Professional Development Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Professional Development Analysis - Assignment Example The researcher states that a professionally qualified engineer must possess all the necessary qualifications and the relevant experience in order to become a successful engineer. To assist in this, the government of U.K has allotted a separate body that deals with professional engineers. The levels of professional qualification differ from one university to another. The major reason for such changes is the current requirement of the industries and the changing trend in the field of engineering. All these factors contribute to the decrease in the number of students who opt for technical courses and courses related to science. Though the numbers of engineering courses are increasing, courses like mechanical and manufacturing engineering continue to draw a reasonable number of people. Since the level of qualification differs based on the field of engineering, the requirements also differ. The level of professional qualification certainly depend on the field of engineering and hence the students must make up their mind according to the current needs and make sure they select a field in which they can obtain the required level of qualification. The various levels of diploma, Pre University, vocational courses, graduate, and postgraduate courses help the students to obtain the highest level of qualification, so as to prepare themselves for a challenging career. Though the branches of engineering are similar to some extent, mechanical and manufacturing engineering are different in their technical aspects. Due to this reason, the students who prefer these streams must ensure that they get qualified and equally experienced to evolve into a professionally qualified engineer. Apart from these factors, the selection of courses depends on the university in which the student studies. As the numbers of colleges in the UK are increasing considerably, it is the responsibility of the students to select a university which best suits their needs. The field of mechanical and manufa cturing engineering offers a wide variety of choice to the students from which they can take up a course that specializes in this field. The levels of professional qualification include a diploma, a bachelor degree, and a post-graduate degree.

The use of cigarettes as an accessory in fashion images Essay

The use of cigarettes as an accessory in fashion images - Essay Example The essay "The use of cigarettes as an accessory in fashion images" discusses the use of cigarettes in the images of fashion. This was done through the clever slogans that were used such as â€Å"There are many reasons to smoke now,† â€Å"We make Virginia Slims especially for women because they are biologically superior to men† and â€Å"You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.† It was also done through the use of glamorous-looking women and Hollywood stars seen smoking in the advertisements and in newsreels or films. Women wanting to associate themselves with these ideas of desirability, independence or needed a means of gaining better control over their emotions would take to smoking because they were mimicking the activities of the famous people they see through these media representations. To see how this works, it is helpful to examine how cigarettes have appeared in non-cigarette-related advertising and reinforced these ideas. Cigarettes started appearing in a dvertisements early on as a means of emphasizing the self-reliance and desirability of the female individual. Several examples of this can be found in the images collected in Farid Chenoune’s collection of lingerie images Hidden Femininity. One such example is the following image taken in the early 1900s. This black and white vintage photograph depicts a curvaceous woman in a lacy black teddy with high-cut ‘French’ style legs and a low-cut front that blouses mostly open over her chest. This cut emphasizes the curve of her hips and suggests the curves of her breasts.

Shot answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shot answer - Essay Example Even invalid arguments can conclude something that is technically valid. If stated simply, all sound arguments are also valid arguments but not all the valid ones are sound. A sound argument comprises of reasons that are all valid and have true premises. However, a valid argument is simply a deductive analysis and may sometimes be based on invalid reasoning. John Wisdom believes the religion is more of a feeling related to the working of the universe while science is an explanation. He says that explanations can never be on the basis of what someone feels. Thus, he calls the two of them different. In contrast, Einstein believes the science and religion are interlinked and the religious attitude is the best motivation for people to carry on with the scientific research. That is why the best philosophers are the ones who understand the religion before they turn towards the field of science. Thus, he is of the opinion that the two can work together very well. There are three different kinds of arguments present. The first is the theism that says that there are enough evidences present around us to believe in existence of the gods. Secondly, there is atheism which says that there are countless evidences present for believing in the non-existence of god. Lastly, there is agnosticism which suggests that the evidences present are insufficient to support neither theism nor atheism. Anselm argues that he understands God to be a supreme being and that there is no possible force greater than God’s in this universe. However, he says that if the existence of God was only in the mind, then any being found in reality is surely to have greater power over the God who is only a figment of imagination. However, if we believe that there can be God is the greatest being then we must also believe that it exists as well. He objects that if Anselm’s argument is to be considered and accepted, then all other sound

Internal marketing Essay Example for Free

Internal marketing Essay Internal marketing is of much importance to an organization. For any organization to thrive, it must focus on the efficiency of the marketing plan. The internal marketing plan within a firm fosters the company’s employees and all its staff members to being customers of the products that they produce. When employees of an organization purchase the products that they produce, they attract external markets since the public out there will realize how important the products are to them, as much as to the employees. Members of staff are seen as both suppliers of the goods and also the customers of the products. This plan helps in strengthening the firm to employee relationship. When the firm management relates well with the employees, they are in a way motivated hence quality services will in turn be provided to the customers. Customers will be retained within the organization, thus enabling the company achieve a competitive advantage. It will be in a position to increase its sales according to the rampant growing demand. Also, the company will increase the process of profit making. In essence, efficiency in internal marketing allows for efficient external marketing efforts (Kotler Armstrong, 2009). A good internal marketing plan usually has distinctive features. For instance, it should create a culture that enables it to outstand over the vast competitive markets. It is achievable when workers are encouraged to be creative and innovative, responsible and accountable. Employees should be given a chance to exploit their abilities and also to act in capacity as accountable leaders. The plan should also articulate equity, fairness, recognition and motivation of outstanding performers. Employees should not be treated according to their rank position, race or gender. This has been a major setback to development hence it should be avoided by all means. It should also accommodate room for furthering the employees’ skills and knowledge. By fairness, an organization and its staff at large are encouraged to practice and embrace it. For example when someone close dies, support should be provided to his family. The organization can effectively deal with this issue through setting aside emergency funds (Ahmed Rafiq, 2002). Coca cola as a company has embraced the use of internal marketing plan within its organization, and this has seen it stand still and strong despite the competition offered by Pepsi company which is as well a manufacturer of soft drinks. The company has been strategically managed and thus its products have been wide spread, not only in the United States but also to the rest of the world. It has adopted the use of the 7ps of marketing. The 7ps involves Product, Place, Price and Promotion, Physical Environment, People, Process. Product shows what the company produces and supplies to its vast markets. Examples of such products are sprite, coke and fanta, which mainly dominate the company’s markets. Place indicates the actual placement of the manufacturing firm. Currently, manufacture of coca cola products have been spread all over the world. Price is the most important aspect of marketing. The company is supposed to regulate the prices through the advice of senior sales representatives. It is the marked price that determines the number of customers an organization will have. Customers should be made aware of the recommended retail prices of the beverages produced. This is usually done so as to discourage the intermediaries from exploiting the customers. When goods are overpriced, the organizations competitors might take advantage of this to take away the customers. Coca Cola Company has taken an initiative of inscribing the products recommended prices in the bottle tops, thus preventing occurrence of inconveniences. In marketing, promotion enables the people to know the kind of products the company produces and also gives them a reason why they should purchase them. Promotion activities are crucial because it is the determining factor whether the business will stand or fall. Physical environment also plays an important role in marketing. The surrounding and the way people domiciling around where a company intends to establish its market agrees to allow the sales agent carry out its activities determines the business marketing future. People may be very hostile; hence the business may fail to establish its markets. The processes actually portray the channels a product passes through before being delivered to the end consumer. This may again involve how the consumer will handle the product. The employees of this company are given responsibility to manage brands through efficient marketing and also given priority to lay down achievable business strategies (Drake, Gulman Roberts, 2005). Managing directors of the company are spread all over the world and the company entrusts them to establish reliable distribution channels, the targeted consumers and the marketing tools that boosts the firms’ sales. To ensure that it earns huge profits, the company has increased its sales employees and surely this act has enabled it to be at the top rank in the annual ranking of the best brands in the world. Such sales agents of the company do put into consideration a good customer relationship. They have a sense of efficiency in responding to customers needs thus majority of the consumers are retained. To obtain its employees, the coca cola company carries out recruitments. For one to qualify as an employee, he/she must pass the exams administered to them by the company’s directors. Also, they are taken through series of interviews and questionnaires, and their competences checked against the requirements of the company. While interviewing, the managers poses questions related to risk management, time management, how to attend to problems and also issues that focuses on leadership skills. After the employees are hired by the company, they are fed with adequate information about the company. This includes how it carries out its day to day activities, its mission and vision. In addition, the organizations goals and objectives are clearly stated to them. This allows the firm management to work together as one with its employees with target of realizing the successful outcome of the company’s operations. Employees work output is usually measured in this company on yearly basis. They are rated according to how they have embraced the technology, how they have fostered a sense of leadership and also by how far they established a solid relationship with the consumers. In addition, their innovativeness is recognized and this is checked through analyzing how successful they have been in bringing the outsiders into the company. Their results in terms of making the company realize goals are normally detailed, and the outstanding performers motivated. This motivation can either take form of increasing their monthly pay, promoting them to higher ranks or even recognizing them by word of mouth. Employees who are deemed as less productive are taken through a probation training. After probation, they are again sent back to the field, and if by this time the company does not see any impact in their productivity, they are left with no option other than dismissing them (Palmer, et al. , 2006). Internal marketing has been of great benefits to the coca cola company. Despite encouraging its workers perform better, it has also allowed them to acquire knowledge on being responsible and accountable. The internal marketing has also enhanced better understanding of the organization in line with the business carried out. Employees have been motivated to offer goods of quality to their customers through appreciation of their outstanding performance. This plan has again increased the consumer retention capacity and also personal developments to its employees. Non marketers within the organization has also benefited since they have learned how to carry out their duties in manner-like marketing. To sum up, the internal marketing plan has linked the coca cola business culture, vision, mission and its stipulated strategies with the employees’ social needs (Varey, 2002). Behind every successful organization, their must be a chain of problems encountered by it. Depending on how the firm embraces and handles their problems, their success is determined. Not all the employees accept change. Some becomes rigid when it comes to embracing the changes in technology. Some employees have deemed the use of computerized systems as a way of narrowing employment opportunities. Such employees can be termed as being illiterate from the fact that computers helps much in keeping efficient and effective inventory of the company’s undertakings. The company has also been faced problems based on incompetence of managers, much emphasis being in the use of interpersonal, conceptual and technical skills. The rampant spread of social evils such as corruption all over the world has seen the company employ incompetent personnel who lack skills in management. To add, the employed persons within the organization have been portrayed as not only having a poor understanding of the concepts of internal marketing but also as ignoring the orders from the senior staff (Kurtz, 2008). This has been a major problem towards successful establishment of internal marketing plan. Conflicts among the employees and also within different departments have also been a problem. People usually fight over the promotion position have made the work of implementing an internal structure difficult. To the side of the organization, some subordinates ignore the employees and does not put into consideration their welfare. Because of this, employees have reacted to fight for their rights and thus this has been a hindering factor. The spirit of synergy has also been greatly compromised since some top members of the organization over protect important information against its workers. Since there is no trust, the organization is as well less likely to embrace the concept of internal marketing. To summarize, the organizations’ structure is in most instances rigid. It does not give room for frequent reviewing and thus this has affected the internal concept of marketing. As from the benefits discussed earlier on, it is unavoidably necessary to have an internal marketing plan. This is not only for the success of the business in its environs but also all over the world. Some of the tools that should be put into consideration in successfully implementing a good internal marketing plan involve encouraging employees to have frequent contacts with the human resource managers. The contact can be enhanced through use of e-mails, faxes, telephone services, newsletters and more reliably through physical contacts. This will encourage them to air their views about the welfare of the organization. Also, they will have a chance to openly air their grievances, more especially on the way they are handled as the company’s employees. This allows fast reaction and implementation of their needs in a proper channel. More field work should be encouraged between the employees and their manager. This will allow them to share views freely with their manager and also gain experience. Since managers are normally viewed as people with experience, fieldworks will allow the employees too mingle with their managers and in the process taking note of work should be carried out (Dunmore,2002). Meetings of all the members of staff should be scheduled within reasonable time duration, for instance a fortnight or a month. This enables the organization as a whole to see how far they have gone in accomplishing its goals and objectives. It also allows them, together with its employees to check on the possible areas that they might have gone wrong in its day to day operations. From here, possible solutions are discussed and carefully thought out strategies of implementation laid out. Changes in career paths are also deemed as a tool of successfully implementing the internal marketing. The employees get to rate themselves on how good they are in sales department. They can check their performance in conjunction with the efforts they put while at work. If they find that marketing is a little pit strenuous, they can pave way for other junior employees and opt for other jobs. Changes in positions should be provided for to those employees initially put on probation. This allows them to be motivated to take up new roles within the organization. In addition, this decreases instances of boredom since the employees are subject to transfers to various departments and place of work. This act boosts the employees’ morale because they will be in a position to see as being attached to the company than before (Beamish Ashford, 2007). Internal marketing workshops and also leadership concept seminars should be embraced by the organization. The firm should encourage its employees to attend such seminars as it enables them gain skills that prepares them for future managerial positions. Such seminars also encourage mutual relationship within the organization. Positioning of the employees should be in conformance with the required qualifications. Social evils such as corruption should be avoided within the organization as this may impact negatively to the company. Such people hired through crooked ways are the ones to collapse the same company since they have gotten used to their bad habits.

Shamanism :: Spirit Spiritualism Korea Korean Essays

Shamanism A Shaman is a member of a tribal society who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events. Shamanism is the oldest folk belief of the Korean people in which every natural object in the world has a soul. In order to connect with the power of the supernatural the Shaman is taken over by a spirit by liberating their mind from natural limitation. This process is achieved through the use of drugs such as tobacco or soma, spinning or dancing, drumming, or singing of deep tones (Haines Brown). Early Shamanistic clans mainly served two different purposes, to invoke supernatural spirits and to carry out priestly and military leadership functions. â€Å"Korean Shamanism regarded three gods with special reverence and importance: the Mountain God, Sanshin (who is usually depicted as an old man with a tiger at his feet), the Toksong, or recluse, and Ch'ilsong (the god of the seven stars, the Big Dipper)† (Buddhapia). These roles began to branch out early in the second millennium B.C. Some of these clans began branching out into confederations headed by Shaman kings early in the first millennium A.D. As more and more religions began to arise such as Buddhism and Tonghak, many Koreans continued practicing the traditional ways of Shamanism. More recently one of the emphasized characteristics of Shamanism is the belief that the souls of the dead are always present. â€Å"Only the spirits of ancestors and people who died harboring grudges and deep resentment and those who died untimely deaths are honored in worship, however†, explains Kim Yol-kyu. Ones who have died young or who were murdered are believed to be able to cause great misfortune to the living or even cause diseases. The way to get rid of these diseases or misfortunes is by performing a ritual known as a gut in Korean. A Shaman who performs these ceremonies is often referred to as a mudang and must be a highly talented performer in order to conduct the ceremonies properly.

A Diary of a Woman from the Middle Ages

The light is low but I know I should write this down. I have some parchment left and some ink. The feelings were overwhelming. I have to let it all out. I hope I had some brushes and paint with me instead, so I can really show how I feel. This was my first day in the castle as an assistant cook for the Baron. I am but a peasant who learned to read and write upon my insistence, with the help of the parish priest.The Baron was able to taste my cooking when he visited the little pub I worked for with his men. His visits became frequent, and every time he asked for my special pork stew. It came to a point when I though that my recipes could not have been that good for him to be addicted to it. Apparantly, he was. One night, as he merrily cheered with his men, he whispered to me that he would like to hire me as a cook in the castle.Back then, I thought the Baron desired me. To be his mistress? I do not believe I could fathom that. He appeared to be happy with his family. I did not see any reason for him to simply wander to loose skirts. Not that my skirts ever came loose. As tradition, I married at an early age. However, as fate would have me, it will not let me live a long life with my husband, who died of an illness. God, bless his soul.Looking at the faà §ade of the castle, I have often wondered how it was inside. Upon that first step, I prayed to God to bless the Baron for finding my stew such a gift. At first, I came with him because I thought that there were no where else for commoners to go to. So I grasped the opportunity even though I was unsure of when I agreed myself into.The inside of the castle was definitely a dream for me. The carvings and the high ceilings got me dreamy eyed as I watched the meticulously crafted creations dance in the afternoon sunlight.I also learned today, that the Baron was truly kind, and he wanted to have my stew on my first night in the household. The tapestries, furniture and the people working and living within the walls of this building were quite a surprise. Who would have thought that this day and age would have created such amiable people?When given the chance to be more than one of the castle cooks, I shall ask one of the friends I made today to show me around. The Baron himself offered. He is such an unusual fellow. I denied it, of course, reasoning that I should have myself settled first for his dinner. By the jest alone, I believe he already anticipated the taste and the aroma. Really unusual.Second Entry:One of the Baron’s daughters, I learned, had a passion for painting pictures as well. But as far as I am aware of, painting is one of those crafts considered to be a menial job. I did not think that the Baron would allow his daughter to exert such effort for something they can order another to do. What are commoners for?But when I stand by to observe my lady, I noticed that she enjoyed painting pictures, and her technique adorned the walls of the castle. So she was the artist behind all these. I have painted a few of my ideas, but being the commoner that I was, with rough clothes for daily wear, I did not dream of ever being the painter I can imagine myself as.Third Entry:My lady caught me looking at her canvasses stored in her make shift studio. The moment she walked in, I felt the blood drain from my face. I knelt down on both knees and hung my head for forgiveness. She did not say anything but walked to me until I could see the toes of her shoes right in front of my face. I really thought she would punish me. I had no right being in her studio in the first place.But she gently placed her palm on top of my head and asked if I would like to try to paint a picture. I immediately told her that I am not deserving of ever touching their property. I said that I should be punished instead. But my lady bent to touch my rough and embarrassing hands and led me to a blank canvas. A paint brush was placed between my fingers and she motioned my to dip its tip on some paint s he had redied. With her soft hand over mine, she motioned the brush to simply slide a soft slope down a canvas.I almost felt how such a simple stroke across an empty space could change a lot in me. I used to paint by using the most inexpensive supplies because there was little money to even compensate food. But in the castle, no body was deprived of food. My lady even gave permission to use it. Eureka!Fourth Entry:Few days passed since my lady allowed me to use her brushes for the first time. I became more greatful to God who allowed my path to cross with the kind hearted Baron. To note my feelings, I painted a little piece for God. It was a token I thought that would please my Creator. I was not inspired but thankful. That was my driving force.The Baron’s daughter praised my piece and I blushed. I never imagined that a noble person could have praised such a commoner as myself. Their family was definitely an odd combination of heart, spirit and brains. I thought nothing else could have surprised me.  But there was! It seemed like a jest to me when she suddenly gained interest of my past. She asked if I had a family. There wasn’t much that I could remember. I was born to a poor family, and my parents died because of too much hard work and little food. I don’t know why my lady asked for details that I assume she would have known from the start.Then she looked at me with such sad eyes, and I realized that her eyes weren’t that open to reality yet. I immediately tried to comfort her, when it seemed it should have been the other way around. She wiped her tears with a piece of linen square and asked me to continue with the story. With a whisper of pain at the reminder of beloved, I told her some of the things about my marriage. Like most of the girls of this period of time got married at such an early age. But I learned to love my husband anyway.My lady shed more of her tears and I almost laughed at her face. She didn’t have to, really. She didn’t have to pity my story. But with the assistance of the linen square, she looked up at me with clear eyes and said that she thought as much when she looked at my drafts and little masterpieces.She insisted that I painted with her by the gardens when she did. It made her feel assured that there are still those who shared her passion. At the end of every session, we would look at each others’ work and comment about the job done. Who would have thought that a commoner would ever experience the feeling of being equal with the noble families of this country? This family is definitely unusually kind.

Raising My Voice by Malalai Joya

The book I studied is â€Å"Raising my voice† by Malalai Joya. This is the extraordinary story of the award winning Afghan woman who dares to speak out. She was born in Western Afghanistan. Three days after she was born, a soviet-backed coup changed her life forever. Within a year, Afghanistan was an occupied country, and she says â€Å"since then war is all we Afghans have known. † (p. 7, 2009) Her childhood was spent in refugee camps in Iran and Pakistan. Her family were forced to leave Afghanistan to avoid the war. This was not a welcoming experience. â€Å"Afghans were seen as second-class humans by the Iranian government. (p. 19, 2009) Her father who was a Doctor was forced to do difficult jobs for very low wages, simply because he was an Afghan and not Iranian. Her family spent four years living in terrible conditions as exiles in Iran. â€Å"About 85,000 Afghans were squeezed into filthy, over-crowded camps. We were neglected and forgotten, where we baked in the heat of the day and shivered at night. † (p. 20, 2009) Malalai’s father believed so strongly in the value of education, even for girls, so to him, what was even worse than these living conditions were the fact that there were no schools in these camps. Afghan children were not allowed to attend Iranian schools and for this reason, her family decided to leave Iran and move to Pakistan. It was in Pakistan, that Malalai first attended a school. The school was the only school that allowed Afghan female refugees to attend. Malalai really enjoyed her classes and immediately valued the importance of education. In 1992, when Malalai was fourteen, her family moved back to Afghanistan. However, it wasn’t long before she would move back to Pakistan because it was far too unsafe to live in Afghanistan. â€Å"Young girls were being abducted, raped and killed by roaming gangs. (p. 30, 2009) â€Å"At night, armed fighters of criminal mujahideen groups would often walk right into people’s homes. All the children were locked in a bedroom with the light off and told to remain silent. We were terrified, but we could not cry out as we listened to these men yelling and turning things upside down around the house, taking whatever they pleased. † (p. 31, 2009) Malalai used to listen to the radio with her father. There were regular reports about the intifada in Palestine, and how their children were bravely fighting against the aggression of Israeli troops. She asked her father, â€Å"Why are we not from Palestine, where the children are so brave? † He replied â€Å"If that’s the way you feel, why don’t you think about becoming like a Palestinian in your own country? † (p. 39, 2009) I think this was what made Malalai go into politics and fight for her country. â€Å"This had a deep impact on me. I thought about what he said for days. I wanted to work to end what was going on in Afghanistan, and perhaps my father was showing me the way. † (p. 30, 2009) In 1998, Malalai joined the Organisation for Promoting Afghan Women’s Capabilities (OPAWC) as a full-time social activist. After living in exile for sixteen years, she returned to Afghanistan for her job to teach girls in defiance of the Taliban. This job came with a risk. However Malalai accepted the risk involved and adopted the surname Joya to protect her family’s identity. â€Å"Teaching at an underground girls’ school was a dangerous job, but I never considered giving it up. I felt it was a great injustice that Afghan girls were being denied an education. The Taliban wanted to keep them in the dark, because any time a group is denied education it is harder for them to know their rights and to fight for them. (p. 56, 2009) Upon Malalai’s return to Afghanistan, she had to learn to wear the burqa as this was a requirement from the Taliban. â€Å"I didn’t like it. Not one bit. It’s not only oppressive but it’s more difficult than you might think. You have no peripheral vision because of the netting in front of your eyes. And it’s hot and suffocating under there. The only useful thing about those long blue robes was that they could be used to hide school books and other forbidden objects. † (p. 44, 2009) Men had to grow thick beards as long as a â€Å"clenched fist†. (p. 3, 2009) according to the rules of male grooming. Books other than the Quran were forbidden. Television, movies, and recorded music were also illegal. The Taliban considered practising any other religion un-Islamic so they made it a crime. They would blow up or scrape off the faces of any other religious statues, paintings or photographs. In the Summer of 2001, Malalai was named the director of OPAWC in Western Afghanistan so she had to move back to where she was born. â€Å"We were just getting re-established when, on the night of September 11th, the radio broadcast some horrifying news. Within days everyone knew that there would be a war. † (p. 57, 2009) America started dropping bombs on Afghanistan daily, killing the lives of innocent people. The Taliban was replaced by the Northern Alliance. In 2003, the OPAWC opened a health clinic which was run by Malalai, again her safety was at risk as this was illegal. This health clinic soon expanded into an orphanage. Throughout the history of Afghanistan, whenever the country faced important reforms or changes in government, tribal elders and other leaders have assembled in a traditional gathering called a Loya Jirga. In 2003, the United Nations was called in to oversee elections to a Loya Jirga. At the age of twenty-five, Malalai decided to get involved in the new political process in Afghanistan. â€Å"I had come to know first-hand their extreme suffering-especially that of women. I felt that our people needed their voices to be heard. † (p. 71, 2009) â€Å"I was determined to help put an end to the rule of the warlords and fundamentalists, and I knew the great majority of Afghan men and women shared this aim. I did not understand at the time how this decision would change my life forever. † (p. 2, 2009) Malalai was the winner of this Loya Jirga. The second Loya Jirga Malalai attended; she was shocked and appalled to see warlords and other well known war criminals there that had made Afghanistan the war ridden country that it is. So in her speech she spoke of this. â€Å"My criticism of all my compatriots is why you are allowing the legitimacy and legality of this Loya Jirga to come into question due to the presence of those criminals who have brought our country to this state. Why would you allow criminals to be present here? They are responsible for our situation now! † (p. 3, 2009) During her speech, she was asked to stop and she was escorted out of the Loya Jirga. That night, men came to a place where they thought Malalai would be staying to rape and kill her. Luckily, she was not there. Even though Malalai did not return to the second day at the Loya Jirga, her name was making headlines around the world. In 2005, at the age of twenty-seven, she was the youngest person to be elected to the new Parliament. Since then, she survived numerous assassination attempts and continued to press the cause of those who elected her. Whenever Malalai spoke in Parliament, her microphone would be cut off. My days in Parliament were always stressful and lonely because I was constantly being attacked and insulted. Sometimes I would raise the red card on my desk in protest, or even walk out in disgust. † (p. 153, 2009) In 2007, in a television interview, Malalai criticised the criminals and warlords in Parliament, â€Å"If the Afghan Parliament continued on its current path, people would soon call it a zoo or a stable. † (p. 170, 2009) However, Malalai specified that this comment was intended for the criminals and warlords and were not intended for the MPs who were real representatives. This part of her statement was left out when it was aired on television and it made her sound like she was criticising the whole Parliament which in turn is the nation because the Parliament is the ‘house of the nation. ’ â€Å"This programme ended up defaming me in the eyes of the Afghan people while giving my enemies in Parliament ammunition to use against me. † (p. 171, 2009) Malalai was suspended from Parliament for ‘insulting the institution of Parliament. ’ Protests and rallies were held worldwide to get Malalai back into Paliament. The support Malalai received was astonishing. Even some of my fellow parliamentarians have approached me to discreetly tell me that they support me, but they cannot do so publicly. † (p. 178, 2009) However, Malalai’s banishment from Parliament has meant her message has been spread worldwide. â€Å"Although I am no longer able to stand up in Parliament and raise my voice for justice, my enemies have accidently given me a gift. Because now my message is being carried further than ever before, and the cause of my people is heard all over the world. † (p. 188, 2009) The war is still continuing in Afghanistan to this day. She is not confident about this changing since Obama has been elected. He and his foreign policy advisors do not appear to have learned from the past seven years-the course they are pursuing will only push the region into a wider war and more destruction. † (p. 249, 2009) â€Å"Today we live under the shadow of the gun, and with the most corrupt and unpopular government in the world. † (p. 253, 2009) Malalai has done a lot for her country and people and has no regrets. â€Å"I would never want to take back any of the speeches I have made, nor any of the statements I have issued denouncing the corrupt and violent men and women who use and abuse their power to keep Afghanistan in their grip. (p. 267, 2009) I truly believe Malalai has made an unforgettable mark in her country and she believes this also. â€Å"You can kill me, but you can never kill my spirit. † (p. 270, 2009) I think Malalai diagnoses what is wrong with the strategic decisions being made by society throughout her life very accurately and very bravely. All her life, she has gone against what the rulings of Afghanistan have suggested is correct in order to fight for what she personally believes is correct. Malalai leads the reader to consider new strategic directions not just for the individual but also for society as a whole. The majority of the people in Afghanistan especially women are just followers, even if they do not agree with something. Malalai was brave enough to go against this from a very young age. She was fortunate to be part of a family who treated boys and girls the same and luckily her father knew the value of education so made sure she went to school. Without education she would not have the knowledge or power to be the woman she is today. She wanted to give this opportunity to other Afghan girls, so she went against the Taliban to do this through her teaching with the OPAWC. She also went against the Taliban by opening a health clinic and an orphanage. This showed what a genuinely caring person Malalai was and that she was willing to risk her life to help strangers. Malalai is the first person not to mention first woman to stand up in the Loya Jirga and speak about the warlords and criminals the way she did. In her 2007 television interview, I think she is very brave for saying the things she said, however, I feel that maybe the words she used were not correct. She maybe should have been more professional as she should have remembered her role as a parliamentarian; however I think she spoke that way because she was so passionate about this subject and I do not believe these comments should have led her to be banished from Parliament, if anything she should have just been suspended. Through reading the whole book, speaking the way she did may have been the best route to take as all her other efforts seem to be unnoticed and although it resulted in her being banished from Parliament, she gained international recognition so that she can spread her views further than just Afghanistan. I do find Malalai’s arguments and story convincing, because I think Afghanistan is a much oppressed country and a sexist country. I agree that the way the warlords have run the country have led it to destruction and war. It is wrong that women are forced to wear the burqa. Nobody should be denied of an education and anyone who can justify raping and killing young girls should not be ruling a country. In my own personal strategy in life, I believe in standing up for what I believe is right. You can achieve your goals if you have the right knowledge, strategy and will power to do so-as long as you know you are right.