Art Critque †Mona Lisa Overdose Essay

Using the different elements of art, the artist organized the elements to provoke a feeling of puzzlement and surprise to the audience. The Mona Lisa, being a famous painting, was distorted in a way that it projects a different emotion from the original one. Lorenzana presented the distortion of the proportion and scale of the face of the Mona Lisa in order to evoke a feeling of unsettling disbelief with the visuals of the painting. The change of the Mona Lisa’s face caused a contrast to be present in the artwork. It emphasized the subject’s face and the cigarette presented irony from the original knowledge about the base artwork. Combining all these elements, the artist was able to express the idea of the paining, which is how something clean and subtle, can turn into something mischievous or bizarre. The elements provided the audience a sense of bizarre facial elements on the subject, which caused a subtle, dark, and mysterious tone to be emanated from the painting. Interpretation By Paolo Alilam In this artwork Luis Lorenzana painted a very different Mona Lisa. He depicted a very â€Å"overdosed† Mona Lisa with a stick of cigarette, a bottle of Red Horse, and face with clown-like make up. I think he was just trying to add a little bit of today in something very classic. The normal Mona Lisa shows a very pleasant portrait. Luis Lorenzana’s artworks usually show surrealism or bizarreness. This fact explains this rendition of the Mona Lisa. I think he created this just to show creativity and give people a different taste compared to the usual. Who would imagine Mona Lisa like this anyway? When I look at the artwork I feel a bit weirded-out. For me it’s not such a pleasant artwork. It’s somewhat scary even. But, like I said, he made this artwork just to give people a different taste. â€Å"Do I think there are symbols to the artwork?† Maybe. Maybe Luis Lorenzana likes cigarettes, drinks, and other things like that. Well, I don’t really k now the guy. Another possibility is that when he was painting this he was smoking or drinking. We’ll never know unless we ask him. Judgment By JV Valdez The artwork is a very surrealistic painting. It presents the famous Mona Lisa in some sort of parody in which seems like she’s high on drugs and drunk from drinking â€Å"Red Horse beer†. In my opinion the artist presented a really good distortion of the Mona Lisa. In the original painting of the Mona Lisa she was presented as a demure woman, however the artist distorted that and turned her into a non-conservative drunkard. Based on my personal preferences, I would consider this as a good artwork because I have a preference for artworks that look demented and creepy. However, I don’t think it is an important artwork because I have seen a lot of different artworks trying to do the same distortion with the Mona Lisa as well. I also don’t find the artwork unique in anyway because like I said I have seen other distortions of the Mona Lisa and I view this certain artwork as just one of the many different imitations. All in all I really like this artwork because it has that eerie and demented emotion that it is trying to evoke from viewers, which gives me the creeps every time I look at it.

Aging Ad Analysis

Advertisement of products through media is constantly used by marketing as a way by which they are able to educate the public regarding the features of their products which are provided for heir consumers. Among the favorite topics of advertising today is regarding the products that feature anti-aging chemicals helping the old-aged people look young and cover their age years through the use of beauty products.Yes, as clearly seen, immortality is among the most wanted features of the public from products. Ironically, this could never be possible and could never be provided by any product. However, staying young basing from the looks of a person is at least a relief from all the doubtful feelings brought about by the fact of aging.Hence, to be able to cater to this social demand, clinical scientists and chemical engineers try to formulate ways by which they could address to he said need of humanity.How does advertising cater to this social want? Moreover, how much does advertising affe ct the human reaction towards aging and its reality? These questions shall be addressed in the paragraphs that follow as the advertising systems of Olay products against aging shall be observed by the author of this paper.OLAY Company and Their ProductsOne of the leading companies that cater to the need of people to feel young and beautiful amidst their age is Olay Company. It produces numerous products that help the lessening of the effects of aging on human skin. Mostly, their products try to alleviate the lines in the skin, especially on the face of people that are usually obvious as the person gains age.This is the reason why on most advertisements of the company, especially concerning televised marketing, it could be noticed that the focus of the artists are on the way their skin feels and looks like.It is simply like erasing the lines of age from the face and feeling young again. Of course, this could not be considered as a way by which people gain immortality. However, the fa ct that the ‘feel-good’ feature of the products usually give the notion of becoming renewed and rejuvenated in many ways just because of thinking that they grew younger once more.The vitality that the products provide makes the consumers feel refreshed, Hence, the more they are able to live life to its fullest. Furthermore, most of the television commercials of the said products claim that beauty becomes radiant if the person that ‘wears it’ feels good from within.For this reason, the trust that the consumers have on the products of the company, which are mostly based from their ability to persuade through their advertisements, makes the consumers more radiantly reflecting the beauty they feel from within.One of their advertisements through the Internet posted the following claims:â€Å"Any moisturiser – regardless of price – can claim to smooth wrinkles because it will temporarily plump the skin. â€Å"Using any moisturising product will he lp reduce fine lines and wrinkles by between 12 and 15 per cent,† says Dr John Sullivan, acting head of dermatology at Liverpool Hospital. â€Å"A more expensive moisturiser might smell better and feel nicer on your skin. But it's not actually anti-ageing; it's just a temporary effect while you're using the product.†Source: smh.com.au. (2006). Wrinkle power. http://www.smh.com.au/news/beauty/wrinkle-power/2006/10/24/1161455723591.html. (December 7, 2006)Obviously, the advertisement cited above encourages the consumers to purchase the product that they advertise through stating that the product ensures the user of a wrinkle-free skin. Hence, beauty is rather portrayed in terms of having a flawless skin and un-aged physical features. Everything is obviously based upon the physical attributes of a person.Social Effects of the AdvertisementsWhere did all this wanting to stay young and remain ‘immortal’ in a sense came from? Mostly, as Susan Mc Carthy mentioned in her article entitled â€Å"On Immortality†, the source of this social wanting of being young at all times possible is based upon the fact that the system of the human body is obviously able to support its own self towards immortality.This study has been proved through the continuous research of scientists with regards the amazing structure of the human body and the wondrous make up of the human cells as well as their ability to reproduce on themselves.Hence, knowing this, many people, especially the experts, claim that immortality is indeed possible. The certainties though of producing human genome projects that would rather cater to this human demand for longer life are not as strong as it may seem. As a result, the human society at present is trying to make itself feel at ease through the beauty products produced through cosmetics companies.However, instead of feeling more at ease, there are numerous people who feel more obliged and frustrated with regards to being †˜beautiful and young’. Those who are especially unable to purchase beauty products feel the doubts of being totally beautiful or socially accepted in terms of their physical appearance. Most often, they end up wanting more than what they could actually have.The feature of advertisements towards anti-aging has led the society in viewing life as a mere epitome of the need of being beautiful. The constant posts of the said television or even the printed ads have created a notion on people’s minds regarding the need of a person to stay beautiful and young amidst their age gains.ConclusionAging is not bad. As a fact, aging is a sign of experience and wisdom. During the earlier times, it could not be denied that the aging features of the physical attributes of a person set him in a higher level of integrity compared to others in the society.However, with the development of technology and further enhancement of marketing strategies in media, old age has been viewed by the mo dern society as an unwanted truth in human life. Hence, the production of products that would help alleviate the doubts brought about by aging symptoms which becomes obvious on the physical features of a person have been boosted and still continuously developed.True, the want of being young at all times and the notion of incurring immortality would continuously interest people. Perhaps, the creator pf mankind has undoubtedly implanted this though upon the human mind because of the fact that HE himself plans something better for humans in the future. For who else is better to provide the needs of the creations than the creator himself?

Famous Creative Thinkers Essay

In this assignment there are several great creative thinkers to choose from for completion. After reading through the list James Hal Cone and Grace Hopper became the choices. The reasoning was these individuals were so different in their paths of success, or for better word accomplishments. Both are extraordinary people; however their journeys are profoundly different, however both are instrumental in worthy contributions in society and the world. Throughout this paper we will uncover and discover Cone and Hopper purpose, passion, and for one even pain. James Hal Cone was born August 5, 1938 in Fordyce Arkansas, to Charles and Lucy Cone. Early in Cone childhood he was introduced to religion and had a strong spiritual guidance. James was an intelligent child who went on to graduate from high school at age 16, at which time he became a minister. Cone beginnings started with being brought up in a segregated part of Arkansas, where people of color were discriminated against and treated u nfairly. James early in life reflected upon the social injustices of the poor, blacks, and women. Cone took the treatment to heart early along with his religious background and became a minister at 16, starting to address the differences of treatment. During his early life at college he was a minister at several churches. However during his early period of college and ministry the civil rights movement started evolving and he noticed Martin Luther King. Through that introduction of Dr. King he realized his true direction was ministry and attended Theological Seminary getting a M.A. and Ph.D. James acquired four degrees in a seven year span, a man on a mission with an extraordinary mind. Two things directed Hal’s path pain of discrimination and coming to know Jesus. After graduation with his Ph.D. in theology, Hal went on to be a professor of religious studies, still believing in nonviolence. During this period changes came with Malcolm X, northern riots, and Stokely Carmichael’s   call to â€Å"Black Power† (This Far by Faith, 2015). The direction of society from two important men King and X, initiated Hal’s influence of empowering African Americans Christianity from slavery, segregation and justice in society. Hal knew through theology he could address the issue and started writing introducing black liberation theology. What Hal orchestrated was self-worth with assimilation of the black power movement, addressing social and racial justice for black people, freeing them from oppression economically and spiritually. Ideally Hal wanted to empower people through Christianity beliefs; however he addressed the separate treatment of the poor, oppressed and blacks in the Christian community. Hal eventually wrote many books that were supported and criticized because of his criticism of white theologians not addressing the struggle and differential treatment of the African American people as far back as slavery. Hal also went to speak in China and Latin America concerning the lack of address of people of color being oppressed, poor and oppression as Christians. He took a stand against segregation and mistreatment of all people on a theologian podium. James Hal took theology using it as a tool towards the individuality that contributed to the history, existence, and civilization of black people. Hal thinking really was devised from his thought of how can people be Christians, but be ok with the injustices of segregation. With Hal coming of age during the civil rights movement had a major effect on his social consciousness. This was a period (civil rights movement) where it was obvious that black people were being mistreated, even among white Christians. Hal took the stand against the treatment even though it was not a popular decision. For James it became unacceptable for Christians to treat people differently than what the bible taught, â€Å"Love your neighbor as you love yourself†. Even though it appeared Hal writings and views were racially motivated, by earlier content, Hal knew his sentiments was to empower Christian people to realize that in spite of their skin color they were of value and deserve to be treated accordingly. Through it all the process that Hal used to devise his plan of action came from evaluating and analyzing the information obtained from his personal experience, observation and communication. Armed with those factors of critical thinking he creatively started changing how people of color, women, oppressed, and poor people thought about themselves spiritually. Hal later realized that terms used to address white Christians was impropriate  and that he could have addressed the issue differently, still standing on his beliefs, that there should be no racism or segregation in the church. James Hal Cone the pioneer for making people aware of the segregation that should never be acceptable in the theologian Christian community, God created all people equal and God is in respect of no man. Grace Hopper computer scientist and that is speaking lightly of her accomplishments and creativity. Grace Hopper was born December 6, 1906, as Grace Brewster Murray in New York. Born during a period that girl were not normally educated, Grace parents believed just the opposite. Grace was not a traditional girl, on one account she was fascinated with the working of a clock, at seven she dismantled the clock. Her actions were based on how does the alarm clock work? As the story goes she dismantles all the clocks in her home, first sign of her tenacity, innovation and perseverance (Hopper Biography- Mac Tutor of Mathematics, 2015). Grace attended private school and went to earn a college degree in mathematics from Vassar College. From 1928 to 1931 she achieved marriage, along with a M.A. degree from Yale University. Three years later Grace was an associate professor with a Ph. D., however with all her accomplishments her real passion was to join the military. Opportunity presented itself when the United States entered the Second World War, unbeknownst to Grace she was too old and to slight in weight. However not one to take no for an answer she persuaded the Navy to enlist her at the old age of 37, unheard of especially for a woman. Mission accomplished she’s a Navy woman with her first orders to start working on the Harvard Mark I computer, she was elated. The computer took her back to childhood, now she really could dismantle the computer and make adjustments, becoming the first woman to program the Mark I. She is in her element and making strives, moving forward. Grace went on to play a significant role in the creation of the Mark II and III computer program. After retiring from the Navy she developed with a team the UNIVAC computer, along with an upgrade compiler. While still being employed at a computer corporation, Grace and team developed the first English – language data processing computer (Hopper Biography –Mac Tutor Mathematics, 2015). Grace was the pioneer behind the first English language computer being in existence. Before the team and Grace developed the language computer, computers were  only mathematically designed. There was only word numbers, no words had come into computer existence. Now computers with business language existed, which people in the computer world thought was not possible. The COBOL (common business – oriented language computer came into existence in 1959 changing the world. Grace had creative ideas before the time frame of computers starting with an alarm clock. With her ability for mathematics, brilliant mind, and education she was able to accomplish the beginning of the computer language, which have gone on to universal success. Grace had no restraints, what she set out to do she did. In spite of the times she had courage, direction, daring, and most important she did not have an established pattern for her creativity thinking. At all levels she challenged herself with a range of ideas; from discovery, defining, designing, and developing the computer with the English language. She was the lady behind the computer bug (Berni Dwan, Irish Times, 2001). Her biggest obstacle was being a female in an area of men and times when women were not so easily accepted in the corporate world, especially the unknown like computers. References Blake, John. â€Å"America’s ‘Angriest’ Theologian Faces Lynching Tree.† CNN Belief Blog. http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/21/americas-angriest-theologian-faces-lynching-tree/?hpt=hp_c1 (accessed April 23, 2012). â€Å"James H. Cone.† Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. http://www.utsnyc.edu//Page.aspx?pid=353 (accessed June 15, 2011). BLACK THEOLOGY AND IDEOLOGY: DEIDEOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS IN THE THEOLOGY OF JAMES H. CONE (Book). By: Hayes, Diana L., Theological Studies, 00405639, Dec2003, Vol. 64, Issue 4 http://www.pbs.org/thisfarbyfaith/people/james_cone.html Grace Hopper. (2015). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 01:15, Mar 23, 2015, from http://www.biography.com/people/grace-hopper-21406809 http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Hopper.html Programming’s amazing grace she developed the first program to translate computer instructions from english into machine language and gave the world the computer `bug’. berni dwan looks back at the life and work of grace hopper. (2001, May 21). Irish Times Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/309366344?accountid=358 Famous Creative Thinkers

The Freedom of a Christian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Freedom of a Christian - Essay Example This essay will review one of the Three Treatises by Martin Luther, titled as ‘The Freedom of A Christian’ which is considered to be the final treatise in the collection. Martin Luther in his treatise â€Å"The Freedom of the Christian† begins by making two inconsistent statements where he narrates that a Christian is not restricted from any external influences and is entitled to serve other community selflessly as a slave. It is quite interesting to take into consideration that a Christian is not only free but also a servant to the society as narrated by Luther. Luther further states that being the servant of the society it is significant to perform the good work that is vital to bind neighbour with neighbour facilitating peace within the community. In this context, it can be claimed that Luther contradicts himself by asserting that tasks or responsibilities bestowed are not needed for the purpose of good reason; however, it is important that a Christian needs to be both free and a servant. Stating precisely, he affirmed that until a person is servant to others he cannot be a Christian. Furthermore, to serve the society playing the role of a selfless and faithful servant, it is important to perform supportive and accountable responsibilities. Therefore, it can be affirmed that towards the end of the treatise, Luther’s position becomes similar to that of the Catholic position, since he also considers the responsibilities performed for the good of the society as an essential feature to be a Christian. Luther discusses that one particular thing which a person needs in life in order to become virtuous is the word of God, which he defines as Gospels. Luther also states that good work as well as good deeds is not so significant for an individual owing to the fact that they are external to the individual’s body. However, the author places greater emphasis upon faith and grace as they are related with the soul of the person and hence are attributed as internal. The author asserts that a person tends to build the quality of true faith from his devotion and acc ountability towards God which needs to be built internally rather than generating from external influences. At the end of the document the author unambiguously advocates that if God has failed to fill the individual’s soul with faith and grace, the nature is most likely to express disapproval of it. Section 3: Extended Analysis of the Document Martin Luther’s ‘Freedom of a Christian’ was first made available in the year 1520. It was considered as one of the important documents of the sixteenth-century, Protestant Reformation. In the present day context as well, his work remains one of the classic tracts of the Protestant culture. The book was written on the eve of Martin Luther’s excommunication from the Church, as his final ecumenical signal towards Rome prior to making his pretentious exit. The Tract was dedicated to Pope Leo X by Luther embellishing it with a strong preamble addressed to the ‘blessed father’. As can be observed, in t he later pages of the ‘Freedom of a Christian’ Luther aimed at considering other people who were basically exaggerated because of their ostensible dignity from being respected as a Christian similar to his discussions in other tracts published in the year 1520. It can further be learnt that Luther’s ‘Freedom of a Christian’ became his bold new announcement on human character and human autonomy that aimed at describing all Christians irrespective of their degree of solemnity as being traditionally defined. The influence of then external environmental factors such as society, politics, and cultural values can also be apparently witnessed in the treatises, which were documented during an age featured by considerable changeovers

Parking a car Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Parking a car - Essay Example ger is not interested in you; he is only interested in the arrival and departure of your car in the parking lot and the fees that you pay for the service. Americans knew that this serious problem parking was going to tax their brains. With the introduction of automobiles, the fundamentals of travel styles changed and it had severe impact on the American landscape. Cars caused congestion; they restricted the right-of-way from the pedestrians and caused big traffic congestions in small towns and metropolitan cities. Cars in motion caused problems; cars at rest caused more problems! The space required for parking is staggering but often underestimated. 6. Show important films on the related issues, useful quotations and case studies that will inspire the students involved in learning. The contents should make a learner a better learner, and the teacher, even a better teacher. Getting a learner’s license is the first step of the ladder to become an expert car driver. An individual shaping to become well-versed at the wheels needs to understand parking as modern convenience, what it means to parking at curbside, commercial parking lots and municipal parking lots etc. The advantages and disadvantages of such facilities, cost-wise! The subject of parking is not studied in isolation now. The notion that a car purchased will be parked somehow, somewhere, is no more acceptable. Now the human ecology is dedicated to automobile use. Everyone knows that by owning a car, you are twice-blessed! For, an equal amount of space is needed for maneuvering it in and out. And cars in regular use need two spaces. One at the residence and one at the destination away from home—the workplace! When a trip terminates, you need parking. In America, automobiles have become the essential part of living—like electricity, gas and running water. One’s social and cultural life like visiting the church, visiting government offices, trips to health consultant—everywhere the mode of

Concerns for the Future of Our Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concerns for the Future of Our Society - Essay Example Our major issue in the world is that we are not doing too well with our reputation in other countries. There are many news items and movies that are telling how we are no longer the "superpower" that we once were and how other countries are not seeing us as "good people" anymore. We need to change that because if we are to move forward in the world and help other countries, we have to learn to work with other cultures. Our greatest hope for the future will be to find a way to get along instead of destroying the sanctity of other countries. We don't have the right to go into other countries and try to force them to do what we say. We have to learn to work with them through understanding their ways and helping them to understand ours. I hope that in the future, well be able to sit together and find ways to work from the common ground. There are a lot of important issues in our world today and AIDS Awareness is one of them. Although people are able to live longer with this disease than they were in years past, it is still a concern. HIV/AIDS isn't just in our country or in Africa anymore but it is all over the world. According to Avert, an International AIDS Charity, "Russia has the largest HIV epidemic in Europe and accounts for around two-thirds of the cases in Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regions". According to the same agency, says that "it is estimated that about 2.5 million people in India are living with AIDS." When I think about this I wonder why we haven't found some kind of cure for this disease. AIDS Awareness has worked for some people and the new incidences of AIDS have decreased in many areas, but the fact still remains that it is of epidemic proportions. Although we have talked to people and informed them of the dangers of unprotected sex, many still engage in the practice.     

Quantitative market research report carried out on a professional Paper

Quantitative market report carried out on a professional photo service by Marketest (marketing company) - Research Paper Example In addition, although the main aim of taking photos is for memory purposes, many people have gone beyond this tradition belief, and incorporated other aspects such as taking photos for fun, marketing strategies for business among other aspects (Davis 11). In this regard, most people in the UK have decided to seek professional help in matters pertaining to photography services. This is because professional photographer may have a variety of services such as editing photos, adding literature in them and even blending them to bring out the desired purpose of the customer (Allen 7). On the other hand, it is apparent that there a great need to have professional photo services for such purposes. 2. Literature review Importance of using professional photo services for business Due to high competition in the current markets, businesses have decided to spice their marketing strategies in order to develop and maintain competitive advantage that would enable them thrive in a highly competitive market. In this regard, professional photo services play a critical role in informing customers of new and exciting products (Adrian 49). For instance, a hotel may decide to use professional photo services to display some of their new foods. ... In hotel business, entrances and table menus acts as the best places to place advertisement pictures. In addition, they are in a better position to advise the business owner of additional materials to incorporate on the picture (Obermeier and Padova 74). For businesses advertising on the internet and especially via their websites, professional photo services could decide of the best photos to be placed on the website in line with the target market and the line of business (Folsom and Goodridge 12). A good example of a professional photo services is McDonalds. Although there has been heated debate on the dietary and unhealthy effects of fast foods, McDonalds has managed to maintain a considerable number of customers due to its use of professional photo services, which are well displayed on its website and its outlets across the globe. Company vehicles are well branded with photos of different fast foods such as styled hamburger, which entices people even those that clearly know about the effects of fast foods. Studies have documented that quality photos can be used to sell a product or hurt the business greatly. A poor photo can display a negative image of business products thus affecting business performance. For instance, a poorly taken or displayed photo can translate to poor quality products, and this can shun away customers (Johnson 298). A good and quality photo can attract new customers as well as maintain the already existing ones (Malhotra and Birks 24). In this regard, professional photo services can determine the best photos to entice customers, and which; can impress them on their first encounter with them. Studies have also documented that photos can be used to put across several meanings

Interest Rate Parity, Exchange Rates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Interest Rate Parity, Exchange Rates - Essay Example Through increased employee engagement, employees have been indicated to encompass skills that are geared towards enhanced performance in the workplace. Employee engagement has been attributed with the ability to decode the workplace processes, as well as adjust to the system within the shortest time possible. Employee engagement is almost impossible for the functioning of any organizations. Analysts argue that for any organization to attain high productivity, incorporation of employee engagement in organizations is the blueprint of operations of all organizations. Alarming statistics indicate that the negative implications of not engaging employees in the workplace are taking an uphill trend. Other statistics indicate that, most workers record high levels, of unhappiness in a majority of organizations in the United Kingdom. Consequently, this has become an uphill task for managers to handle. In fact, a great percentage of studies have recorded employee disengagement and unhappiness as the major indicators of low productivity in the companies. Experts in the management sector attest to the fact that, if employees are allowed to explore their potential to the fullest, there is a great likelihood that, employees will treat their workplaces as their own businesses. In essence, employees that are engaged are more of proactive than reactive; they are self driven and innovative towards unremitting improvement of their workplaces. Generally, employee engagement has had massive impacts on building rapport between employees in the workplace through creation of proper communication channels; mandatory for growth of organizations. The sole purpose of this dissertation is to understand the implications of engaging employees and their performance. In order, to have a vivid interpretation of this topic, the case study of Etisalat telecommunication Company will be put under scrutiny.

Rewriting an introduction for a chemistry paper Essay

Rewriting an introduction for a chemistry paper - Essay Example This paper, therefore, presents comprehensive guidelines for improving students’ knowledge of the basic writing in chemistry and their abilities to write for chemistry audience. This research focuses on identifying a subset of skills that advanced chemistry students require to write their first professional journals. These skills include writing conventions, audience and purpose, and grammar and mechanics. A sample of more than 300 chemistry students from 16 colleges and universities, between 2004 and 2006, took a writing test to select skills that correspond to the three components. The results indicated that the participants scored 80 percent to skills related to grammar and mechanics, 45 percent to writing conventions, and 40 percent to audience and purpose. In order to improve students’ needs, we suggested a writing exercise that primarily targeted writing convention and audience and purpose. This activity is explained, in the body paragraphs, and the suggested guidelines are also indicated. This paper is concluded by providing recommendations for implementing these activities, in chemistry

Foreign policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Foreign policy - Essay Example China’s economy has grown steadily over the past thirty years; it is the nation with the highest level of foreign reserves currently. The country is acknowledged as the manufacturing capital of the world with a number of exports that rivals most nations of the world. A number of the issues associated with China’s prosperity have emerged; a number of them are predominantly ideological and social. The Chinese government has struggled with internal conflicts between itself and Tibet as well as challenges with Taiwan. Criticisms have also been brought out against the country concerning cyber security as well as its respect for democracy and human rights. For the first time in history, Australia must engage with a centre of power that lacks political and cultural similarities to the nation. In the past, major investors in Australia were largely democratic and western, so it was not difficult for foreign policy experts to forge partnerships between these nations. However, China is a unique case for the country because of the unconventional nature of its social-political climate; some reconciliations and transitions must take place before sustainable relations can be reached (Camilleri, Martin and Michael, 2013). China and Australia’s symbiotic association can largely be attributed to Australia’s mineral resources and China’s huge demand for these resources. On the other hand, several Chinese students come to Australia to acquire a higher education while other older citizens think of Australia as a preferred tourist destination. Australia has been influential in getting China to participate in multilateral institutions, most of which dwell on regional cooperation. Now the largest import source for Australia is China as it brings in about 15.3% of the nations’ inputs. Goods exchanges are not one-sided among these two nations as Australia exports 22.6% of its items to the above country (Capling, 2008). Regardless of the

Executed Activity Plan with detailed Evaluation Essay

Executed Activity Plan with detailed Evaluation - Essay Example The behavior of Tina as to tend to avoid or ignore rules as well as the ability to participate more freely in the activity was the main guiding factor, when this was mapped on the EYFS, to develop a short term plan for her activity since her case was one of little details of ignoring rules. Tina’s age, developmental needs as well as other interests were also factored in. The plan developed for Tina, as earlier defined, was a short term. Short term plan is one that is frequently drawn and changed on a regular basis and is aimed and identify development in a specific concept or perspective (Department for Children, School and Families 2008). The short term plan can be done on a daily or weekly basis and will strive to assess the rate of integration of newly learnt concepts by a child. In designing and developing an ideal childhood development plan, that is effective, it was important that it follows a specific guideline which would ensure all the objectives therein, were achieve d. The system or plan so developed was able to continuously monitor the improvements, stagnation or decline in the development of the child. A better plan is that which provides checks or screening modalities which will be able to identify any abnormalities as soon as they occur (Education, E. C, 2010). Therefore, the system should be comprehensive enough, and be able to use information or observations noted, in making instructional decisions directed towards improving the child’s development curve. Consequently, the plan used in activated child development should be one that is consistent across settings, though, may be adapted to contain specific needs and demands of a given child. The progress of the child should not be specific but should include all the parameters of development as well. During observation of the children taking part in the foot painting activity, various critical points developed to incorporate in the plan. In the course of the play, Tina had shown an i nterest in working with the paints and manipulating colors which was actually a child’s own initiative. It was therefore important to keep the interest of the child while guiding the child to follow instructions and rules of the activities (Moyles 1998). The rules and instructions are the duty of adults in the development of the child since they give and ensure the rules are followed. The reason the instructions were not followed was probably because there was no keen listening or the message of the instructions were not decoded correctly. The role of the adults in the playing activity was to set the physical environment and prevent injuries from occurring. They also had to ensure the playing rules were followed. Children try to discover their abilities as they strive to be better than each other. In this activity, adult’s role was to explain the rules and instructions to be followed to the children. The tables were set with everything the children required and in the right sequence, so that they would obtain them without much difficult. The children were guided by answering their questions (McLachlan & Fleer, 2010). Parts of the rules were also explained to the children who did not understand while allowing them to work on their own. Demonstrations were conducted to show the children, especially in the case of Tina, to help in achieving certain details in their modeling which they did not know. Instructions were given at each

A christmas carol Essay Example for Free

A christmas carol Essay How does Dickens make the reader of A Christmas Carol want to keep Christmas well? Charles Dickens (1812-70) remains one of the most widely read Victorian novelists. He was raised from a poor family and as this experience left its mark on him he grew up not forgetting his early brush with English injustice. So many of his works deal with problems of growing up in poverty and the fight for injustices. This is evident in some of his books like Oliver Twist, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations. A Christmas Carol which is said to be the first and best of all Dickens Christmas books became a national benefit and a personal kindness to all its readers. In A Christmas Carol, Dickens tells of how Scrooge, a miser learns what Christmas really means. This story tells the reader how Scrooge on Christmas Eve sits in his house and counts his money regardless of what goes on. He just wants to be left alone until the humbug of Christmas is over. At the beginning of the novel, Scrooges nephew reminds him of Christmas as a time where we think of the poor However four ghosts-Marley, his partner, the ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come- reveal to Scrooge the mistakes of his way. The visits of the spirits also remind Scrooge that Christmas is a time of generosity, joy, laughter, showing goodwill to others, sharing as well as a time to spend with loved ones. So by the dawn of Christmas Day, Scrooge is ready to keep Christmas well and learn to enjoy it. By this Dickens social conscience moves the reader and tells the reader what is involved in keeping Christmas well. Dickens uses two techniques to get readers to keep Christmas well. He frightens the reader firstly by the use of some characters like Marley. Secondly, he makes the reader want to join in with those who are enjoying Christmas by using the Cratchit Family At the beginning of the novel, Dickens makes the reader dislike Scrooge because of his attitude towards others. The reader immediately sees Scrooge as a mean, self-contained man who has no time for anyone else but himself and his money. This is seen in how he treats people. For example, Scrooge treats his clerk with anger and suspicion. However, when the latter shows interest in Christmas, the former threatens to give him the sack. Scrooge warns the clerk by saying: Let me hear another sound from you, and youll keep your Christmas by losing your situation. (Page 7) Similarly Scrooges treatment of the clerk does not differ from his nephew. Scrooges nephew pays him a visit to wish him a Merry Christmas and to invite him for dinner. Again, Scrooge treats him with contempt, making him look like a nai ve person for believing in Christmas. His response to the charity collectors was very discouraging and demeaning. Two portly gentlemen ask Scrooge to donate for charity. Due to his unbelief in charitable activities, he suggests they go to workhouses. They explain to him that most would rather die than go to such places. In reply, Scrooge says:

Primark Internal and External Analysis

Primark Internal and External Analysis There are lot of internal and external factors which may influence the performance of Primark. Over recent years, this topic has come up as the most asked question in Business and Economics lessons.   Specifically, is it ethical to buy low priced goods produced in poor countries?   My personal answer is an emphatic yes.   Its hard to see how our refusal to open some markets to free trade particularly in agriculture helps the worlds poor.   But the debate seems to hinge on the rights, conditions and dignity of the producers.   For this reason, retailers like Primark (who like Tesco find themselves on the front line of this debate because of their public profile) seek to anxiously protect their reputations as ethical employers.   Recently Primark has fired three Indian suppliers because they used child labour to finish goods. The suppliers sub-contracted smaller firms, which were using child labour to carry out embroidery and sequin work. A Panorama special on Primark will be broadcast on BBC1 at 9pm on 23 June: during their six-month investigation, the BBC uncovered the evidence which they passed to Primark. The information provided by the BBC enabled us to identify that illegal sub-contracting had been taking place and to take action accordingly à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the sub-contracting involved home working and in some instances children were also found to be working at home.   We take this lapse in standards very seriously indeed. Under no circumstances would Primark ever knowingly permit such activities, whether directly through its suppliers or through third party sub-contractors. According to Primark, the garments affected accounted for 0.04% of the retailers worldwide sourcing. It currently has more than 170 stores and made a  £200m profit in 2007 on total sales of more than  £1.6bn. Primark: An Overview Primark Stores Limited is an Irish clothing retailer. Its stores are located in various regions like United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. Within this area of responsibility, Primark stores outnumbered other clothing retailer business, with one hundred sixty one stores overall distributed in three major regions: one hundred twenty-five in the United Kingdom, thirty-four in Ireland and eight in Spain. The company positions itself as marketing fashionable at cutthroat prices.   The original clothing store was established by Arthur Ryan and his collaborator Micaela Mitchell in Dublin Ireland in 1969. After various success in clothing business, great profits and gross income led them to open stores in local and regional areas. It acquired various premises in different business centers within its local and regional areas which eventually generate more profits and income. Primark is known for selling clothes at the budget end of the market. Its success is based on sourcing supply, making clothes with simple designs and fabrics and targets young, fashion-conscious individuals ages 35 below, offering them simple yet high quality clothes and apparels. Hence, these successes brought significant changes on Primarks retail business. The relevance of global trends and consumers demands on lifestyle made Primark Store Limited reinvent its business scheme and management structure. Primarks management and business structure As a famous clothing retail store, recently, Primark embarks in different retail products not only restricted on manufacturing clothes but also other related products such as apparels and accessories available to all human sizes. Primark employs simple managerial operation on its stores structure. Each store has its own manager responsible in overseeing the status and business operations. With managers inherent authority, they are given the power and control to manage the store within his/her point of responsibility. Moreover, in smaller or larger branches, assistant and deputy managers are assigned to control and manage the store. Within the store, there are different subdivided departments in which a manager is assigned like senior department managers and junior department managers who are in charge for individual departments. Moreover, under management, there are supervisors in charge of staff on a sales floor, on different departments like stock room staff, customer service staff, customer service desk, cashiers who work on the tills, cash office staff and staff responsible to look after fitting rooms. This management and business structure posits a simple way of managing human labour force, however, simple it may seem, yet inevitably creates serious problems and issues if and when proper assessment of the structure will be undervalued. Analysis on the internal and external environment of Primark retail industry The Primark clothing retail industry is a member of Ethical Trading Initiative, a collaborative forum bringing together businesses to work on labour rights issues in their supply chains. In fact, Primark developed ethical strategy in order to promote labour rights issues within its organization. Certain guidelines and code of conduct must be defined in relation to the ethical implications of work to human labour rights. Primark, initiated and defined its ethical trade strategy in 2006, focusing on assessment of employees working conditions, factories operations concerns and addressed necessary improvement. Primarks annual report of activity should be passed to the Ethical Trading Initiative Board. Moreover, Primark stands to a principle that shared learning and collaboration is one of the most successful ways to achieve sustained positive progression with its suppliers factories. However, climate change within and outside Primarks environment changes as it faces the challenges posed by the global business market. Using PESTLE and SWOT analysis, let us examine the ins and outs environment of Primarks retail clothing industry. The PESTLE analysis allows us to examine the external factors affecting the environment of an organization while SWOT analysis aids us to assess organizations internal strengths and weaknesses and further identify threats and opportunities external to its environment. Hence, these methods are helpful for us to understand and underline positive and negative factors affecting the external and internal environment of an organization like Primark. In assessing the political, social, and economic factors external to the environment of Primark, we must consider different issues. Primarks business operations are subject to government policies and regulations. The business firm should conform to the set of policies and regulations stipulated and enforced by the government and policy making body while conforming to the set of regulations and policies, the firm should assume social responsibility as demanded by the global consciousness. Nowadays, business sectors no longer busied themselves to produce bonds of profits and income but deeply involved in social programs to promote social awareness and equality. Cultural and social behaviors of different consumers are important to consider when establishing or venturing business in the global landscape. Furthermore, economic, environment, laws, and technology are inseparable entities in which influence the business operations. The economic stability of certain region can contribute allot to the business condition of certain firm, like Primark. Technology on the other hand, brought a tremendous effect to the status and development of business operations and marketing programs. It generates new trends in a rapid movement, which if organizations are unaware will impede growth and development. Hence, Primarks must constantly assess its strategy with consideration to its PESTLE as external factors that in one way or the other affects its internal and business operations. Assessing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Primark, we go back to its established management or business structure. The need for re-tracking the management or business structure is important in analyzing its SWOT. As to my knowledge upon my encounter with Primarks business operations, its strengths are gained in its simple, systematic and organized business structure, having assigned proper authorities to proper positions. Moreover, its recognition for valuing high quality of products and quality services with its customers garnered more strength to attract more people. On the other hand, Primarks weaknesses can be found in its way of managing people. Although, Primark is a member of Ethical Trade Initiative, study shows given different negative issues concerning its business operations and transactions like child labour, purports less value on ethical matters. Different issues were attacking Primark concerning exploitation and abuse on labour force, other env ironmental concerns, poor working conditions, and disvaluing workers rights. Primark in different surveys was labelled as a fashion industry with oppressive regime. The primacy of autocratic and rigidity on standard structures can be a weakness as well as threats to the life of the company. Since, it goes globally, opportunities are in wide array not only on the part of venturing into regions with much income and profit to gain but also an opportunity to share and provide quality products to fashion-conscious people with vogue to fashion lifestyle. Conclusion Given this analysis we come to realize that each organization has its own external and internal problems to handle. The process in which we enable to identify and analyze such problems is by using proper management method of analysis like SWOT and PESTLE. The importance of these methods is squared to the importance of the business itself. No.2: discuss the various business strategies that firms can implement to take Advantage of different markets or trading blocks? For this purpose Porter has proposed his generic strategies which are the best to implement, in my point of view, to take advantage of different markets. These strategies are given as below. Segmentation strategy Differentiation strategy Cost leadership strategy Michael Porter has described a category scheme consisting of three general types of strategies that are commonly used by businesses to achieve and maintain competitive advantage. These three generic strategies are defined along two dimensions: strategic scope and strategic strength. Strategic scope is a demand-side dimension (Porter was originally an engineer, then an economist before he specialized in strategy) and looks at the size and composition of the market you intend to target. Strategic strength is a supply-side dimension and looks at the strength or core competency of the firm. In particular he identified two competencies that he felt were most important: product differentiation and product cost (efficiency). He originally ranked each of the three dimensions (level of differentiation, relative product cost, and scope of target market) as either low, medium, or high, and juxtaposed them in a three dimensional matrix. That is, the category scheme was displayed as a 3 by 3 by 3 cube. But most of the 27 combinations were not viable. Porters Generic Strategies In his 1980 classic Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Porter simplifies the scheme by reducing it down to the three best strategies. They are cost leadership, differentiation, and market segmentation (or focus). Market segmentation is narrow in scope while both cost leadership and differentiation are relatively broad in market scope. Cost leadership strategy This strategy involves the firm winning market share by appealing to cost-conscious or price-sensitive customers. This is achieved by having the lowest prices in the target market segment, or at least the lowest price to value ratio (price compared to what customers receive). To succeed at offering the lowest price while still achieving profitability and a high return on investment, the firm must be able to operate at a lower cost than its rivals. There are three main ways to achieve this. The first approach is achieving a high asset turnover. In service industries, this may mean for example a restaurant that turns tables around very quickly, or an airline that turns around flights very fast. In manufacturing, it will involve production of high volumes of output. These approaches mean fixed costs are spread over a larger number of units of the product or service, resulting in a lower unit cost, i.e the firm hopes to take advantage of economies of scale and experience curve effects. For industrial firms, mass production becomes both a strategy and an end in itself. Higher levels of output both require and result in high market share, and create an entry barrier to potential competitors, who may be unable to achieve the scale necessary to match the firms low costs and prices. The second dimension is achieving low direct and indirect operating costs. This is achieved by offering high volumes of standardized products, offering basic no-frills products and limiting customization and personalization of service. Production costs are kept low by using fewer components, using standard components, and limiting the number of models produced to ensure larger production runs. Overheads are kept low by paying low wages, locating premises in low rent areas, establishing a cost-conscious culture, etc. Maintaining this strategy requires a continuous search for cost reductions in all aspects of the business. This will include outsourcing, controlling production costs, increasing asset capacity utilization, and minimizing other costs including distribution, RD and advertising. The associated distribution strategy is to obtain the most extensive distribution possible. Promotional strategy often involves trying to make a virtue out of low cost product features. A cost leadership strategy may have the disadvantage of lower customer loyalty, as price-sensitive customers will switch once a lower-priced substitute is available. A reputation as a cost leader may also result in a reputation for low quality, which may make it difficult for a firm to rebrand itself or its products if it chooses to shift to a differentiation strategy in future Differentiation strategy Differentiation is aimed at the broad market that involves the creation of a product or services that is perceived throughout its industry as unique. The company or business unit may then charge a premium for its product. This specialty can be associated with design, brand image, technology, features, dealers, network, or customers service. Differentiation is a viable strategy for earning above average returns in a specific business because the resulting brand loyalty lowers customers sensitivity to price. Increased costs can usually be passed on to the buyers. Buyers loyalty can also serve as an entry barrier-new firms must develop their own distinctive competence to differentiate their products in some way in order to compete successfully. Examples of the successful use of a differentiation strategy are Hero Honda, Asian Paints, HLL, Nike athletic shoes, Perstorp Byproducts, Apple Computer, and Mercedes-Benz automobiles. A differentiation strategy is appropriate where the target customer segment is not price-sensitive, the market is competitive or saturated, customers have very specific needs which are possibly under-served, and the firm has unique resources and capabilities which enable it to satisfy these needs in ways that are difficult to copy. These could include patents or other Intellectual Property (IP), unique technical expertise (e.g. Apples design skills or Pixars animation prowess), talented personnel (e.g. a sports teams star players or a brokerage firms star traders), or innovative processes. Successful brand management also results in perceived uniqueness even when the physical product is the same as competitors. This way, Chiquita was able to brand bananas, Starbucks could brand coffee, and Nike could brand sneakers. Fashion brands rely heavily on this form of image differentiation. Some research does suggest that a differentiation strategy is more likely to generate higher profits than is a low cost strategy because differentiation creates a better entry barrier. A low-cost strategy is more likely, however, to generate increases in market share. This however, may result from a limited understanding of profits. Differentiation strategies are indeed likely to result in higher gross and net profit margins due to the pricing power created by perceived uniqueness and high customer satisfaction. However, these higher prices will also likely result in lower sales volumes and lower asset turnovers. As such, the effects on Returns on Capital are likely to be neutral. As illustrated in the Dupont ratio therefore, a firm can achieve high profitability and Returns on Capital by being either a successful differentiator (with high margins and low volumes) or a successful cost leader (with low margins and high volumes). One strategy is not necessarily more profitable than the other. Variants on the Differentiation Strategy The shareholder value model holds that the timing of the use of specialized knowledge can create a differentiation advantage as long as the knowledge remains unique. This model suggests that customers buy products or services from an organization to have access to its unique knowledge. The advantage is static, rather than dynamic, because the purchase is a one-time event. The unlimited resources model utilizes a large base of resources that allows an organization to outlast competitors by practicing a differentiation strategy. An organization with greater resources can manage risk and sustain losses more easily than one with fewer resources. This deep-pocket strategy provides a short-term advantage only. If a firm lacks the capacity for continual innovation, it will not sustain its competitive position is over time. Criticisms of generic strategies Several commentators have questioned the use of generic strategies claiming they lack specificity, lack flexibility, and are limiting. In particular, Miller (1992) questions the notion of being caught in the middle. He claims that there is a viable middle ground between strategies. Many companies, for example, have entered a market as a niche player and gradually expanded. According to Baden-Fuller and Stopford (1992) the most successful companies are the ones that can resolve what they call the dilemma of opposites. A popular post-Porter model was presented by W. Chan Kim and Renà ©e Mauborgne in their 1999 Harvard Business Review article Creating New Market Space. In this article they described a value innovation model in which companies must look outside their present paradigms to find new value propositions. Their approach fundamentally goes against Porters concept that a firm must focus either on cost leadership or on differentiation. They later went on to publish their ideas in the book Blue Ocean Strategy. Q.No.3: analyse how the firms and industries are benefitted by globalization and the role technology has played? Globalization, since World War II, is largely the result of planning by politicians to break down borders hampering trade to increase prosperity and interdependence thereby decreasing the chance of future war. Their work led to the Bretton Woods conference, an agreement by the worlds leading politicians to lay down the framework for international commerce and finance, and the founding of several international institutions intended to oversee the processes of globalization. These institutions include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), and the International Monetary Fund. Globalization has been facilitated by advances in technology which have reduced the costs of trade, and trade negotiation rounds, originally under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which led to a series of agreements to remove restrictions on free trade. Since World War II, barriers to international trade have been considerably lowered through international agreements   GATT. Particular initiatives carried out as a result of GATT and the World Trade Organization (WTO), for which GATT is the foundation, have included: Promotion of free trade: elimination of tariffs; creation of free trade zones with small or no tariffs Reduced transportation costs, especially resulting from development of containerization for ocean shipping. Reduction or elimination of capital controls Reduction, elimination, or harmonization of subsidies for local businesses Creation of subsidies for global corporations Harmonization of intellectual property laws across the majority of states, with more restrictions Supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions (e.g. patents granted by China would be recognized in the United States) Cultural globalization, driven by communication technology and the worldwide marketing of Western cultural industries, was understood at first as a process of homogenization, as the global domination of American culture at the expense of traditional diversity. However, a contrasting trend soon became evident in the emergence of movements protesting against globalization and giving new momentum to the defense of local uniqueness, individuality, and identity, but largely without success.[33] The Uruguay Round (1986 to 1994)[34] led to a treaty to create the WTO to mediate trade disputes and set up a uniform platform of trading. Other bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, including sections of Europes Maastricht Treaty and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have also been signed in pursuit of the goal of reducing tariffs and barriers to trade. World exports rose from 8.5% in 1970, to 16.2% of total gross world product in 2001 Advantages of Globalization Globalization means increasing the interdependence, connectivity and integration on a global level with respect to the social, cultural, political, technological, economic and ecological levels. People around the world are more connected to each other than ever before. Information and money flow quicker than ever. Products produced in one part of a country are available to the rest of the world. It is much easier for people to travel, communicate and do business internationally. This whole phenomenon has been called globalization. Spurred on in the past by merchants, explorers, colonialists and internationalists, globalization has in more recent times been increasing rapidly due to improvements in communications, information and transport technology. It has also been encouraged by trade liberalization and financial market deregulation.Globalization offers a higher standard of living for people in rich countries and is the only realistic route out of poverty for the worlds poor. Pro-g lobalization groups e.g. World Trade Organization and the World Economic Forum believe that globalization helps to reduce poverty and increase living standards as well as encourage a better cultural understanding. Also, due to globalization, there can be international co-operation to solve environmental and social problems. Technology has now created the possibility and even the likelihood of a global culture. The Internet, fax machines and satellites have swept away the old national cultural boundaries. Global entertainment companies now seem to shape the understandings and dreams of ordinary citizens, wherever they live. Globalization leads to better cultural understanding and tolerance. Because of improvements in travel, more and more people are traveling to different countries, thereby spreading their culture to other parts of the world. Advantages of Globalization We have moved from a world where the big eat the small to a world where the fast eat the slow, as observed by Klaus Schwab of the Davos World Economic Forum. All economic analysts must agree that the living standards of people have considerably improved through the market growth. With the development in technology and their introduction in the global markets, there is not only a steady increase in the demand for commodities but has also led to greater utilization. Investment sector is witnessing high infusions by more and more people connected to the worlds trade happenings with the help of computers. As per statistics, everyday more than $1.5 trillion is now swapped in the worlds currency markets and around one-fifth of products and services are generated per year are bought and sold. Buyers of products and services in all nations comprise one huge group who gain from world trade for reasons encompassing opportunity charge, comparative benefit, economical to purchase than to produce, trades guidelines, stable business and alterations in consumption and production. Compared to others, consumers are likely to profit less from globalization. Another factor which is often considered as a positive outcome of globalization is the lower inflation. This is because the market rivalry stops the businesses from increasing prices unless guaranteed by steady productivity. Technological advancement and productivity expansion are the other benefits of globalization because since 1970s growing international rivalry has triggered the industries to improvise increasingly. Goods and people are transported with more easiness and speed  the possibility of war between the developed countries decreases  free trade between countries increases  global mass media connects all the people in the world  as the cultural barriers reduce, the global village dream becomes more realistic  there is a propagation of democratic ideals  the interdependence of the nation-states increases  as the liquidity of capital increases, developed countries can invest in developing ones  the flexibility of corporations to operate across borders increases  the communication between the individuals and corporations in the world increases  environmental protection in developed countries increases   Effects of globalization Enhancement in the information flow between geographically remote locations The global common market has a freedom of exchange of goods and capital There is a broad access to a range of goods for consumers and companies  worldwide production markets emerge Free circulation of people of different nations leads to social benefits Global environmental problems like cross-boundary pollution, over fishing on oceans, climate changes are solved by discussions More transborder data flow using communication satellites, the Internet, wireless telephones etc. International criminal courts and international justice movements are launched The standards applied globally like patents, copyright laws and world trade agreements increase Corporate, national and sub national borrowers have a better access to external finance Worldwide financial markets emerge Multiculturalism spreads as there is individual access to cultural diversity. This diversity decreases due to hybridization or assimilation International travel and tourism increases Worldwide sporting events like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are held Enhancement in worldwide fads and pop culture Local consumer products are exported to other countries Immigration between countries increases Cross-cultural contacts grow and cultural diffusion takes place There is an increase in the desire to use foreign ideas and products, adopt new practices and technologies and be a part of world culture Free trade zones are formed having less or no tariffs Due to development of containerization for ocean shipping, the transportation costs are reduced Subsidies for local businesses decrease Capital controls reduce or vanquish There is supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions i.e. patents authorized by one country are recognized in another Advantages of globalization in the developing world It is claimed that globalization increases the economic prosperity and opportunity in the developing world. The civil liberties are enhanced and there is a more efficient use of resources. All the countries involved in the free trade are at a profit. As a result, there are lower prices, more employment and a better standard of life in these developing nations. It is feared that some developing regions progress at the expense of other developed regions. However, such doubts are futile as globalization is a positive-sum chance in which the skills and technologies enable to increase the living standards throughout the world. Liberals look at globalization as an efficient tool to eliminate penury and allow the poor people a firm foothold in the global economy. In two decades from 1981 to 2001, the number of people surviving on $1 or less per day decreased from 1.5 billion to 1.1 billion. Simultaneously, the world population also increased. Thus, the percentage of such people decreased fr om 40% to 20% in such developing countries

Communications Strategy for Bihar Tourism

Communications Strategy for Bihar Tourism Executive Summary Places must decide on not only how many tourists they want and how to balance tourism with other industries or strategies but also what kind of tourists they want. The choices will be constrained, of course, by the places climate, natural topography and resources, history, culture and facilities. Like any other business, tourist marketers must know the actual and potential customers, their needs and wants, determine which target markets to serve, and decide on appropriate products, services, and programs to serve these markets. Once they have defined a target group they must strategically devise a communication mechanism which attracts that tourist in the most cost effective manner. This study aims to look at Bihar as a tourism destination, understand its potential in light of its history, both cultural and political along with the way it is perceived by the world outside, especially the traveler. It aims to synchronize the objective of the state with regard to increasing tourist inflow and that of the demands of the contemporary traveler both domestic and foreign. In that view research has been carried out to understand the factors that affect tourism growth on the demand and supply side. And with the help of that analysis recommendations for a communication strategy have been given. Introduction Tourism is a major social phenomenon of the modern society with enormous economic implications. Its importance as an instrument for economic development and employment generation, particularly in remote and backward areas, has now been well recognized all over the world. It is also an important activity for cultural interaction, social uplift and environment conservation. Tourism is now one of the worlds largest industries and one of its fastest growing economic sectors. Tourism may have a positive economic impact on the balance of payments, on employment, on gross income and production, but it may also have negative effects, particularly on the environment. Unplanned and uncontrolled tourism growth can result in such a deterioration of the environment that tourist growth can be compromised. . This is especially true with regard to tourism based on the natural environment as well as on historical-cultural heritage. Thus new word which is being used very often these days is ‘sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism has three interconnected aspects: environmental, socio-cultural, and economic. Sustainability implies permanence, so sustainable tourism includes optimum use of resources, including biological diversity; minimization of ecological, cultural and social impacts; and maximization of benefits for conservation and local communities. It also refers to the management structures that are needed to achieve this. The following lists down comprehensive benefits of tourism especially in India: Social Benefits * Promotes national integration and social equity * Helps survival of traditional art forms * Promotes international understanding Economic benefits * Nearly 8% of employment worldwide is tourism dependent * The latest study by World Travel and Tourism Council predicts that the highest real growth of tourism demand worldwide at 9.4% will occur in India * Comparison of the IT and Tourism sector worldwide o Size of Industry  § IT: $500 billion Tourism: $4.6 trillion o Jobs generated  § IT 20 million jobs Tourism 250 million Literature Review Tourism and hospitality industry in India India is known worldwide as ancient and mysterious civilization and the second most populated country of the world after China, with a population of one billion. With increasing worldwide tourism and travel for leisure, business and cultural purposes are on the rise, India attracts only 2.4 million visitors annually of the 600 million who travel. India can develop a sound policy to attract tourism and travel to generate jobs at the lowest cost of investment per job in this industry as well as promote sustainable development and cultural heritage, which has been so precious to India. India needs to shed its reluctance of encouraging tourism by affluent Westerners. Tourism, if properly planned and promoted can provide 20+ million jobs in next ten years and foreign exchange in excess of 30 billion dollars. What India needs is a firm policy and commitment to expand tourism as a source of sustainable economic development with value for the tourists and enhancement of Indias cultural herit age. (P, 2005) Understanding the concept of ‘Destination Branding Destination marketing involves using tourism as a means to an end rather than an end in itself for reasons including: improving the image of an area to attract industrialists; increasing the range of facilities and amenities available to the local community; giving local residents more pride in their local area; providing a rationale and funding for improvements to the local environment; and trying to make the destination politically more acceptable to outsiders. Thus we see that due to the multiple stakeholder nature of a destination, there lies a need for a concerted effort to achieve any goal set forth. This can be explained by the diagram below: The Dynamic Wheel of Tourism Stakeholders One of the key problems have been difficulties associated with marrying the objectives of profitability and sustainability, and co-ordinating the activities of the various stakeholders associated with a tourism destination. Destination marketing should occur not only on the demand side to increase visitor numbers, but also on the supply side to market the destination to intermediaries and to increase the numbers of sellers through investment in accommodation, entertainment and infrastructure, etc. The Requisites of a Successful Tourism Marketing Plan o The main competition is identified o Tourism trends are identified o A long-term orientation is adopted o The importance of competitiveness is recognized o The need for infrastructure improvements is highlighted o The need for integration with national/regional tourism plans is recognised o Residents attitudes to tourism are considered o Local cultures, values and lifestyles are considered o Wealth and job creation and quality of life for residents are primary aims o The issue of environmental problems is addressed o The issue of seasonality is addressed o The benefits of tourism to the destination is quantified (Cameron, 2008) * Destination identity and image o The need to develop brand identity is recognised o Brand associations are identified o The need for image development is recognised o Positioning is discussed o The need for coordination of industry promotional material is recognised o Recognition to ensuring the promises made in marketing communications are conveyed to visitors o New and innovative forms of communication channels are addressed o The need to improve branding and brand awareness is recognised o The importance of experiences to tourists as opposed to tangible propositions is recognised * Stakeholder involvement o National government agencies are involved in planning o Local government agencies were involved in planning o The area tourist board/area tourist office was involved in planning o Local residents were involved in planning o Local businesses were involved in planning o The need to improve communication between stakeholders (public, private and residents) is o recognised o Leadership is addressed to give greater guidance to stakeholders. * Implementation, monitoring and review o The timescale for each task is included o The need for monitoring and review is established 12The absence of a structured approach requires the study of destination marketing under theoretical lenses. Here a white paper which throws light on the existing theories which address the area has been studied. The crux of which is: As a consequence of globalization, the marketing of places has grown in importance as countries, regions and individual destinations compete with one another to attract investment and visitors. In order to compete effectively, it is essential to identify the critical success factors and ensure these are incorporated into ones strategic planning. An extensive review of the literature covering place and destination marketing indicates that image and identity play an important role in differentiating between objectively similar alternatives. Accordingly, the branding of destinations has become of major importance and is analyzed in depth. (Halkier, 2008) Place Branding A Case Study: Denmark In order to observe a structured approach to Destination Branding the case study of Denmark has been reviewed. It proposes how theoretical models have been applied successfully in real life scenarios. This paper examines the area of cross-sectoral branding where tourism is combined with other international economic activities in order to construct a common national umbrella brand. From a theoretical perspective the article contributes to the study of cross-sectoral place branding by developing a coherent analytical framework, drawing on recent contributions to the study of Other images and inter-organizational relations. On the basis of this, an empirical case study of the prospects for establishing a cross-sectoral umbrella brand is undertaken, focusing on Danish national tourism and inward investment promotion bodies. Having analyzed both the rationales behind and the image profiles of current branding efforts, it is concluded that while disagreement exists at the strategic level with regard to the potentials of umbrella branding, the differences between the current image profiles are of a more manageable character. In the case of Danish tourism and investment promotion, barrier s to inter organizational cooperation, in other words, seem to be founded on unfavorable assumptions about potential alliance partners in view of own future aspirations rather than the present branding actions of the actors involved. Why Bihar? Bihar had once been the seat of the golden age of the Indian empire but now has shrivelled into one the most backward states of India. Some pockets in Bihar now exhibit one of the lowest living conditions the world over. Bihar post its bifurcation into two smaller states has lost most of its natural resources and the state has failed to catch the IT train which has left it with small scope of riding the ‘India Rising bus. The youth of Bihar are leaving its motherland and doing so the great state is losing its heritage. It is in the interest of not only the people of Bihar but also the nation to protect its cultural heritage. An approach for Bihar can be based on the ‘Appreciation of Frames study by Schon wherein he demonstrates alternatives to approach in dealing with the housing problem within the social policy. One perspective frames slum areas as diseased, the other frames them as natural communities. When viewed as diseased, the problem becomes one of eradicating the diseases, with the implied solution of urban renewal and regeneration. This involves tearing down slums in order to stop the cycle of decay and relocating the inhabitants of the areas to newly planned and sanitized developments. In contrast, when viewed as natural communities the problem becomes one of dislocation. Natural communities should be preserved in order to maintain the beneficial outcomes of established patterns of interaction and informal networks which characterize them. The Current State of Bihar o Negative Brand Equity o Change in local government o Renewed faith of residents of the state in the system o High rise in migration from the state o High worth of Non residents o Disparity in documented and actual state of tourist sites o Lack of any dedicated communication focused on tourism o Unorganized and fragmented efforts in maintenance of crafts and culture o Tourist activity concentrated in pockets (e.g. Buddhist Circuit) The notion of Bihar â€Å"When Delhi newspapers publish articles on Bihars disorders and atrocities, they tend to make a point of emphasizing the states ‘backwardness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The first ballot-rigging recorded in India took pl ace in Bihar (in 1962)†¦ the first instance of criminals being awarded parliamentary seats also took place in Bihar (in 1980)† William Dalrymple in Caste wars and At the court of the fish-eyed Goddess The above quotes, summarize the general impression that the public holds about Bihar. From Laloo Yadav to corruption to crime This is one state that has perpetually been in the news, and for all the wrong reasons. In the days immediately prior to the fodder scam, the media had a field day reporting Laloo and his antics, people were quoted saying that â€Å"Laloo was the most entertaining item on television†. (Nambisan, 2000) The extensive reporting, in the last few years with the explosion of the news media, has played an significant role in shaping public opinion and view about Bihar, its culture, and its citizens. Laloo Yadav has, in a way, come to symbolize Bihar to the audiences. So, Bihar, to a ordinary citizen, is a state full of rowdy, dishonest politicians, and heavily accented, non-English speaking, primitive simpletons. I am often told, in a manner of considerable disbelief, â€Å"But you dont sound like a Bihari at all!† Because it appears that all Biharis are supposed to talk in heavily accented, wrecked English. Evolution of Bihar over the Ages The history of Bihar can be effortlessly traced back into ancient times. Bihar appears in the earliest mythology and legends of ancient India , as far back as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Sita, the partner of Lord Rama, was a princess of Bihar. She was the daughter of King Janak of Videha. The present districts of Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Samastipur, Madhubani, and Darbhanga, in north-central Bihar, mark this ancient kingdom. It is in fact, known that the author of the Ramayana, Maharishi Valmiki, lived in Ancient Bihar. Not only Hinduism, but Jainism and Buddhism have roots in Bihar. It was in here that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment, and it was in the modern town of Gaya that the religion of Buddhism was born. It is here also that Lord Mahavira, the initiator of another great religion, Jainism, was born and attained nirvana. That site is located at the current town of Pawapuri, south east of Patna, the Capital of Bihar. It was also in Bihar that the tenth and last Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh was born and became a Guru. A beautiful Gurudwara (a temple for Sikhs) built to commemorate his memory the Harmandir- is located in eastern Patna. Known reverently as the Patna Sahib, it is one of the five holiest places of devotion (Takhat) for Sikhs. Kautilya, also known as Chanakya, the author of Arthashastra, the first discourse of the modern science of Economics, resided here. He was also the adviser to the Magadh king, Chandragupta Maurya. Another Mauryan king, Samrat Ashok, around 270 B.C., was the first to formulate firm doctrine for the governance of a people. He had these doctrines, the so called Edicts of Ashok, inscribed on stone pillars which were installed across his empire. The pillars were crowned with the sculpture of one or more lions atop a pedestal which was inscribed with symbols of wheels. As the lion denoted might, the wheel denoted the never-ending nature of truth (dharma), hence the name Dharma Chakra. This of lions, atop a pedestal, with writing of a wheel, was adopted as the Official Seal of the independent Republic of India (1947). The dharma chakra was, also incorporated into the national flag of India, the Tricolor. (Biharinfoline, 2009) In medieval period Bihar lost its stature as the political and cultural hub of India since the Mughal era was a period of national administration from Delhi. The only notable person of these period in Bihar was Sher Shah, or Sher Khan Sur, an Afghan. Based at Sasaram which is currently a town in the district of the similar name in central-western Bihar, this jagirdar of the Mughal Emperor Babur defeated Humayun, the son of Babur, not once but twice, first at Chausa and then, again, at Kannauj (in the present state of Uttar Pradesh or U.P.) In the course of his conquest Sher Shah became the monarch of a territory that extended till Punjab. He was not only a ferocious warrior but also a dignified administrator in line with the tradition of Ashok and the Gupta kings. Numerous acts of land reforms are attributed to him. The remains of a grand crypt that he built for himself can be found at todays Sasaram (Sher Shahs maqbara.) During British India, Bihar was a division of the Presidency of Bengal, and was managed from Calcutta. As such, this was a region very much dominated by the citizens of Bengal. All leading learning and medical hubs were in Bengal. Throughout the 20th century, Bihar saw a great deal of geographical division. When divided from the Bengal Presidency in 1912, Bihar and Orissa were a single province. (Kumar, 2007)At that time, an region in the south-east, primarily the district of Purulia, was separated and incorporated into West Bengal as part of the Linguistic Reorganization of Indian States. Yet another dissection of Bihar occurred in 2000, when after years of political hassle, the state of Jharkhand was carved out of the state of Bihar. The region of Jharkhand now includes southern districts of Bihar, and has the city of Ranchi as its capital. The Politics of Bihar Bihar played an significant role during the freedom resistance and it was from Bihar that Mahatma Gandhi started his civil-disobedience movement. It was at the unrelenting request of a cultivator, Raj Kumar Shukla, that Gandhiji visited Champaran, saw the sad predicament of the indigo farmers and the domination of the Biritsh. Many people from Bihar consequently became leading partakers in Indias struggle for freedom. The most distinguished was Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who went on to become Independent Indias first president. Another was Jay Prakash Narayan, also warmly called JP. JPs considerable contribution to contemporary Indian history continued up until his demise in 1979. It was he who persistently and unwaveringly opposed the dictatorial rule of Indira Gandhi and her younger child, Sanjay Gandhi. Fearing peoples response to his opposition, Indira Gandhi had him detained on the eve of declaring nationwide Emergency beginning June 26, 1975. He was jailed in Tihar(near Delhi). The m ovement started by JP, nonetheless, brought the Emergency to an end, led to the colossal defeat of Indira Gandhi and her Congress Party at the elections, and, to the putting in place of a non-Congress government -The Janata Party at Delhi, for the first time. With the approval of JP, Morarji Desai became the fourth Prime Minister of India. JP continued to be the Conscience of the Janata Party and of post-Gandhi post-Nehru India. He called upon all Indians to work tirelessly towards removing dictatorship in favour of democracy and bringing about independence from slavery. Sadly, shortly after attaining power, internal strife among the leaders of the Janata Party led to the resignation of Shri Desai as the Prime Minister. JP persisted with his call for total revolution, but he succumbed to kidney failure in 1979. Subsequent internal strife in the Janata Party led to the creation of a breakaway political party the Janata Dal. It was also from this party that Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Chief Minister of Bihar was elected. A new party led by Mr. Yadav was shaped as the Rashtriya Janata Dal which went ruled for about 15 years in Bihar. The Janata Dal at first came to power in the state in 1990 on the support of its victory at the national stage in 1989. Laloo Prasad Yadav became the chief minister after winning the battle of legislative party leadership by a slim margin against Ram Sundar Das, a former chief minister from the Janata Party. Later, Laloo gained fame with the masses through a succession of populist measures. The honorable socialists, including Nitish Kumar, slowly left him and Laloo was the uncrowned king by 1995 as both Chief Minister as well as the President of his party, Rashtriya Janata Dal. He was a magnetic leader who had the peoples support and Bihar had got such a person as the chief minister after a long time. However, he derailed programs for the development of the state. When corruption charges got serious, he relinquished the post of CM but anointed his wife as the proxy CM. All through this period, law and order and management grew steadily poorer. In 2005, as hostility reached a crescendo among the masses, middle class included, the RJD was voted out of control and Laloo Prasad lost the legislative elections to a coalition headed by his earlier partner and now rival Nitish Kumar. Bihar How much in the eye of the Beholder? ‘Bihar is in the eye of the beholder says Vijay Nambisan in his book of the same title. He attempts to paint a more positive portrait of Bihar at least in the opening chapters, attempting to be unlike those who trash everything about Bihar completely, and believe it beyond hope at any point. He states that Bihar is the richest among Indian states in terms of natural and mineral wealth, and only its political stat sets people thinking about it in a negative way. However, as we read on, the state of Bihar and its citizens that Nambisan explains starts becoming similar to, more and more, the typecast that he was trying to shatter. Its true that the tome is peppered with optimistic images, people and events, but overall, the picture that Nambisan paints is as dismal as any other. The stories and tales are mostly about corrupt politicians, gang lords getting the better of the community and the killings, extortions, and adversity that the ordinary man faces. In between, we have tales about devoted teachers overcoming caste discrimination, innovative women trying to make a living for themselves and their children, and intelligent young minds harassed against a system that otherwise fetters them. An entire section deals with the high occurrence of violence in the state and how it is taken as everyday phenomena a scary situation. Has Nambisan also fallen victim to the typecasting of Bihar? Or is the reality of Bihar so bleak that even the most optimistic picture that is painted of it shows more despair than hope? â€Å"What is happening in Bihar is happening all over India. But Bihar is a microcosm of the whole; laboratory specimens, as it were, most easily brought under the microscope of analysis†. (Nambisan, 2000)The rest of India has a propensity to become self virtuous and holier than thou, and look down upon Bihar and Biharis as a pollutant. Politicians shake their heads and mumble, journalists condemn the collapse of democracy and the general public remains contented with just shuddering at the mere mention of it. What people do not want to admit is that the ills that plague the state are festering everywhere, in varying degrees and different stages of development. Such is the inclination to look upon Bihar and Biharis as a expression of all that is bad, that there have been reported cases of people accommodation to Bihari students in cities like Delhi, simply because they were scared to have Biharis beneath the same roof, thinking no doubt about probable robbery, rape and murder . (palgrave-journals, 2008) Previously, there were a little half hearted attempts to industrialize the state: an oil refinery in Barauni, a motor scooter factory at Fatuha, and a power generation unit at Muzaffarpur. However, no continued effort had been made in this way, and there was little achievement in its industrialization. Historically, sugar and vegetable oil were prosperous industries of Bihar. Until the mid fifties, 25% of Indias sugar production was from Bihar. Dalmianagar was a large agro industrial region. However, these were required to shut down due to flawed central policy which negated the strategic advantages of Bihar. Recently the dairy trade has picked up very well in Bihar. Sugar industry is another one which has started to improve with 25 new sugar factories committed in Bihar between 2006 and 2007. Since 2005, the state government has taken the major task of creating a business friendly environment and investment opportunities and leverages the resources there for all big and small industrial houses. There was a partition of Bihar in 2000, when the industrially superior and mineral-rich southern-half of the state was carved out to outline the separate state of Jharkhand. Since then, the main economic activity of Bihar has been crop growing. The new Bihar state produces about 60% of the yield of the old Bihar state. There is a tendency now, amongst politicians, to hold responsible the separation of Jharkhand from Bihar as a reason for the majority of the problems surrounding the growth of the state. Biharis and Non-Biharis : Perceptions and Opinions Respondents were asked to name anything that came to their mind when they thought of the â€Å"Bihar†. The top of the mind recollection is the strongest connection that a persons mind makes among two things and it was fascinating to see the diverse things, people or places that respondents linked with Bihar. The respondents were then additionaly probed on other stuff that they linked with Bihar, how the connection came about and why. Respondents in both cases were also asked about famous places or people that they associated with Bihar. This kind of factual information gave a few insights into how much authentic knowledge the respondent had regarding the state, and whether knowing more concerning Bihar, its history and culture changed the opinions and perceptions of the people at all. As was anticipated, people from Bihar possessed significantly more factual knowledge about Bihar. What was exciting was that though there were distinct disparity between Biharis and Non Biharis c oncerning perceptions about Bihar, there were still some expected threads. As a youthful housewife from a small town in Bihar put it, â€Å"Jab tak rahega samose mein aaloo, tab tak rahega Bihar mein Laloo† . The line is a famous one, from a speech by the great politician himself. Almost all the respondents thought of Laloo Yadav first when asked to name celebrities linked with Bihar. In one case, a young university student of Delhi University was unable to think of any other renowned person or place that she knew of, from Bihar. Among Non Biharis, Laloo unquestionably enjoyed top of the mind recall, as every respondent, with no exception named him. Even amongst my Bihari respondents, a number of them reflected of Laloo Yadav as one of the eminent people associated with Bihar. An interesting incident that I observed here was that respondents from the younger age bracket could think only of Laloo when it came to associating eminent personalities with Bihar. Some of the older age bracket remembered Jai Prakash Narayan, even smaller number remembered Ra jendra Prasad. Despite being the present Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar was not recollected as frequently as Laloo by the respondents. There was hardly any talk about of personalities from fields other than politics. One or two respondents recollected Prakash Jha for his films and the stand-up comedian Shekhar Suman, but it seemed that the lone people from Bihar that had achieved any fame at all were politicians. There was one interesting case where I interviewed an elderly lady, who had spent almost her whole life in Bihar, save for a period of few years in Delhi. She had no complicatedness naming famous personalities connected with Bihar, right from ancient times. She also had a authentic tourist guides list of the famous places of Bihar, for historical or cultural importance. This was in bare contrast to the younger age bracket, who knew moderately little of Bihars history, despite having lived there. This led me to consider that media had clearly played an extremely important role in formation of even the level of factual information that people possessed, apart from determining their opinions .Laloo Yadav yet again was the chief image that came to peoples minds when asked about their observation about Bihar. Though, the awareness of Bihar was not limited to just the image of Laloo. Having named Laloo as the foremost thing that came to mind on hearing â€Å"Bihar†, most of the respondents and interviewees went on to talk about the corruption and disorder that had become widespread in the state during his rule. (bstdc, 2009). The above quote from my interview with a lecturer in Ahmadabad summed up a what Non Biharis as well as Biharis felt about Bihar. The view is that the state has been devastated by dirty politics, and not allowed to build up in any fashion over the time, and the overpowering emotions were those of bleakness and sadness at the state of affairs. While talking of opinions and associations with Bihar, there was marked disparity between respondents from inside and outside Bihar. Almost all Biharis spoke affectionately of memories of their childhood and youth spent in Bihar, and had some sort of a sense of belonging to the place, which obviously came from having spent a long time in the state and having fond memories to look back upon. Even when they spoke of the ills that plague the state, the manner in which this was spoken about was one of sorrow that the situation had turned out to be so bad. In contrast, Non Biharis spoke in a manner that implied a sense of almost disgust from the state and the state of affairs there. A 2o year old college undergraduate from Delhi University summed it up when she said (bstdc, 2009) The same response, in not so many words, echoed across other interviews of Non Biharis. Overall, the awareness of people about Bihar was related to Laloo. In one way or the other, roughly all respondents were of the view of Laloo while answering this inquiry. The biggest substantiation that suggested this came from an interview with a young college student from Ahmedabad, who spoke of Biharis as primitive, and speaking in a typical dialect. (Halkier, Contemplating Place Branding Umbrellas. The Case of Coordinated National Tourism andBusiness Promotion in Denmark, 2008) Bihar Tourism Amongst all the states of the country, Bihar is in all probability the one that enjoys a distinctive history. It is here that religions followed the world over, Buddhism and Jainism were born, even as Hinduism flourished. It is here that an important advocate of a fourth religion Guru Gobind Singh of the Sikhs was born. And it is here that the worlds first institution of higher education at Nalanda was established. And if all that is not sufficient, it was in Bihar that Gandhiji launched his Satyagraha movement in opposition to the British rule. (Cameron, 2008) Bihar without doubt bears the profound weight of history, but bears it with much warmth and awareness. For both Buddhists and Jains, the land is sprinkled with monuments and sacred pilgrimage centers, while the Hindus have no fewer temples. However, it has not shied away from accepting the modern. The old learning centers continue in the structure of newer centers of excellence, the olden day trade hubs have paved way for the fresh economy and even newer technologies. Bihar is a land sanctified with beauty both spiritual and physical. Its vast lands, fed by some of the countrys most important rivers, have ensured prosperity. It has a rich traditions and legacy and its people are meticulous and fun loving. Places of Int