Special Interest Tourism Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Special Interest Tourism Report - Essay Example Furthermore, the site defines tourism in various concepts in order to evaluate the preferences of the travellers. Moreover, the three prime elements associated with tourism, namely, consumer, product and supplier are discussed and classifications are provided where relevant. In addition, the site provides certain measures which should be taken care of by the tour operators especially while conducting adventurous tours such as wildlife tourism. Thus, the discussion can provide valuable insight to certain pertinent aspects related to wildlife tourism. Reference details: Allman, T. L. & et. al. 2009, ‘Exploring the motivations of base jumpers: extreme sport enthusiasts’, Journal of Sport & Tourism, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 229-247. Source: Journal article. Access to item: Easy – Journal held on campus. Relevance to this form of Special Interest Tourism: The article will evaluate the motivational factors which persuade an individual’s desire to participate in advent urous sports. The researchers approached the participants of ‘Base jumping’ for evaluating the motivational factors. The sport includes activities such as parachuting from buildings, bridges and high cliffs, in which the participants’ lives are at risks. In other words, they voluntarily take risks in performing the activities. The study will thus evaluate the tendencies of the participants in taking such life-challenging risks. Furthermore, due to the nature of the sport, the findings will help to analyse the factors which influence people to take up wildlife tours which are also adventurous. Reference details: Bentley, T. A. & et. al. 2010, ‘Adventure and ecotourism safety in Queensland: operator experiences and practice’, Tourism Management, vol. 31, pp. 563-571. Source: Journal article. Access to item: Easy – Journal held on campus Relevance to this form of Special Interest Tourism: Although, wildlife tourism is adventurous and thrilling, c ertain amount of risks is involved with regards to safety. Therefore, the article focuses on identifying the probable injuries and safety management practices which could prevent the travellers. The authors have collected valuable information from the tour operators in order to implement safety practices in the future from preventing injury. The survey revealed that a low level of incidents occurred compared to slips or falls which are common in these types of wildlife tours. However, the tour operators stated that risk factors were not associated with physical injury, fluctuating climatic conditions and behavioural skills are the most considered risks factors. Thus, the article will provide a clear understanding of the safety practices which are useful in wildlife tourism. The safety measures will help to evaluate effectively the risk management practices which can be utilised to prevent physical injuries to the travellers. Reference details: Buckley, R 2009, Adventure tourism mana gement, Routledge, United Kingdom. Source: Book. Access to item: Easy – Book available on Internet. Relevance to this form of Special Interest Tourism: The study will identify the results attained by ecotourism in respect of environmental issues. Furthermore, the article consists of a framework which includes four types of mechanism; firstly, which has the ability to generate positive effects, secondly, factors reducing negative effects, thirdly, which have the potentials for increasing negative effects and lastly, the challenging issues that include scaling and mainstreaming. Moreover, the

Huckleberry Finn vs. Tom Sawyer Essay Example for Free

Huckleberry Finn vs. Tom Sawyer Essay Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are very different characters. I think that is what made them such great friends. Tom is always out to have a good time and doesn’t care who he hurts to do it. Huck always follows Tom’s lead even though sometimes he shouldn’t. Huck Finn grew up in a very rough environment. His father was a drunk who would disappear for months on random occasions. Huck is typically dirty and homeless. Eventually he goes to live with Widow Douglas who continually tries to reform Huck, but he resists and keeps his own ways. He said â€Å"The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn’t stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied.†(2) Huck is also a follower mostly of his good friend Tom. â€Å"But Tom Sawyer he hunted me up and said he was going to start a band of robbers, and I might join if I would go back to the widow and be respectable. So I went back.† (2) This is really the first time Huck has been educated and is taught about religion. Huck grew up in a much tougher environment then his close friend Tom, but he still has a good heart and was an easy going guy. He says â€Å"We said there wasn’t no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft.† (42) Tom is Huck’s best friend. They are about the same age but grew up in completely different situation. Tom grew up in white middle class family in a nice comfortable environment. Tom is clearly the leader of the two because Huck is always following his lead. Huck says â€Å"Tom told me what his plan was, and I see in a minute it was worth fifteen of mine for style, and would make Jim just as free a man as mine would, and maybe get us all killed besides. So I was satisfied, and said we would waltz in on it.† (66) Also Huck says â€Å"Tom Sawyer wouldn’t back out so I won’t.† Another thing that is different is Tom is willing to keep a secret that hurts a lot of people. He knows Mrs. Watson has died, but keeps it a secret for his own enjoyment. He could have told and Jim would have been free, but all he cared about was his plan to escape and how fun it was going to be. You  can clearly see the differences between Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. There are many examples in the book that show that. Tom is the leader and Huck is the follower. The biggest difference is the morals of the two. Tom kept a secret that hurt people and all Huck wanted to do was free Jim. After everything said Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are best friends. They get along so well and will be friends for life.

Role Of Community Radio Cultural Studies Essay

Role Of Community Radio Cultural Studies Essay In this study, the researcher is intended to unveil the impact of community radio on social development in Pakistan. The work at hand will measure the role of existing three community radios RASTA FM 88.6 launched by Punjab Traffic Police in November 2010, PUFM 104.6 launched by Institute of communication studies, University of Punjab in June 2004 and UAF FM 100.4 launched by Agriculture University, Faisalabad in August 2012, out of thirty four. Community has been defined as a group of interacting people living in a common location (Wikipedia, 2012). Sub-continent, of which Pakistan forms a major chunk, is a part of earth where different religious, ethnic, economic and cultural groups, say communities, are living together at sizeable social distances since long. Before the world shaped itself into Global Village with help of new inventions in the field of media and technologies as Marshal McLuhan declared it in 1964, these groups never had a chance to interact with each other freely, thus giving rise to differences and sense of alienation among them. Pakistan emerged on the map of the world gaining independence from British rule in 1947 and nascent state could not help its communities reduce gap among them. The main factor that kept crippling the nation factor was state-controlled communication that served general masses, but did not voice for the genuine need of variety of communities to come closer to create homogeneity. A s a result, Pakistan faced the first jerk in 1971 when it lost Bangladesh, the then East-Pakistan (Umm-e-Habiba, (2002). The remaining area of Pakistan bears same cultural distribution of people as it had before 1971 as the East Pakistan was a separate part of land of the nation. This diversity in population has turned into serious threat for national integration for the land in recent years as the differences are emerging at a rapid pace in some parts like Baluchistan and Saraiki belt aggrieved by the policies of the ruling class and absence of fora like community radio. Radio by and for the community, be that a physical one or a community of interest, quotes Mary Myers after years of experience and expertise in international media development (CIMA, 2008). He stresses upon the participation of community transforming itself in all aspects. UNESCO report (2001) on Community Radio defines radio as follows; (Cammaerts, 2010). Community broadcasting is a non-profit service that is owned by a particular community, usually through a trust, foundation, or association. Media Act 1995 of Hungry states community radio as non-profit broadcasters and defines its duties in the words to follow that it agrees to serve national, ethnic or other minority goals, cultural aims or a disadvantaged group, or intends to serve as the public life forum of a community, provided it uses financial profit generated by the broadcasting, as recorded separately, solely for the maintenance and development of the broadcasting (Act 1 of 1996, Article 2) (Hungarian Federation of Free Radio, 1992). This definition clears the position of community radio as non-profit entity dedicated to serve a specific group of a geographic location. Right from its origin, community radio is a tool to bridge the gaps between people and their surroundings, whether it is another group or their government. In this scenario, researcher intends to study whether the concept of community radio can help combat these problems where such type of radio in addition to Public Radio and Commercial Radio is invented to serve the stated purpose. For this reason, researcher is keen to explore the impact of already on-aired community radios in different cities of Pakistan. If it is a successful experiment so far, it can save Pakistan from getting into more troubled waters in terms of the exploding factional differences and glue the society together through provision of the highly needed local ventilation of their deep concerns. Objective of the Study: Objectives of the study are; To gauge the role of community radios in educating people towards a healthy society. To study the context and contents of programs being on-aired for the purpose of promoting the sense of social co-existence. To measure the penetration of community radios in serving infotainment needs of listeners. To compare and explore the difference of educational approach of selected community radios. To explore the level of participation of people towards selected community radios. To measure the satisfaction level of listeners of selected community radio. To measure the difficulties faced by selected community radios in terms of technical and financial resources in their effort to educate society. Rationale for the study: The aim of the study is to analyse the efforts of community radios of selected areas of Pakistan in educating people to build a healthy and peaceful society by feeding the need of people for information and right direction by providing them with the desired outlet at local levels. As it is clear from the definition of community radios, it has capacity to change the minds of people in positive direction by serving them and enabling them to know their rights and responsibilities. Cultural preservation, language protection, education of individuals, reducing religious differences, ethnic problems, gender discrimination, digital divide and extremism, enhancing women empowerment, helping disaster management can be done through community radio. It also enhances peoples participation in community development that directly increases their sense of responsibility. It is high time for Pakistan to make its people realize their worth as a member of society where every individual can play a vital role in strengthening the roots of democracy and rule of law. Thus, the role of community radios, if it be run-on philosophical lines behind its emergence, can change the future of country, the reason researcher intends to study and measure the role of selected existing community radios in Pakistan. Scope of Study: Scope of the study is broad based and far reaching. It contemplates deep implications as the concept of community radio can play vital role in fostering social development among the deprived and digitally divided parts of Pakistan. As a developing state, Pakistan needs to address many grave issues out of which educating minds of people towards their role in social development and responsibility towards state are sublime and the most immediate ones. It can be done by airing the voice of the voiceless and broadcasting for grass root level. This study will help evaluate the current scenario of community radios as well as measure community mobilization through them. It will also help media practitioners design future strategy for setting up effective community radio. Literature Review: A literature review is a systematic search and analysis of published information that the scholars and researchers have written on a topic (8). It helps to reduce the chances of duplication along with indicating the direction of your research scope to maximize the reward of research. The study at hand intends to examine the role of community radios in social development of Pakistan. The researcher has planned to explore the following possible sources to sharpen the conceptual and theoretical dimensions of the study. Research Journals Theses Books Online Articles Online books, newspaper magazine articles etc Sharma. K.J. (2003) in his book Digital Broadcasting journalism studies the evolution of community radio in the world. He stresses upon the need of more number of community radios in order to bring people together. He gives example of Radio Mahaweli of Sri Lanka established in 1979 by UNESCO and DANIDA after the launch of construction plan of hydroelectric dam in the area. It helped local community move efficiently to new homes. The six year broadcast of mobile radio played a vital role in smooth and successful movement of a great number of populations. He argues that third world countries specially the African and Asian need to improve the structure of community radios for fighting the hardships and bringing about better growth rate. Tahir. N. S. (2010) in her article Community Radio Still a Tool of Social Change. Still a Far Cry in Pakistan studies the history of radio in Pakistan and discusses the current development of community radios. She calls government dictorial regime of media responsible for slow development of community radios. She fears local ethnic and extremist authorities to misuse these community stations for illegal operations. She concludes that it is right time for the Pakistan to realize the importance of community radios and establish as vast network of the same as possible to curb social evils like extremism corruption. The question of misuse does not stand authentic anymore when a proper authority in the form of PEMRA exists to make sure a well directed and regulated use of community radios. Kanayama. T. (no. 29, 2007, Keio Communication Review highlights the role of community radio. In his research article Community Ties and Revitalization: The Role of Community Radio in Japan he tells how community radio plays a role in revitalizing local community in Japan. With the localism movement, most influential of all in the Japanese campaign for community broadcasting (Radio) was the government information policy in late 1980, which eventually enforced the community broadcasting law in 1992 to provide local information to local people via community radio, also community FM. Since the earth quake of 1995, importance of balanced and timely information of community radio has been realized. Community radio has also played a vital role in motivating people for the construction of new system after the collapse of existing one. It played a role of revitaliser for the community of Japan. Zahid. M. (2007) in his research Role of Radio in Disaster Management. the case study of PUFM 104.6 at Muzafarabad studies the role of radio in disaster management. He takes example of PUFM 104.6 which, after earth quake of 2005, started its services for feeding the information needs of disaster hit people. He concludes his study by declaring radio a successful tool to help fight crises and disasters. He also favours this idea by calling it economical and the quickest way to bridge communication gap in disaster management. Information for development, an international research journal of India that encompasses the role and relevance of ICT (information communication technology) in various development sectors such as rural development, gender, governance, micro-finance, education, health, wireless communication, ICT for poor, local content, culture and heritage and many more published a report on community radio in Pakistan in 2008. This report took into account the history of community radio in Pakistan before and after the establishment of PEMRA. It takes into account the reasons for slow development of community radio in Pakistan and questions PEMRA about it. This report also describes the role of already established commercial and campus radios for training media students. It also highlights the problem of pirates who had been running illegal radio stations in Baluchistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir. It urges PEMRA to play more efficient role in establishing more number of community radios for the welfar e of society. Once again in 2010, AMARC and Pakistan Press Foundation appealed for setting up community radio in flood affected areas in Pakistan. In the statement they said, the authorities have been asked to be flexible and responsive to proposals for the establishment of community based broadcasting mechanisms so that any information gap that exists among the affected people is fulfilled and relief operations are made highly effective. They also acknowledged the role of radio in disaster management and crisis in earth quakes of Haiti and floods of Indonesia. Further, in the advocacy of their appeal they added, There is a need to complement these efforts by bridging the gaps of information at the very local levels and among displaced people. This can be effectively achieved by setting up emergency community radio stations. This appeal was heard and UNESCO, with help of local authorities, established radio stations at the cost of $400,000/-. (15) Pakistan Press Foundation (2012) organised a three days workshop for the training of media professionals to work for the betterment of society. They invited experts and scholars of the time to train media professional to play active role in community development. It was agreed that community radio are playing vital role in improving gender justice and women empowerment. Thus, vowing to spread and strengthen the network of community radios to rural areas as early as possible. IFEX report (2010), reviews the role of its partner foundation of Pakistan called Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF). The report takes into account all activities of PPF to establish visible and effective network of community radios since the Pakistan faced first huge natural calamity of the present century in 2005 in the form of earth quake. IFX appreciates the policies of PPF to help bridge information gap of disaster hit population after they lost all infrastructure of sources of information. Furthermore, this report believes that change is gaining ground after the struggle of PPF and deprived areas and people are now able to receive required information to be useful part of community. It stresses upon the continuity of this effort to maximize it to the maximum possible limit. Theoretical Framework: Stephen Littlejohn Karen Foss (2008) define theory as any organized set of concepts, explanation and principles of some aspects of human experience. (Cited in Baran Davis, 2009, p.11) Theory and research are interrelated to each other in a way that theory is important to conduct a research to provide basic guideline, whereas research helps in constructing, building, modifying or testing theories. The theories used to support this study are the democratization or democratic participant theory. It emphasizes and supports following namely; The medias multiplicity; Local nature of media; Usage of the media in small scale; De-institutionalizing media; Reciprocal part of recipient or communicator; Horizontal media; Involvement and interaction. Democratization / Democratic Participant Media Theorys stapleprinciples are summarized by Mc Quail, in the year 1987. The principles are mentioned below: Minority-groups and individuals must be capable of enforcing the claims made by them for: Freedom of approaching to media. Freedom of asking for the service against the needs, demanded by them, to the media. Medias organization and message content should be designed in such a way that it is not affected by the bureaucratic and political control. Existence of media should be proved in respect of the interests and need of the recipients should not be justified in respect of interests and needs of media entity, professional workers of media or the advertisers. Communities, organizations and groups must own media individually. Participatory, small-scale and interactive types of the media have been considered of more profit in comparison to unidirectional and large-scale media. The latter are taken into use only by professional-media-workers. Generally, needs of the society are not taken into consideration by the well established media. Democratic Participant Media Theoryconsiders communication or mass media as very important and should be managed by the professionals. Democratic-participant theory is in the support of following points: Freedom to associated local data. Freedom for answering back Freedom for using new communication means for the purpose of interaction Freedom of taking social-action in community, subcultures and interest-groups small-scale settings of subcultures and interest group. Research Question Methodology: Research Questions: Do community radios educate people in Pakistan? If so, to what extent? What is level of participation of communities in achieving goals of community radios? Do community radios have enough resources to carry out their functions in Pakistan? Do community radios fulfil infotainment needs of listeners? If so, the extent of fulfilment and loopholes if any. Does content of community radios promote the sense of social co-existence in Pakistan? Hypotheses: H.1. Community radios are efficient tools for educating people of Pakistan. H.2. Community radios are helping bridge gap of infotainment needs of listeners. H.3. Content of community radios is promoting the sense of social co-existence in Pakistan. H.4. Communities are participating in achieving goals of community radios. H.5. Community radios do not have enough resources and facilities to carry out their functions in Pakistan. Methodology: Methodology is a research strategy that translates ontological and epistemological principle into guidelines that shows how research is to be conducted. (Sarantakos, 2005, p.30) To study the the role of community radio in social development in Pakistan. A case study of RASTA FM 88.8, UAF FM 100.4 PUFM 104.6, the researcher will use the survey research method and content analysis. The researcher will make an effort to test the research questions and hypotheses by selecting universe and drawing out an appropriate sample, followed by measurement rules, data presentation and analyses. Methodology: The researcher selects the survey method for the study. Surveys are methods of data collection in which information is gathered through oral or written questioning. Oral questioning is known as interviewing and written questioning is accomplished through questionnaire, which are administered to the respondents by mail or handed to them personally by the researcher in their homes, at work, at school or any other place they are returned to the researcher after completion. These are also known as self-administered or self-completion questionnaire. (Sarantakos, 2005, p.239). The researcher has selected questionnaire as a tool for the collection of data. The proposed research study contains two kinds of questions. Open-ended questions Close-ended questions Open-ended question requires respondents to generate their own answers. (Wimmer Dominick, 2011, p.187). In Close-ended question respondents select an answer from a list provided by the researcher. (Wimmer Dominick, 2011, p.188). The researcher also intends to use the content analysis method as well. Ole Holsti (1969) offers a broad definition of content analysis as any technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages. (Holsti, 1969) According to Dr. Klaus Krippendorff (1980 and 2004), six questions must be addressed in every content analysis: Which data are analyzed? How are they defined? What is the population from which they are drawn? What is the context relative to which the data are analyzed? What are the boundaries of the analysis? What is the target of the inferences? The researcher plans to analyze the programs of selected community radios in order to test the hypothesis and research questions to reach final conclusion. Universe: To define the universe is to specify the boundaries of the content to be considered. (Wimmer Dominick, 2003, p.145). The universe of present study is the community radios of Pakistan. Sample: A sample is a subset of the population that is representative of the entire population. (Wimmer Dominick, 2003, p.84). The sample of the present study is listener of selected community radios of Pakistan. The researcher selected three community radios of Pakistan that are following: RASTA FM 88.8, Lahore PUFM 104.6, Lahore UAF FM 100.4, Faisalabad The researcher has selected these radios because Lahore is the capital of Punjab, And Faisalabad is the hub of business of Pakistan where students have better opportunities for educational and all the educational institutes are well equipped with technology, and community radios of these areas are considered efficient in their working for the mobilization of community. Also, the community of these areas is well educated as compared to those of other parts of country and people of these areas are considered to be more efficient and active to play their role for their society. Listeners will be selected through simple random sampling which is a type of probability sampling. Simple random sampling is a sampling, where each subject or unit in the population has an equal chance of being selected. (Wimmer Dominick, 2006, P.82) Sample size: The sample of the present study are listeners community radios of Pakistan and the sample size would be 100 respondents from each radio station, so the total sample size would be of 300.

Zapatista Prospects in a Changed Environment Essay -- Essays Papers

Zapatista Prospects in a Changed Environment 1994, from the depths of the jungle an ill-equipped army of indigenous farmers storms the state capital of Chiapas, Mexico demanding reform and a shift from neo-liberalist policy. 2002, fast-forward nearly nine years to present and the struggle of this rag-tag guerilla army continues, only the global and national environment has changed. With dramatic internal and external shifts, the hope of a resolution favoring these rebels representing the impoverished communities of southern Mexico has faded. As Mexico tested the perilous waters of neo-liberalism, a group of revolutionary farm workers, calling themselves Zapatistas, after the legendary leader of the Mexican Revolution, prepared themselves to strike out against the injustices of the Mexican government. On New Years Day 1994, the day the North American Free Trade Agreement was to be announced, they took control of the state capital of Chiapas sending a stark cry across the nation against forces of globalization. Their message resonated throughout the world, finding broad national and foreign support. The Zapatistas, under the leadership of the masked Subcomandante Marcos, positioned themselves so as to unveil the hidden side of Mexico to the world and force Mexico to face its harsh reality. Mexican leaders had worked diligently to create a guise of modernity, a picturesque vision of Mexico ready to be displayed on the world scene. As these leaders struggled to shed Mexico’s third world status, attempting to hid e the impoverished, neglected, and largely indigenous populations from public view, they further suppressed those in need of the most attention. The Zapatistas’ reality check for Mexico sent ripples throughout ... ...oston Globe 25 August 2002 sec. A6. Marcos, Subcomandante. Shadows of Tender Fury. Trans. Linda Lopez. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1995. McEntee, Marni. â€Å"Zapatistas Regain Mexicans’ Attention.† The Washington Times 16 September 1997, final ed., sec. The Americas. Ross, John. Rebellion from the Roots. Monroe, ME: Common Courage Press, 1995. Sullivan, Kevin. â€Å"Double-Edged Machete in Mexico Fight.† The Washington Post 9 August 2002 sec. A14. The Sixth Sun: Mayan Uprising in Chiapas. Dir. Saul Landau. Meridian Productions, 1996. â€Å"MEXICO-CENTRAM: Chiapas bishop leads indigenous march against PPP† EFE News Sevices 17 August 2002. â€Å"Plan Puebla Panama† Witness for Peace. â€Å"The Free Trade Area of the Americas† Witness for Peace.

Provide Leadership Across the Organisation

PROVIDE LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE ORGANISATION ASSESSMENT BY CHARLOTTE MCMANUS LEADER: The 14th Dalai Lama 1. INTRODUCTION The reason for selecting the Dalai Lama is because he has achieved many things in his life and is now considered amongst many researchers and writers, as one of the greatest leaders of all time. He has been a leader of a country, a religion, and more significantly, the leader of the spiritual world. He is a fascinating character that has experienced many difficult situations which increases the intrigue of this leader and the skills that he possess. He leads and promotes a way of life that encapsulates all humans, in all countries, of all religions, and uses very unique leadership skills, which will be very interesting to study. 1. 2BACKGROUND The Dalai Lama is a re-incarnation of a long line (13 before him) of â€Å"tulkus  (an enlightened Tibetan Buddhist lama/teacher) who descend from the  bodhisattva  Avalokitesvara†. The first Dalai Lama was Gendun Drup who lived in 1391 – 1474. Tenzin Gyatso was enthroned as the 14th Dalai Lama in 1940 when he was five years old, and assumed â€Å"temporal responsibility of Tibet† (www. alailamafoundation. org) when he was 15 years old. He experienced an invasion of Tibet by the Chinese and escaped into exile in India when he was 24, making him the first ever Dalai Lama ever to leave Tibet. The Dalai Lama has dedicated his life to promoting a world free of violence and suffering, where all nature can live in peace and harmony together, irrespective of nationality and religious beliefs. He believes that through meditation, compassion and the respect for all life, each person will achieve happiness and contentment in their life. 1. 3ACHIEVEMENTS The Dalai Lama has achieved many things in his life to date, including being awarded with one of the most recognised awards in the world in 1989; The Nobel Peace Prize, which is a true indication of his world-recognised contributions to promote peace. To achieve this award the Dalai Lama has spent his entire life striving to create a more peaceful environment for the human race, with a great focus on reclaiming human rights in Tibet. This mission has seen him travel all over the world, meeting with leaders of many countries presenting new initiatives and being relentless in his message and strength to resolve these issues. These include his appeals to the United Nations during his exile, in 1959, 1961 and 1965, which resulted in three resolutions being adopted by the General Assembly. In 1987 he presented the â€Å"Five Point Peace Plan† to the Congressional Humans Rights Caucus. This was an appeal to the US Congress for the restoration of human rights in Tibet and to announce it as a zone of peace, therefore stopping the dumping of nuclear waste in Tibet, as well as urging â€Å"earnest negotiations on the future of Tibet and relations between the Tibetan and Chinese people† (http://nobelprize. org). In 1989 he offered the â€Å"Middle Way Proposal† at the European Parliament, which was not accepted, however, the Dalai Lama again proposed this in 1996 and 1997, when a preliminary opinion poll was held and the policy was adopted by Parliament. In April 1991, Tenzin Gyatsu travelled to the US and met with George Bush, which ended a boycott with the nation, and also resulted in US Congress passing the â€Å"Tibetan Policy Act 2002†, formalising US support for dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama, and also providing funding to Tibet for development projects within the country. This was a very strategic decision ade by the Dalai to create a valuable relationship with one of the most powerful counties in the world, and also resulted in the US awarding the Dalai Lama with the highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal, in 2007. Whilst negotiating with parliaments and congress worldwide, the Dalai Lama has rebuilt communities for those living in exile, set up educational, cultural and religious institutions all over the world to assist in maintaining the Tibetan culture and teach Buddhism. He still continues to lead a population of an estimated â€Å"500 million Buddhists worldwide† (http://www. thedhamma. com). 1. 4LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS It is very clear that the Dalai Lama’s objectives are to restore â€Å"equality, respect, trust and mutual benefit† (www. nobelprize. org) between Tibet and China. His concerns are for â€Å"all members of the human family† (www. nobelprize. org), and he has remained consistent and relentless in his message which has resulted in loyalty and dedication from his followers. Personal values are very important to this leader, and he sets a moral example to his followers, yet also during the most difficult situations he still appears to act rationally. For example, it is reported that â€Å"20% of the Tibetan population have died in combat with the Chinese† (www. dityabirla. com), yet he consistently acts with integrity, compassion and empathy, whilst remaining strategic and controlled in his negotiations with this nation. The Dalai Lama’s values and morals are what lead him; this encourages his followers to also align their values with his. He sticks to his principles of right conduct, and therefore sets a moral example to his followers, which results in their unwavering support for him and his cause. These values and morals have prevented the Dalai Lama from behaving violently when in a threatening situation as they are part of his psychological makeup, and moral reasoning. Theory Y is applicable in this scenario as the Dalai Lama leads on the premise that people are intrinsically motivated, meaning that how they feel will impact and influence them more than external motivation. Because of his spiritual strengths the Dalai Lama has developed the highest stage of moral reasoning, which as Kohlberg has expressed is not always possible. Whilst Gyatsu’s morals remain the most important driver in his leadership, his culture is also something he is very proud of and is something that he is consistently working to retain. This is evident through his part in the leading the development of towns of Tibetans in exile across the world that celebrate and acknowledge the Tibetan culture, in particular, Buddhism, which has also clearly driven his behaviours and attitudes towards life. There are numerous groups following the Dalai Lama’s Buddhist teachings, with followers travelling all over the world to get the opportunity to meet or listen to his teachings live. This group cohesion ensures reciprocal influence and maximises the influence of his messages, which is another reason why the Dalai Lama spends so much of his time travelling. He regularly visits these groups to minimise interpersonal conflicts between the groups. It also allows for new groups to form at each event, which results in the group development process repeating itself throughout the world. The Dalai Lama’s leadership is both authentic and servant leadership. He promotes self-awareness, openness and inclusivity within the human family, yet he also acts as a servant for the people of Tibet to fight for their right to live in peace. I would say that the Dalai Lama is a transformational leader who provides vision for his followers and inspires them to â€Å"embrace his vision† of peace and happiness for all. He allows them to dream of what they can achieve, then designs a way for them to achieve it, and then continues to develop it through initiatives and programs that allow the vision to materialise, as we have seen in section 1. 3 â€Å"Achievements†. 1. 5TYPE OF POWER Due to his position within the Buddhism community the Dalai Lama possesses referent power over his followers, this has developed over a long period of time, which has allowed his followers to witness his leadership skills and what he is prepared to experience/sacrifice for his beliefs. This has resulted in his following growing consistently over the past 70 years, as people trust, respect and love him, therefore increasing his influence and support. As it is believed that the Dalai Lama is a reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama he also possesses a level of legitimate power that has been passed down to him when he was enthroned as the 14th Dalai Lama. This legitimate power would only be relevant to those that believe in Buddhism, therefore believe in the concept of reincarnation. This legitimate power is not a power that the Dalai Lama exercises, as he claims that he is â€Å"a simple monk from Tibet, I am no one special† (Nobel Prize acceptance speech). This claim also contributes to the respect that his followers have for him and also helps them relate to him through his personalised leadership, resulting in stronger bonds being formed. The Dalai Lama is also a community leader, as he does not have position power from any country, and also has minimal resources to communicate his message through. He also possesses the skills to build social capital, as discussed above and mobilisation, through the travel he does all over the world to communicate with his followers. 1. 6PERSONAL TRAITS The Dalai Lama uses his personal traits to communicate with people more effectively, which in turn ensures he gains their trust and respect. He is often smiling at people, listens intently, and always maintains eye contact with the listening or speaker. He appears to be comfortable discussing all topics and never interrupts the speaker during conversation, but listens, encourages them to continue and then responds calmly. The Dalai Lama speaks three languages, Tibetan, Chinese and English. This ensures he can communicate and connect strongly with his fellow countrymen in Tibet. It is also important that he can communicate effectively with those that he has conflicts with, the Chinese. English is also a language he has learnt, as this is the most common language spoken in the Western world and therefore means maximum exposure of his message to those across the world. When people talk about their encounter with the Dalai Lama, many mention his insatiable laugh and kind smile that result in them â€Å"warming to him† (www. youtube. com) and instantly wanting to listen and absorb his message. It has been reported by some, that he possesses an aura that has an amazingly positive effect on a person and is communicated to the receiver purely through facial expressions, including eye contact. As these aspects of the communication process makes up 50% of the message, it therefore ensures clarity and understanding for the receiver of the message. . 7LESSONS TO BE LEARNT The Dalai Lama has a lot to teach those that analyse his leadership skills, but I would say that the most profound teaching is that you must connect with your followers, by gaining their trust and commitment. This can only be achieved by being consistent in your message, whilst acting with integrity, and providing your group or team with a vision, and assisting with achieving the fi nal goal through support and development of the vision. It is also important to leave regrets behind and take forward the lessons which have been learnt by past mistakes, which ensures group cohesion, therefore maximising the chances of achieving that goal or objective. To be a successful leder you must be passionate about achieving your objective, as this will be communicated to your followers, therefore encouraging loyalty and passion iin them, whilst inspiring them to achieve their goal. Mentoring is also another important aspect of leadership, as it ssists in the changing of behaviours and also encourages aspirations in the less experienced, whilst passing on valuable skills and lessons learnt from a more experienced leader. This has been apparent by the lessons and support that the Dalai Lama has received from many leaders around the world, including religious political and organisational, and also by the time he spent as a child learning about Buddhism and Tibetan culture. 1. 8CONCLUSION In conclusion, it has been very interesting and inspiring to read about this leader, i have learnt about many skills that are required to be a successful and inspirational leader. However, this spiritual leader may have many more skills that I believe cannot be duplicated without many hours of meditation and the study of his culture. Yet, this in itself highlights how effective the Dalai Lama is in communicating his message in relation to Buddhism, and how inspirational he really is.

15 Top NYC Colleges How to Decide If Theyre Right for You

15 Top NYC Colleges How to Decide If They're Right for You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips New York is the most populous US city, and there are dozens of colleges in New York City. Should you go to college in NYC? If you want to be close to Gray’s Papaya, Madison Square Garden, Broadway, and Wall Street, then going to schoolin New York City might be a good option. In this article, I’ll provide you with a list oftop-ranked collegesin NYC. Furthermore, I’ll explainthe benefits and disadvantages of attending college in New York City and offer some advice on decidingif you should attend college in NYC. The 15Top-Ranked Schools in NYC I've listed the top-ranked collegesin NYC in the order of their Forbes rankings for the best overall colleges because Forbes includes all colleges in its rankings. TheUS News divides colleges into 4 categories for its rankings: National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities, and Regional Colleges. I listed each school’s category after its US News ranking. The majority of the most prestigious schools are in the National University or National Liberal Arts College category.The Regional Colleges and Universities are still good, but they’re typically not as well-known nationally. Forbes and US News use many variables to determine their rankings. Their ranking methodologies are different, but they both use factors like graduation rates and freshman retention rates in their ranking lists. Forbes focuses more on student outcomes and incorporates alumni salary and student debt in its rankings while US News focuses more on the academic reputations of colleges. There are private and public colleges of varying sizes on the list. The CUNY colleges are the public colleges in New York City. There are four-year CUNY colleges. Also, some of the colleges on the list have a particular focus.Barnard is a women’s college. Cooper Union offers programs exclusively in architecture, fine arts, and engineering. Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic school and Yeshiva University is a Jewish college. School Forbes Ranking US News Ranking Average SAT Score Average ACT Score Acceptance Rate Columbia University #15 #4 (National Universities) 2215 33 7% Barnard College #42 #29 (National Liberal Arts Colleges) 2020 30 21% Cooper Union #73 #2 (Regional Colleges-North) 1987 31 8% New York University #77 #32 (National Universities) 2015 30 32% Fordham University #153 #66 (National Universities) 1870 28 43% CUNY- City College #177 #66 (Regional Universities-North) 1030 (on Reading and Math only) N/A 34% Manhattan College #198 #17 (Regional Universities-North) 1623 25 66% Yeshiva University #209 #52 (National Universities) 1840 26 82% CUNY- Baruch College #262 #32 (Regional Universities-North) 1229 (on Reading and Math only) N/A 27% CUNY- Brooklyn College #280 #83 (Regional Universities-North) 1096 (on Reading and Math only) N/A 28% CUNY- Hunter College #297 #47 (Regional Universities-North) 75 (on Reading and Math only) N/A 31% CUNY- Queens College #308 #47 (Regional Universities-North) 1624 N/A 37% The New School #314 #127 (National Universities) N/A N/A 67% CUNY- Lehman College #409 #6 (Regional Universities-North) 1425 N/A 23% Pace University #443 #180 (National Universities) 1090 (on Reading and Math only) 24 81% Butler Library at Columbia University (Susan Sermoneta/Flickr) Other Popular NYC Colleges New York City is known for its prestigious art schools like thePratt Institute, the Fashion Institute of Technology, andThe Juilliard School. Additional well-known colleges in New York include St. John's University and the other CUNY colleges. Benefits of Going to College in New York City If you go to one of the many colleges in NYC, you'll be able to reap all of these benefits. You’ll Never Be Bored Many colleges are in remote locations. If you ever get tired of on-campus activities, there aren’t a ton of options for off-campus fun.If you go to college in New York City, you’ll be in one of the most vibrant, exciting cities in the world. You’ll have easy access to museums, plays, sporting events, bars, clubs, and restaurants. You can check out The Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Guggenheim. If you're a basketball fan, you can attend a New York Knicks or Brooklyn Nets game. You may want to go see The Book of Mormon on Broadway. If you're like me and you enjoy some programming on The Food Network, you'll probably be excited to try the restaurants of Bobby Flay and Marcus Samuelsson. Many NYC colleges offer deals to students so they can take advantage of New York’s cultural offerings.Through its Arts Initiative, Columbia University offers students free admission to over 30 museums and discounted rates to theater and musical performances.Similarly, NYU Ticket Central offers discounted tickets to movies, Broadway and off-Broadway shows, sporting events, musical performances, and more. The Vine at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (ketrin1407/Flickr) Internship and Job Opportunities One huge advantage of going to college in NYC is that there are so many industries and companies that are based there. There are numerous opportunities for college students to get internships or jobs that will give them meaningful experiences and lead to employment after graduation.Here’s a list of over 200undergraduate intern jobs in NYC on LinkedIn. If you’re interested in theater, fashion, journalism, or finance, there are few cities with more opportunities in those fields than New York. Diversity If you go to a large state school in a college town, you’ll probably be surrounded by mostly traditional college-aged students who are from the state in which the college is located. In NYC, you’ll be able to interact with tons of people from all over the world.There are more foreign-born immigrants who live in NYC than there are people who live in Chicago.You’ll be able to explore the many different ethnic neighborhoods in NYC where you can experience the cuisines and cultures of different nationalities. Especially in today's global economy, graduating college with a global perspective and knowledge of different cultures can benefit you in your professional life. Transportation At many colleges, students often complain that they feel like they’re in a bubble or trapped in a very insulated environment, especially if they don’t have a car and can’t easily get off campus. In New York, you’ll have no issue exploring the city without a car.Between the subway, trains, cabs, and Uber, you shouldn’t have any problem getting around the city or accessing other cities on the east coast.An added bonus is that the subway is pretty cheap and efficient. The Food Maybe I’m only emphasizing food because I really like to eat.When I was in college at Stanford, I remember being hungry late at night, and because I didn’t have a car, I had to convince my roommate to take us to go get some grub. Our only real option off-campus at that time was Jack in the Box, a mediocre fast food establishment. NYC is known for having some of the best restaurants in the world. There are cheap, tasty restaurants, food stands, and food trucks representing every type of food imaginable.If you live on campus and get sick of dorm food, you’ll have access to so many different types of food at all hours.I’m a little jealous that I didn’t have Shake Shack near me when I was in college. You can even get chicken and waffles in NYC! (Arnold Gatilao/flickr) Disadvantages of Going to College in New York City While going to aNew York City college can offer you many advantages and excitement, there are some potential downsides of going to school in NYC. Distractions Since you’re primarily in college to learn, you may find it distracting to try to study and go to class in the â€Å"City That Never Sleeps.†Because you’ll have access to so many social opportunities and entertainment options in New York City, you’ll have to maintain discipline to ensure that you’re taking care of your academic responsibilities. Less School Spirit and Less of an On-Campus Community At colleges in college towns, everything revolves around the college. People sport their school colors with pride, enthusiastically cheer on their sports teams, and seem to have a strong bond with the school. At colleges in New York City, the colleges are a very small part of the city.Students are likely to spend less time on campus because they’re out exploring the city and all it has to offer. There can be less of a sense of community going to school in such an urbanenvironment. Also, none of the colleges in NYC have big-time football programs, and athletics aren’t a huge part of the college experience. If you want to experience cheering on your school in a stadium with 100,000 screaming fans, you won't get that at a New York City college.However, St. John’s does have a storied basketball program, and they play some of their home basketball games in the historic Madison Square Garden. New York City Is Expensive Even though you can find cheap food, discounted tickets to events, and the subway doesn’t cost much, almost everything you do off campus will cost you some money.If you have limited funds, you may not really be able to take advantage of what the city has to offer. Furthermore, if you don’t have money and your friends are going to fancy NYC restaurants and getting tickets to Broadway shows, that can make you feel isolated and negatively impact your college experience. Additionally, housing in the NYC Is extremely pricey.If you don’t live on campus, it can be very difficult to find an affordable place to live. You may end up having to live far from campus or in an undesirable location.As of August 2015, the average price of a one bedroom apartment within 10 miles of NYC was$3245 per month. NYC Can Feel Overwhelming New York City has so many people and so much activity that it can feel like a bit much if you prefer being in an environment with a laid-back vibe.Especially if you’re from a rural or suburban environment, being around so many people who seem to always be in a hurry can make you feel unsettled or claustrophobic. Even simple tasks like getting groceries can become chaotic adventures due to to the throngs of people.My friends who live in New York and love it enjoy a fast-paced lifestyle or are at least unaffected by the hustle and bustle of the city. How Do You Decide If an NYC CollegeIs Right for You? If you've never been to New York City, you should try to visit before committing to attend a college in NYC.New York is such a unique place, and it’s hard to determine if you’d enjoy living there for 4-6 years without ever having visited. Check out some of the different neighborhoods and the colleges there that interest you to get a feel for the city and what it would be like to go to school there. If you love New York when you visit, then going to college there may be a good option for you. Keep in mind, though, that even if you enjoy a visit to New York City, it doesn't necessarily mean that you would enjoy living there. If you visit, try to imagine spending years there going through day-to-day activities to help determine if going to college there would be a good decision for you. Also, take note of the specific locations of different NYC colleges. Each neighborhood within New York City has its own personality and offers a slightly different environment. Remember that you’re deciding on a college, and the location should only be one factor in your college search. You should also consider other factors in a college like the cost, its academic reputation, and the majors offered. Try to find the school that’s the best fit for you. Use guidebooks, search websites, and college finders to help you in the college selection process. I believe that going to college in New York City is a great option for students who enjoy urban environments and thrive on the activity in a big city setting.Consider the benefits and disadvantages of attending college in New York City. Do the pros outweigh the cons for you? If so, then you may want to attend college in The Big Apple. Michael Pick/Flickr What's Next? Maybe you're thinkingthe colleges in NYC aren't right for you after all. Check out our guide to the differenttypes of locations to determine if you might be happier at a suburban or rural school. Regardless of where you decide you want to go to college, make sure you're familiar with the application process and know how to apply. Also, learn strategies for the common application essay prompts. Finally, check out this post on how to write about extracurriculars on your college applications. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: