pic] [pic] The writer of this project define Street children as those children who are under the age of seventeen years who live or work on the streets as a regular daily activity. This is endorsed by Lusk et. al (1992) in an article entitled Children in need, described street children as any child for whom the street has become his or her habitual abode and /or source of livelihood, and who is inadequately protected, supervised, or directed by adults.In an interview with a social worker, the profile of a street child was outlined; he mistrust people, he enjoys his indepen dence, he tends to be rebellious, he dislikes authoritarianism or ridged control, he can be rehabilitated, he can cope under difficult circumstances and he is nomadic. The writers of this article indicated that there are three categories of street children: Children on the streets – are those who still have links with families and attend school, but work on the streets outside of school hours.Children of the streets – are those whose links with the family are remote and who consider the street to be their home. Abandoned children – are those who are completely on their own and have no links with their families. Numerous reasons have been given to explain the presence of the children on the roads. A Gleaner article of August 23, 2011 highlighted three reasons: It claimed that some children are orphaned as their parents were killed in shooting sprees in the inner city areas, some parents have migrated and have left them in the care of uncaring relatives, friends a nd older siblings.In another article found in the Sunday Gleaner on August 25, 2011, the writer quoted the former project coordinator of Wings, in saying that the boys were put out of their homes by their parents, and that some were coerced into the streets because of overcrowded homes. In another article found in the Gleaner on March 15, 2002, the writer critically stated that the children were on the streets because they were either truants from the school system or a product of dysfunctional families.From our research, we have found that a typical street child is a 12-year-old boy from a female- headed household, the average size of which is five persons, where his guardian either is unemployed or marginally employed. The responses from the questionnaire regarding the reason for their absence from school suggest that socio-economic deprivation is indeed a major factor. Some even responded sayings that they were forced peddle wares on the streets to supplement the family’s income; others were suspended or expelled from school, while there were a few who stated that there was no reason.Irregular school attendance for those who are actually enrolled into a school is a popular feature found among the street children interviewed. Many went to school only three days per week; using the remaining days of the week to perform their personal activities. For those who were absent from school only once or twice per week, Thursday and Friday were their preferred days to be absent. This they stated enabled them to go to the market to beg and or sell. Thursday is the wholesale day in the major retail market and Friday being payday, is a popular market day for workers in the urban centres.These days proved to be most profitable for these child labourers as they earn much of their money transporting goods for the shoppers. Based on the responses of the children from the questionnaire, it is possible to assess and determine the main â€Å"push factors† which ha s inevitably resulted in them being on the street. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF STREET CHILDREN 11% 30%State 19% 33% Parents Abusers Peers 7%Severe Poverty Push Factors a) The state – Overcrowding of the educational or childcare system is the primary cause for movement of the children from the institutions provided.The state neglects their responsibilities by not adequately funding these institutions. The signs were evident in the inner city schools visited where the teacher – pupil ratio is about 1:60. In addition, the lack of desk and chairs, stationery and other vital equipment causes discomfort for the students and teachers. b) The consequences of the actions of parents such as neglect, migration or directly sending their children out on the streets, forces them to fend for themselves hence causing child labour. ) Physical, sexual or emotional abuse, caused by parents or guardians usually leads to the child running away from home and thereby bei ng forced into child labour d) Peer pressure –The feeling of inadequacy at school discourages then from wanting to learn, especially if they are being teased and ridiculed and hence they are push into child labour. e) Severe poverty – The children are forced unto the streets to supplement the inadequate income of the household, often following the laying off from work of the primary caregiver. ) Those who enter into child labour primarily of their own volition, in order to help out their parents or to become more independent themselves; and g) Those entering as a direct result of family crisis like the illness or death of the primary caregiver. Pull Factors A. â€Å"Pop Culture† influences children, in that it dictates the clothing and styles to be worn in order for them to be considered fashionable. When children of a poor socio economic background see their friends in the latest fashions, living a carefree life without any responsibilities this entices them to want to follow this trend.However due to their poor financial circumstances they are unable to afford these trends, hence leading them to go out and fend or work for themselves in an attempt to afford these styles. B. In a paper published by David Dunkley’s on February 11, 1999, Turf wars were cited as one of the reasons for boys not returning home at nights. From having spoken to street children ourselves, we saw that this was in fact one of the reasons many felt they could not return home at nights and so remained on the streets, as they feared for their lives.Others received money, protection and the needed support from the â€Å"don† (local area leader), who used them as carriers for their illicit wares. On interviewing these children, we also realized that a few of them had behavioral problems. It was found that the children, who exhibited extreme forms of behavioral problems, were from larger families with one or no parent and were the ones who were particularly into sporadic school attendance. They were the ones who were also from depressed communities where overcrowding was a problem and living conditions were poor.During our research, a child highlighted some of his reason for being on the streets. He reported that he lived in a single room house with his mother and other siblings and was forced to leave the house when his mother was â€Å"entertaining†. Another child, who resided with his grandparent, complained that he could not live with her because she was miserable and demanding. Hence he avoided going home as he disliked the living conditions and is thereby a street child. In our survey, 92% of the children were boys and they were involved in a number of activities: they pushed carts, they carried people’s luggage.They sold items for others, they bought and sold items, some went to sea and some were there just to check their â€Å"brethren†. One little boy in particular said that when he is on the street he â €Å"run up an’ down†. Not surprisingly though is the fact that the majority are involved in one or another economic activity. In fact 75% admitted to be so involved. These activities, according to these children yield great returns. In 1986 children were making a maximum of $21. 00 per day, now 75% of them made over $1000. 00 per day. One child stated that he made over $1,800. 0 per day. Seventeen percent of them were reluctant to reveal their daily earnings or simply did not know. If these figures are truly representative of what a child makes on the street, it is no wonder that they are willing to remain there regardless of the harsh treatment, which is meted out to them by the general public. It is evident that the economic pull to street life is greater now than in the 1980s and 1990s. Hence this remains a major factor for children being on the streets. When we question, â€Å"Why are these children living on the streets in my community? there are many reasons and excuses. Many are in search of love and acceptance; others see it as a means of survival or an outlet. The real question however is, â€Å"Is there hope for these children? † In answering the question, is there hope for these children, one would be tempted to give a resounding yes. But can this be justified? The plight of the street children has not been ignored by the Jamaican Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and International organizations. In fact, programmes have been put in place to alleviate problems of child labour in Kingston.These include RISE Life Management who plays a great role in my community, Children First, Hope for Children, The Possibility Programme, St. Andrew Care Centre, the National Initiative for Street Children (NISC), Tackle Child Labour by the International Labour Organization and the Socialization Project by the Kingston Restoration Company. Mainly the United Children Educational Foundation (UNICEF) funds many of these programmes. All of the named institutions have been established to alleviate problems of child labor and neglected children in the metropolitan area.Most of these institutions aim at giving these children institution Management provides counseling, classes and youth programs for street children in my community. Children First aims at reintroducing them into the formal school system. It reunites them with their families and monitors their attendance in the government schools. Map 3 shows their specific location in Kingston, and proximity to my community the main study area. The residence of the street children are located in mostly densely populated homes where the standard of living is low and living conditions harsh.Many of the institutions that are put in place to help them are located within the community or close by. [pic] In these institutions, a number of activities are planned for the children, some outside the classroom. All the organizations have regular school activities inclusive of Mathematics, English, Reading, Social Studies, Science, and Computing. At Children First there is a thematic teaching system in which themes are chosen by the students, for example, â€Å"Children Rights†. They also offer skills training programs such as cosmetology, barbering and photography. At NISC,Children First for example, has aided a number of students to attend universities both local and international. For example, there is a student studying medicine in Cuba, and one, at The Edna Manley School Of Art is studying to become an actor. Two-thirds of the staff is graduates of the program. Mrs. Pious, executive director of Children First has found that in order to improve the lives of the children, it is often necessary to improve the lives of the parents or guardians as well. As a result, the program has enabled many parents to start small businesses such as chicken rearing, ewing and goat rearing. At Hope for Children, students have been involved in drama. A few of thei r past productions include â€Å"Come Listen to We†, â€Å"Wicked Reality† and â€Å"Man, Woman and Child†. The street children in my community seemed very ambitious and their occupational aspirations were wide and varied. Figure 2 shows the career choice of the street children. DESIRED OCCUPATION OF THE STREET CHILDREN 10 8 6 4 2 0 OCCUPATIONS What is noticeable is that only the needs of the carpenter and the fisherman and to a lesser extent that of a truck driver are catered to by these institution.The implication of this is that if they boys are taken off the street and placed in any of these institutions, their aspirations would not be met. The formal educational institutions however could meet their goals, but they have to, to a large extent turn their backs on these institutions. One still have to wonder, is there hope for these children? What is heartening is that the children, although they were on the street, thought that education was important and tha t it was the only way for them to achieve their goals. In fact, 83% of them believe that education is important in their acquiring their career goals.It is often times said that where there is a will there is a way. Even though many of the children have the desire to attain upper socio-economic mobility, they were often times forced to attend these institutions. When the Administrators were asked about the institutionalization of the children, they indicated that few children came in voluntarily. In fact, Most of the children were sent there by parents, concerned citizens and police officers. Overall, having been forced to attend has caused them to be defiant and hostile to the programme.At Children First most of the children attend voluntarily and hence their level of success is greater. We also found from our interview that 6% of the children did not even know where the institutions were located or even that they existed. Overall, from my observation, the programmes I have studied have shown a level of success. But in light of the negative aspects, which we have observed, I recommend the following: 1. A public education programme on radio and television, which highlights why contributions should be given directly to the programmes in place instead of the children. . Implementing more self-help schemes for the parents or guardians of the street children, that is, helping them to generate a steady income. 3. Government should make the needs of street children one of its priorities. More money should be allocated to these programmes to effect changes. 4. Make the public aware of the plight of our nation’s future through the introduction of a Street Children Day in Child month and Media coverage (when people become aware, they will become sympathetic and generous). DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT Sample of Questionnaire 1. Gender Tick (/)Male ( )Female ( ) 2. Age 10-11 years ( )12-13 years ( )14-15 years ( )16-17 years ( ) 3. How long have you been on the stre ets? 6 months-1 year ( )2-3 years ( )4-5 years ( )6 years and over ( ) 4. When you were at home, what type of family did you live in? Single ( )Nuclear ( )Extended ( ) Other ( ) 5. Do you plan on returning home? Yes ( ) No ( ) 6. Do you like living on the street? Yes ( ) No ( ) 7. What are some of the factors that are responsible for you becoming a street child? Abandoned by parents ( )Disruptive behaviors/can’t be controlled ( )Ran away from home ( )Other ( ) 8. What was the main punishment received at home? Beating/Flogging ( )Indecent language ( )Being put to starve ( ) Other ( ) 9. What type of relationship do you have with your family now that you are on the streets? Excellent ( )Poor ( ) Fair ( ) None ( ) 10. Do you think its better being on the streets that at home? Yes ( ) No ( ) If yes why? ______________________________________________________________ 11. How do you provide for yourself on the streets? Begging ( )Stealing ( )Searching household garbage ( ) 12. Do yo u ever wish you never left home?Yes ( )No ( ) 13. How does being a street child affect you emotionally? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 14. How does being a street child affect your physical appearance? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 15. Were you in school? Yes ( )No ( ) 16. If yes what grade/form where you in? 17. Are you able to read and write? Yes ( )No ( ) 18.What are the measures that can be taken to get street children off the streets? Put them in state homes ( ) Have counseling sessions with them and put them up for adoption ( ) Establish laws to punish parents who contribute to their child being on the streets ( ) 19. Do you think the measures will work for you? Yes ( ) No ( ) Maybe ( ) 20. What can persons who wish to become parents do to avoid chil dren leaving home to live on the streets? Attend parenting sessions on how to care for the child ( ) Talk to the child/children to find out what is bothering them ( )Get involved in activities at the child school to see how well they are doing () BIBLIOGRAPHY Agnelli (1986), Street Children- A growing urban tragedy -Report for the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues Boyce-Reid, k. (1993) A Report on Street Children Projects http://gvnet. com/streetchildren/Jamaica. htm David Dunkley(1999) :Street Children- effects of urbanization ———————– School Based Assessment on Street Children in my community FISHERMAN FIRE MAN CARPENTER PERCENTAGES DOCTOR BUSINESS MAN TEACHER TRUCK DRIVER BANK CLERK Stall Cart