Analysis of the lay up in basketball Essays

Analysis of the lay up in basketball Essays Analysis of the lay up in basketball Paper Analysis of the lay up in basketball Paper The lay-up shot is one of the most commonly used techniques and you dont have to be 6 feet tall to find the net.  Step 1  The overall aim of the lay-up is to drive towards the basket and score off the backboard. Dribbling to the net from the side of the court should give you the space needed to make the jump.  Step 2  Transfer all your weight onto the front leg. If you are right-handed this will be your left leg or if you are left-handed it will be your right leg. Bending the knee will help provide the spring needed. Step 3  Launch yourself off your forward leg, and thrust your arms upwards towards the net to prepare for the shot. Aim to jump towards the side off the basket and at the top of your leap, roll the ball out your shooting hand.  Step 4  Try and lay the ball softly on to the backboard, hit the top corner of the rectangle on your side of the basket  Mechanics of the lay-up  There are biomechanical movements that take place when performing the lay-up. In the preparation stage there is an important transfer of weight. You must transfer all your weight onto the front leg. If you are right-handed this will be your left leg or if you are left-handed it will be your right leg. Bending the knee will help provide the spring needed. This is known as maximum force application meaning you can get a powerful leap, upwards, towards the basket. To get maximum force application you have to use your legs and arms to generate the force needed to get sufficient height to make the lay-up shot easier and give adequate arm extension. There is also friction being generated between my clients trainers and the court surface. This gives you grip. The lay-up shot is a shot where you bring your hands above your head while you are in mid air. You have your hands above your head in the air with the ball is to raise your centre of gravity which will allow you to stay in the air for longer this is known as your hang time and also so the ball doesnt have to drive as far to the basket, this enables you to more precise and accurate with the shot by laying the ball softly on to the backboard, trying to hit the top corner of the rectangle on your side of the basket. Angle of release also comes into this because you have to release the ball at its highest point in the jump, this means your hands should be above eye level. Comparisons Client and Model Performer My performer when I first tested him when performing the lay-up whilst he was in the air about to release the ball seem to swivel so when he was throwing the ball it wasnt going where it was intended and wasnt very accurate. Model Performers such as Michael Jordan do fancy lay-ups which include a swivel in it but there shots are precise and accurate. My client didnt generate enough force from his legs which should enable him to push of the ground like a spring so this is harder to raise the centre of gravity therefore my client doesnt have long in the air so the shot has to be rushed hence the reason for less amount of shots going in the basket. Whereas the likes of Michael Jordan know they have to generate effective force in his muscles so he can make more baskets and score more points for his team. By him generating the power from his legs and transferring his weight evenly then Michael Jordan knows he can tower above the defenders. My clients momentum wasnt very effective because he was under the basket when he started to do the lay-up so it wasnt going where it was intended to go and the target area of the top corner of the rectangle wasnt effective as my client couldnt see it. Michael Jordan uses momentum to his advantage because he knows maximise speed for example when gaining fouls or evading the defence. My performer didnt bend his knees after landing therefore he couldnt keep his balance. Michael Jordan knows only too well that bending the knees acts as a shock absorber consequently is able to maintain his centre of gravity.

Achilles - Profile of the Greek Hero of the Trojan War

Achilles - Profile of the Greek Hero of the Trojan War Achilles is the quintessentially heroic subject of Homers great poem of adventure and war, the Iliad. Achilles was the greatest of the warriors famed for his swiftness on the Greek (Achaean) side during the Trojan War, directly competing with Troys warrior hero Hector. Achilles is perhaps most famous for being imperfectly invulnerable, a detail of his exciting and mythical life known as the Achilles Heel that is described elsewhere. Achilles Birth Achilles mother was the nymph Thetis, who had early attracted the wandering eyes of both Zeus and Poseidon. The two gods lost interest after the mischievous Titan Prometheus revealed a prophecy about the future son of Thetis: he was destined to be greater and stronger than his father. Neither Zeus nor Poseidon was willing to risk losing his position in the pantheon, so they turned their attention elsewhere, and Thetis ended up married to a mere mortal. With Zeus and Poseidon no longer in the picture, Thetis married King Peleus, a son of the King of Aegina. Their life together, although short-lived, produced the child Achilles. As was true for the most famous of the ancient heroes of Greek myth and legend, Achilles was raised by the centaur Chiron and taught at a school of heroes by Phoenix. Achilles at Troy As an adult, Achilles became part of the Achaean (Greek) forces during the ten long years of the Trojan War, which, according to legend was fought over the much-courted  Helen of Troy, who had been kidnapped from her Spartan husband Menelaus by Paris, the Prince of Troy. The leader of the Achaeans (Greeks) was Helens (first) brother-in-law Agamemnon, who led the Achaeans to Troy to win her back. Proud and autocratic, Agamemnon antagonized Achilles, causing Achilles to leave the battle. Furthermore, Achilles has been told by his mother that he would have one of two fortunes: he could fight at Troy, die young and achieve everlasting fame, or he could choose to return to Phthia where he would live a long life, but be forgotten. Like any good Greek hero, Achilles first chose fame and glory, but Agamemnons arrogance was too much for him, and he headed home. Getting Achilles Back to Troy Other Greek leaders argued with Agamemnon, saying Achilles was too powerful a warrior to be left out of the battle. Several books of the Iliad are dedicated to the negotiations to get Achilles back into battle. These books describe long conversations among Agamemnon and his diplomatic team including Achilles old teacher Phoenix, and his friends and fellow warriors Odysseus and Ajax, pleading with Achilles to get him to fight. Odysseus offered gifts, news that the war was not going well and that Hector was a danger that only Achilles should kill. Phoenix reminisced about Achilles heroic education, playing on his emotions; and Ajax upbraided Achilles for not supporting his friends and companions in the fray. But Achilles remained adamant: he would not fight for Agamemnon. Patroclus and Hector After he left the conflict at Troy, Achilles urged one of his closest friends Patroclus, to go fight in Troy, offering his armor. Patroclus donned Achilless armorexcept for his ash spear, which only Achilles could wieldand went into battle as a direct substitute (what Nickel refers to as doublet) for Achilles. And at Troy, Patroclus was killed by Hector, the greatest warrior on the Trojan side. Upon word of the death of Patroclus, Achilles finally agreed to fight with the Greeks. As the story goes, an enraged Achilles put on the armor and killed Hectorsignificantly with the ash speardirectly outside of the gates of Troy, and then dishonored Hectors body by dragging it around tied to the back of a chariot for nine consecutive days. It is said that the gods kept Hectors corpse miraculously sound during this nine-day period. Eventually, Hectors father, King Priam of Troy, appealed to the better nature of Achilles and persuaded him to return Hectors corpse to his family in Troy for proper funeral rites. The Death of Achilles The death of Achilles was inflicted by an arrow that was shot directly into his vulnerable heel. That story isnt in the Iliad, but you can read about how Achilles obtained his less-than-perfect heel. Edited and updated by  K. Kris Hirst Sources and Further Information Avery HC. 1998. Achilles Third Father. Hermes 126(4):389-397.Burgess J. 1995. Achilles Heel: The Death of Achilles in Ancient Myth. Classical Antiquity 14(2):217-244.Nickel R. 2002. Euphorbus and the Death of Achilles. Phoenix 56(3/4):215-233.Sale W. 1963. Achilles and Heroic Values. Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics 2(3):86-100.Scodel R. 1989. The Word of Achilles. Classical Philology 84(2):91-99.

Statutory Interpretation - The Process of a Bill to an Act of Essay

Statutory Interpretation - The Process of a Bill to an Act of Parliament - Essay Example The defendant was, on May 11, 1963, actually within the boundaries of the station, and when within the boundaries of the station, obstructed a member of Her Majesty’s Royal Air Force who was engaged, at the material time, on security duty at and in relation to the station. It was contended by the defendant that because the charge referred to obstruction at Marham in the vicinity of a prohibited place, namely, Marham Royal Air Force station, and the evidence for the prosecution dealt with obstruction which took place when he was actually in the prohibited place, there was no evidence to support the charge. It was contended by the prosecutor that the defendant, being actually within the boundaries of the station at the material time, was in the vicinity of a prohibited place within the meaning of the Act. ... They gave the defendant three months in which to pay the fine and in default of payment sentenced him to two months’ imprisonment†. BBC News, 1998. Reform of assault law, [online] Available at: [Accessed on 22 October 2011]: â€Å"Deliberately infecting someone with a disease is not a specific offence at the moment, although it may be possible to charge an offender under section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act, 1861. This section says that anyone who causes grievous bodily harm with intent to do so is guilty of an offence punishable with life imprisonment. Nearly 10 years ago, the government's law reform advisers put forward proposals for updating the 1861 Act. The government is now planning to go ahead with most of those reforms†. Caledonian Railway Co. v. North British Railway Co. (1881), 6 App.Cas. 114. – See in: http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924017175864/cu31924017175864_djvu.txt . Citation on page 114, in Cownie, Bradney, and Burton 2007) . Paragraph 3 (from above). Cownie, F., Bradney, A., and Burton, M., 2007. English legal system in context. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - http://books.google.com/books?id=gs-HvA2DO60C&pg=PA335&dq=Cownie,+F.,+Bradney,+A.,+and+Burton,+M.,+2007.+English+legal+system+in+context.+4th+ed.&hl=ru&ei=ake8TtTJLbDS4QTp56iSBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false . Here the discussion on p.117 of the book is summarized, without any direct appropriation. Gifford, D.J., and Salter, J.R., 1996. How to understand an act of Parliament. London: Cavendish Publishing. -

Critically evaluate the management of sustainability at Barclays Essay

Critically evaluate the management of sustainability at Barclays through the triple bottom line, and critically comment on the c - Essay Example The banking industry should be responsible for proper risk management, upholding business ethics and investor protection. However, their contribution to the society and environment by way of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is important for a sustainable growth and development in the long run. Organizational culture and management According to Yeung (2011, p. 112) the bankers shall establish positive organizational culture and socially responsible mindset in the organization and demonstrate accountability and creditability by reducing risks and enhancing quality of service to customers and community through effective and efficient internal audit. Therefore, the bankers’ primary responsibilities of accountability and creditability are very important. The Salz Review is an independent review of certain Barclays’ processes, business practices and culture.   Anthony Salz who headed the Salz Review Team observed â€Å"Despite its turbulent recent history, Barclays ha s emerged from the financial crisis, somewhat against the odds, as one of the world’s leading banks. But this has been achieved at a cost. Significant failings developed in the organisation as it grew. The absence of a common purpose or common set of values has led to conduct problems, reputational damage and a loss of public trust† (Salz Review, 2013) During the period of financial crises there has been â€Å"disproportionate sharing of risk between employees and shareholders became apparent† (Salz Review, 2013, p. 163). The report has also highlighted absence of values, cultural inconsistencies, insufficiency of strong controls, focus on financial performance, but lack of focus on development of its people that led to conduct problems, breach of regulations, investigations, litigations and loss of public trust. Also, the report suggests that Barclays has to re-establish its purpose and values with customer focussed culture by reassessing its governance and risk management. The report concludes that it will need perseverance and consistency at all levels of leadership. (Ibid, p. 164) In response to this review report Barclays (2013b, p. 1) clearly stated â€Å"The Board is committed to implementing all of the recommendations and to publishing an account of our progress in doing so going forward† It should also be remembered that the review has appreciated many other positive aspects and stated that the problems faced by Barclays are also industry problems in some ways though Barclays is cautioned about taking comfort from this. Sustainable management and Social accounting Non-financial accounting and reporting developed over years have been founded on the principles of corporate accountability. The society provides capital, resources and patronage for the growth and development of the companies. Therefore, social and economic sustainability are fundamental for the stability and growth of the commercial organizations. Sustainability accounting seeks to quantify the effects of the contributions made by the companies by way of corporate social responsibility. Barclays published 2011 Citizenship Report, its environmental and social performance for the 12th year on 26 April 2012 (Barclaysa, 2013a). The highlights include ?63.5m invested in communities, 73,000 employees involved in fundraising activities and four per cent reduction in C02 emissions, achieved ahead of our 2013 target date. Corporate Social Responsibility forms the basis for sustainable managem

The Mauritian Economy Defied Predictions Of James Meade

The Mauritian Economy Defied Predictions Of James Meade Few Sub-Saharan African countries have managed to achieve high standards of living over the past two decades. Mauritius has been a notable exception. With no natural resources, a small domestic market and vulnerability to external shocks, Mauritius exhibited a series of characteristics very typical to the rest of Africa namely a mono-crop economy, exposure to terms of trade shocks, high population growth rate, ethnic tensions exacerbated by high income and wealth inequality. Defying the predictions of Nobel Prize recipient James Meade, who famously predicted poor development prospects for Mauritius back in 1961 due to its vulnerabilities to both weather and price shocks and lack of job opportunities outside the sugar sector, Mauritius has transformed itself from a poor sugar economy into a country with one of the highest per capita incomes among African countries. Today, the small island nation is one of Africas most prosperous and stable economies and is considered an economic success story. For arguments sake, between 1977 and 2009, real GDP in Mauritius grew on average by 5.1 percent annually, compared with 3.2 percent for sub-Saharan Africa. 3.1 The Mauritian Economy Mauritius is a small island developing state with limited resources and a remote geographical location considered unfavourable. Since its independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income mono crop economy to a middle-income relatively diversified export-oriented economy. In the early 1960s, Mauritius embarked on a program of diversification and adopted import substitution policies with the initial emphasis on tax exemptions, long-term loans at favorable rates and protective import duties and quotas. The aim was mainly to combat unemployment, raise standard of living and alleviate poverty. However, import substitution did not bring the benefits expected owing to the small size of the domestic market, limited resource endowments and technical know-how. The enterprises were unable to benefit from economies of scale given the small size of the local market. Furthermore, import substitution policies failed to address unemployment, which reached 20% in the late 60s. In the early 1970s, Mauritius switched to an outward-looking export-oriented strategy. The establishment of the Export Processing Zone scheme, designed to encourage the setting up of labour intensive export oriented manufacturing enterprises, aimed at helping to dampen the growing problem of unemployment, as well as to open up further the economy and benefit from the preferential access to the European markets under the different Lomà © Conventions (and now the Cotonou Agreement). The authorities prudent management of the economy and their outward-oriented policies placed Mauritius on a sustained growth path. Launched with the start-up capital of the sugar sector, the EPZ sector has concentrated mostly on textile and textile-related products. Mauritius seeks to serve as a bridge from Asia to Africa, Europe and the United States: in the 1980s, companies from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore settled in the countrys economic processing zones (EPZs), and were joined in 2007 and 2008 by companies from mainland China. For the past three decades, the industry have attracted FDI from various countries, created new employment opportunities and strengthened the manufacturing base of the economy. The tourism sector also emerged as a serious economic pillar by contributing to foreign exchange earnings of the country and by being an important generator of employment. A range of investment incentives were provided to boost the development of the tourism sector in terms of fiscal incentives and financial support for hotel development and management services. The labour-intensive export-oriented growth strategy was therefore powered by three main economic sectors, namely sugar, textile products and tourism. The diversification strategy was further expanded in the 1990s with the consolidation of the financial services sector into commercial banking, insurance and global business. In recent years, information and communication technology (ICT), in particular business process outsourcing, and the seafood hub have emerged as important sectors of the economy. From 1991 to 2010, the economy enjoyed an average annual real growth of 4.9%. To further diversify the economic base of the island, the government is actively encouraging development in the following sectors: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the land-based oceanic industry; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ hospitality and property development; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the healthcare and biomedical industry; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ agro-processing and biotechnology; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the knowledge industry; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ renewable energy. Figure 1: Sectorial Breakdown of the Mauritian economy, 2009 Mauritius is a fairly well diversified export oriented economy with agriculture, textile, tourism and financial services as leading sectors. However, a gradual shift from agriculture to the service sectors has been observed. Today, the services sector makes the largest contribution towards GDP and towards total employment. The share of the agricultural, hunting, forestry and fishing sector in GDP which was 6.1% in 1999 went down to 4.3% in 2009. The manufacturing sector also experienced a fall, from 23.9% in 1999 to 19.5% in 2009. On the other hand, Hotels and restaurants, a major component of the Tourism sector, witnessed a rise from 6.9% to 7.3% during the same period. Albeit the successful growth records, there is growing concerns as regards competitiveness and sustainability of growth. The traditional Mauritian labor-intensive exports is being challenged by new competitors. Productivity is not increasing fast enough to keep pace with wages that have been rising as a result of near full employment, thus eroding competitiveness. Government policies are aiming at diversifying towards more capital-intensive production and higher value added goods. The acceleration of the growth rate in the 1980s is the result of the macroeconomic reforms in response to protracted balance of payments and fiscal troubles. Following the reforms, Mauritius experienced steady growth, low inflation, and increased employment. GDP per capita, meanwhile, increased approximately seven-fold between 1976 and 2008, from less than $1,000 to nearly $7,000 (figure 2). At the same time, consumer price inflation in Mauritius has remained in the low single digits through the 1990s and 2000s (figure 3). The steady growth path of the early years of the period under review was due to the sugar boom of the early 1970s and the newly established EPZ attracting foreign investment. During that period, GDP grew at an average of 9% per year. However, the boom was short lived with sugar prices falling by 50% and the first oil shock of 1973-74 starting to impact on isolated Mauritian exporters and the small but promising tourism industry. Year 1979 saw the devaluation of the exchange rate by 30%, a rise in interest rate, reduction in food subsidies and wage increases held below inflation. Between 1979 and March 1980, the island was hit by cyclones, sugar production tumbled and GDP fell by 9%. The only encouraging factor during that period was a fall in inflation. The highest rate of inflation Mauritius witnessed since its independence was in October 1980 at 42%. This was due to the deteriorating economic situation following increasing oil prices in the late 1970s coupled with adverse weather conditions damaging food crops. In the same period, the island adopted its first Structural Adjustment Programme and the rupee was devalued by 22.9 % in October 1979. The direct impact of the devaluation was seen on import prices which sky rocketed. Macroeconomic policies have contributed to containing inflation. On a calendar-year basis, inflation (measured by changes in consumer prices) was maintained at under 6.5% per year till 2006, when it rose to 8.9%. The main contributors to this increase include higher oil prices (resulting from increase in world prices and the introduction of the Automatic Pricing Mechanism, higher prices of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes (resulting from the increase in excise duties) and of some other products (resulting from the reduction of subsidies for rice, flour, and bread), increase in freight costs and depreciation of the Mauritian rupee. During 2007, inflation increased further to reach 10.7% in June (on a yearly basis), the highest in over a decade. According to the BOM, this was due to the second-round effects of high oil and commodity prices, the depreciation of the Rupee, and the increase in excise duties. 3.2 Trade Performance Trade remains an important feature of the Mauritian economy in light of the fact that it has a small domestic market and limited natural resources namely land. The island is known to have been running merchandise trade deficit which has been offset at times by surpluses on the services account. The bulk of Mauritian merchandise exports (namely 70% of the total value) is accountable to manufacturing products. Though decreasing in share, clothing remains the main manufactured export (from 57% in 2001 to 36% in recent years). Sugar has remained the main agricultural export, contributing around 16% to total merchandise trade. Imports as well continued to be dominated by manufactured goods. Leading imports include machinery and transport equipment, radio/television transmission apparatus, textile and chemicals. The share of textiles has decreased from 20% in 2001 to 7% in recent years. Nevertheless, textiles remain an important import item. The European Union is the major destination for most of the Mauritian export. The bulk of Mauritian sugar and a large share of its textiles and clothing are destined to the EU. The UK remains the major single destination followed by France and the US. On import grounds, the EU supplies around one third of the total value of Mauritius merchandise imports. Other major suppliers include China, South Africa, France, India and Germany. The share of Middle East countries (Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates) has considerably increased, reflecting mainly the increase of oil prices. 3.3 Trade Openness Mauritius is an active participant of the multilateral trading system and member of various economic groupings and trade agreements. Participation in regional agreements is crucial for a small island country like Mauritius for the following reasons: Allows the exploitation of its comparative advantages and economies of scale. Improves the islands competitive edge. Allows the diversification of its range of exports. Facilitates its integration into the world economy. However, challenges remains for Mauritius has to ensure consistency between the national reform agenda and participation in a multitude of trade agreements, with different geographical coverage, liberalization agenda, provisions and goals. To Sachs and Warner, the key determinants to a countrys long-run growth is its trade policies. In effect, in the 1970s and 1980s, Mauritius had a fairly protected economy; the average rate of protection being high and dispersed. This is depicted by the rather poor openness ration of the early years of the period under review. When the country started to open to the world, a net amelioration of the ratio was noted. 3.4 Exposure to external shocks and policy responses An integral part of economic policies in Mauritius, trade policies are aimed at improving the living standards of the population and seeking to achieve full employment. This objective is projected to be achieved through the implementation of sound macroeconomic policies, investment in public infrastructures, easing the doing business environment and further opening up the economy. Trade policies have, for over two decades, shaped the countrys industrial development and contributed towards sustained growth. Mauritius was able to join in the ranks of the newly industrialised economies. 3.4.1 Agricultural sector Today, agriculture remains an important sector given its share in exports and revolves mainly around sugar. However, the ever decreasing sugar prices have seen the implementation of actions to restructure the sector and ensure its long-term viability. Those actions seek to promote alternative goods relating to cane production. In fact, much of the sugar cane production in Mauritius has been exported to the EU under the preferential terms of the ACP-EU Sugar Protocol. ACP sugar-producing countries were granted preferred access to the EU market, with annual quotas and guaranteed prices. As part of the transition to the new regime defined by the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), ACP countries experienced a decline in their guaranteed minimum price for sugar to the EU. Over four years to 2009, the price fell by 36 per cent. Mauritius is the most affected by the falling price paid by the EU for sugar. At 507 000 tonnes, Mauritius enjoyed the largest quota under the Sugar Protocol. Sugar exports to the EU alone contributed 17 per cent of the countrys foreign exchange earnings and up to 4.5 per cent of gross domestic product. The losses associated with the new regime are expected to have a significant impact on Mauritius, particularly given that the revenue that had been procured from the Sugar Protocol was important for stimulating economic development, promoting diversification and supporting services throughout the country. It is likely that the economy will go through structural change as the agricultural sector moves away from its almost exclusive dependence on sugar and becomes more diversified. The Multi-Annual Adaptation Strategy (2006-2015) is the Government of Mauritiuss response to the changes in the Sugar Protocol, to aid in the adaptation process and take advantage of the package of accompanying measures offered by the EU to ease the transition to the new trading regime. It seeks to protect the long-term viability and sustainability of the sugar industry and ensure that it can continue to make an important economic and social contribution to Mauritius. There are several elements associated with the MAAS designed to help the industry and its workers adapt to the new trading reality and safeguard a future for the sector. Key among these are a focus on ways to (i) reduce costs of production (through factory closures, centralization, and restructuring of the workforce), (ii) generate additional revenue (such as through increasing value added), (iii) efficiently use by-products (such as for producing renewable energy) and (iv) contribute to poverty alleviation (by establishing voluntary retirement and re-training programmes). By pursuing these policies, the Government hopes to transform the sugar industry into an industry that moves away from producing raw sugar towards producing several types of sugar (raw, special, industrial and white), and also produces electricity from bagasse and ethanol from molasses. Once implemented, the policy should result in higher-value products, sufficient production to meet all of Mauritiuss trade commitments, and reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels by increasing the contribution from sugar cane to national electricity production and increasing the production of ethanol. 3.4.2 Manufacturing sector The development of textile and clothing, the main industry, was favoured in the past by preferences under the Multifibre Arrangement (MFA), and preferential access to key markets such as the EC and the United States. Mauritius textiles and clothing industry has been facing many challenges, such as multilateral liberalization, which has resulted in erosion of trade preferences; rising production costs in Mauritius; and the emergence of low-cost producing countries. In anticipation of the multilateral liberalization of the industry in January 2005, most of the major Hong-Kong-owned enterprises (which dominated the industry in Mauritius) ceased operation: between 2001-06, employment in the industry was reduced by 27,000 jobs. This explains the poor performance of both exports and growth of the EPZ subsector. Several steps have been taken to sustain development of the textile and clothing including restructuring of enterprises; promotion of vertical integration to increase value added, as well as high value products; upgrading skills; improving access to finance; and facilitating business operations. With the phase out of the Multi Fibre Arrangement, Mauritius has to compete with major textiles producers like China. The new LDC scheme proposed by the US to extend the AGOA type benefits to all LDCs pose a major threat to Mauritian exports to the US, particularly for garments. With the application of a coefficient of 8 in a Swiss formula to reduce tariffs in the context of the Doha Development Agenda, the preference margin for garments will fall from an average of 12% on the EU and US markets to below 5%. For canned tuna, which Mauritius exports, the preference margin will drop to around 6% from a high of 24%. 3.4.3 Tourism The Tourism Industry has contribution extensively towards foreign exchange earnings, GDP growth and employment creation. With the impact of the turmoil experienced in the international financial markets in 2008, the sector recorded an increase of only 2.6% in tourist arrival as opposed to a 15.1% growth in arrival in 2007, followed by a negative growth of 6.4% in 2009. As at 2009, the tourism sector contributed to 8.9% of GDP; created 26,922 direct jobs and generated Rs. 35,693 million ($1190 million USD) as tourism receipts. Mauritius has performed well in developing a distinctive form of relatively high-end tourism. Growth in tourist arrivals has outpaced that of many of our competitors. Currently, the aim is to continue that growth with a visitorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ target of two million tourists a year by 2015. To achieve the set target, the number of hotels and room capacity has evolved considerably over the years to cater for the ever-increasing tourist arrivals. Mauritius has been taking measures since early May 2008 to cushion the economy from the risks of deterioration in the world economy. The main policy measures taken since May 2008 are as summarised in the table below. Date POLICY MEASURES ADOPTED AND IMPLEMENTED May 2008 Allocation of Rs. 6 billion [$200 M] for investment in airport expansion creation of 6 funds to realize the Maurice Ile Durable vision, build food security, boost education and knowledge, eradicate poverty and widen the circle of opportunities, improve local infrastructure, carry social housing commitment and sharpen the competitiveness of domestic oriented industries and SMEs. June 2008 The 2008/2009 Budget voted an amount of Rs. 1.8 billion [$430 M] for contingencies to cater for any additional injection required to support public spending and demand. July 2008 Full implementation of the recommendations of the Pay Research Bureau on review of salaries and conditions of employment in the civil service thus injecting an additional amount of Rs 1.5 billion [$50 M] in the economy. October 2008 Reduction in Repo Rate by 50 basis points from 8.25 to 7.75 Reduction in Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) from 5% to 4.5 % Reduction in the minimum CRR on any particular day from 4% to 3% Introduction of a Special Foreign Currency Line of Credit by the Bank of Mauritius aggregating $125 M so as to assist banks encountering difficulties due to non-availability or inadequacy of foreign exchange facilities from usual sources. Review of the Automatic Price Mechanism (APM) to enable monthly, instead of quarterly, review of petroleum prices so that local retail price aligned with international prices of petroleum products. December 2008 Presentation of Additional Stimulus Package (ASP) amounting to Rs 10.4 billion [$350 M] to be spent through 2009 and 2010, basically on major capital projects with focus on fast-tracking and frontloading of existing public infrastructure projects, new investments in public infrastructure, accelerating private sector investment, improving business climate, building human resource capacity, and supporting vulnerable sectors such as the SMEs, export oriented manufacturing and tourism. Setting up of Special Committees to fast track implementation of the Additional Stimulus Package and to unlock private investment. Reduction of the Repo Rate by 100 basis points from 7.75 to 6.75 March 2009 Reduction in the Repo Rate by 100 basis points from 6.75 to 5.75 May 2009 Presentation of new budget built on the Additional Stimulus Package to ride out the global crisis. Some measures to enhance competitiveness and focusing on saving jobs, protecting people, and preparing for recovery are as follows: Injecting an additional Rs 2 billion in the Saving Jobs and Recovery Fund (SJR FUND), to provide for a new micro-enterprise financing scheme for women to be operated by the National Empowerment Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and the Mauritius Post and Cooperative Bank. Rescheduling of loans by the Development Bank of Mauritius for SMEs which were servicing their loans prior to the crisis in September 2008 but then faced cash flow problems. Setting up an Emergency Export Credit Insurance scheme for SMEs as well as large enterprises in all sectors until December 2010. Operating a scheme to assist small hotels and restaurants to improve, and enhance productivity and competitiveness under the SJR Fund. Setting up of the Mauritius Business Growth Scheme (MBGS) to promote business growth in SMEs. Eligible firms will receive financing to support their business growth on a cost-sharing basis Introducing a mentoring service by National Empowerment Foundation to ensure sustainability of small businesses initiated mostly by women Under the Food Security Fund, introduction of a Food Crop Insurance Scheme for small food crop planters, a Seed Potato Purchase Scheme to encourage the production of potatoes by small planters and an Onion Seed Purchase Scheme. Reduction of Ministers salary by Rs 10, 000 per month (July 2009 to Dec 2010) Earmarking Rs 100 million from the MID Fund to co-finance a Rs 280 million programme with the CEB, CWA and WMA (utility agencies) to clean up the social housing estates and rehabilitate the water, electricity and waste-water infrastructure Increase old age, non-contributory pensions and social aid benefits by 5.1 % Payment of compensation of 5.1% for the lowest income band while at the time broadening the band. September 2009 The key Repo Rate was maintained at 5.75 per cent per annum November 2009 The Budget 2010 presented on 18 November 2010 provides for policies for shaping recover, consolidating social progress and sustaining green Mauritius. The measures, inter-alia, include, intensifying efforts to consolidate the traditional and emerging economic pillars, so as to open business opportunities and further stimulate job creation, in particular for women, continue improving the doing business environment to increase investment; investing in human resource development, science, technology and innovation to build the competitive competence that Mauritius needs to be among the fast globalisers; accelerating plan to build the infrastructure of tomorrow. On the social front, the 2010 budget provides for additional effort towards eradication of absolute poverty, provision for every family with a decent dwelling, delivering more and better health care, giving more social protection to our children and women, preparing for the challenges of an ageing population and ramping up support for our seniors and consolidating the progress made in giving greater access to education, from pre-primary to tertiary levels. In regard to the Additional Stimulus Package (ASP), Government policies have been instrumental in dealing with the crisis in terms of saving jobs, preventing closures of firms and protecting people. However, given the current international economic context, the exit strategy needs to be carefully managed. Accordingly government has decided to maintain the Additional Stimulus Measures until December 2010 including the funds committed for a stimulus package for Rodrigues. December 2009 The key Repo Rate was maintained at 5.75 per cent per annum Source: Mauritius Strategy for Implementation National Assessment Report 2010 3.5 Conclusion Trade liberalization has proven to be beneficial to the economy through consistent amelioration of the growth rate over the years. However, increased openness has undermined the economic vulnerability of the island.

How far has the USA role in world affairs developed from 1929 to 2000?

America had adopted a policy of isolationism following the events of WW1, stating openly that the US wanted to stay out of world affairs. They believed that they were geographically isolated – sufficiently protected from potential enemies by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They wanted to avoid sending US soldiers on another ‘death march’ and instead focus on US economic problems such as the Depression. They managed to keep their role in world affairs to a minimum by not joining the League of Nations and passing a series of Neutrality Acts after 1935 which made them neutral. However, they did not suppress their role in world affairs completely. They were still involved in foreign affairs – they loaned money to Europe to help them recover after WW1 and they signed the Kellog-Briand Pact in 1928 which renounced war as a means of settling disputes. America’s role in world affairs was minimal – they stayed out of the League of Nations but they were still involved in world affairs, shown by the US investment into Europe to help it recover from WW1. America’s role in world affairs changed from isolationist when they joined WW2 in 1941, following the Japanese attack on the US naval fleet at Pearl Harbour on December 7 1941. After the attack, it became evident that America had assumed a more prominent role in world affairs, particularly in Europe and in the Pacific. They had taken part in the D-Day landings in June 1944 with the Allies which had led to the surrender of Germany in May 1945 and had governed the end of the war by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. WW2 was an important factor in re-orientating US foreign policy as America had abandoned their policy of isolationism and had intervened in a war. America role in world affairs developed as they emerged from WW2 as a paramount nation that had survived the war with its economy rebuilt and other nations had turned to them for protection from emerging communist countries like the USSR. America had started to play an international role in world affairs when they adopted a policy of containment, announced by Truman in an important speech in March 1947 which marked a turning point in US foreign policy as it was the start of a proactive policy. He backed this policy of containment with the Marshall Plan announced in June 1947 which would provide economic aid to European countries that had suffered badly as a result of WW2 and were struggling to deal with the damage. America played a part in leading the West in the Cold War. America’s involvement in world affairs increased when they sent forces to Korea, Vietnam and Cuba in an attempt to contain communism, which shows they had a more proactive role in world affairs. The expense of the policy of containment had to be cut as the cost of the arms race was massive. America wanted to develop friendlier relations with the Communist superpowers during the 1970s; US foreign policy had changed to detente. Nixon visited China in 1972 and the 21 year old trade embargo was lifted. The policy of detente had improved relations with the USSR between 1972 and 1979 – arms reduction agreements such as SALT 1 emerged. However, when Ronald Reagan became president in 1980, he was not a supporter of detente and called the USSR an ‘evil empire’ in a speech in June 1982. He issued SDI (a plan to shoot down Soviet missiles in space) which caused the relations to deteriorate and cause a Second Cold War. In 1985, the new USSR leader Gorbachev and Reagan returned to the policy of detente and the Cold War ended in 1989. In the 1990s, America had become increasingly involved in the Middle East such as the conflicts of Iran and Iraq. America fought in the Gulf War in 1990 to protect oil supplies in Kuwait, as oil was important to the US economy. This conflict showed that America were still proactive in world affairs and were involved in most of the conflicts. Since 1929, America’s role in world affairs has developed increasingly. They were isolationist and inactive in world affairs in the 1930s. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour forced America to become reactive in world affairs and enter WW2 in 1941. In 1947, America’s role in world affairs had become proactive, attempting to prevent the spread of communism. In the 1970s, America attempted to reduce its role in world affairs by following the policy of detente but the conflicts in the Middle East showed their role to be more proactive in world affairs.

Nuba Wrestling, The Original Art - 880 Words

*Pankration* According to Nigel Binns, in his book â€Å"Nuba Wrestling, the original art† he speaks of the Greecian art of wrestling boxing called Pankration, which was originally an art form from Africa (It is similar to Nuba Wrestling mixed with Hausa Boxing) and that the Greeks adopted it as their own. Nigel noted, their style of wrestling called Pankration is said to derive its name from two ancient Egyptian gods; Ra and Aton. Therefore Pan-Ra-Aton/ or Pankration meaning all-powerful God, or spirit. He also makes mention that the name Greece is from Africa-Ni’grecia (Land of Blacks) and that the Greeks were very fond of African cultures in that day and time. Most of the Greeks civilization is customed and fashioned in the Nubian style from Arcutecture to Artistry, to Philosophy to Theosophy and the many doctrines of the numerious gods as well the African style of wrestling. In addition, is the mystery of the 12 Greek Olympian gods? This Mythical science is thought, to be Pre dynastic Egypt, and is unknowingly listed as Greek mythology? However, the stories are all from Africa when the Gods ruled from mount Olympus, initially ‘the rock of Gibraltar’ (Atlas) that covered or governed most of northern Africa (Libya) at that time. The Greeks adopted and renamed all their gods in honor of the great Black men of Africa, whom to them (the Greeks) were Gods. (One old 5% lesson refers the word or Acronym â€Å"G.O.D.† representing the characteristics and attribu tes of great men,Show MoreRelatedIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 Pagesrevision was prepared in the 1970s and 1980s and was typed camera-ready in a manuscript submitted to the same publishers in 1983. The publishers first delayed in responding and then finally admitted they had lost the copy. So only a photocopy of the original typed version exists. During the 1990s, the manuscript was partly typed without alteration into a Word processor, originally an Apple-based system. This was transferred to an IBM system quite recently, but without any conversion of the character