Chinese history Essay Example for Free

Chinese history Essay 250 Word Essay One of the most important aspects of ancient Chinese history is the formation of the Silk Road, a trade route which spanned two continents and put China on the map as one of the most important import/export countries in the ancient world. It’s beginnings were smaller in scale as it only encompassed the Chinese Empire itself but it became apparent, after Zhang Qian made contact with Central Asian tribes, that the expansion the trade route would benefit both China and other Asian nations. It continued to expand under the Han dynasty and into Roman times (Beauty).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most important reasons for its formation as a major trade route was fear of marauding gangs that were eager to obtain the many goods that Chinese merchants filled their caravans with: silk, gemstones, incense, spices, and blue and white porcelain were just some fo the cargo traveled along the Silk Road. The Chinese army was even beefed up in order to protect this special route that helped to keep China’s economy booming. It’s reach expanded throughout China and Asia and eventually commerce was developed between the Roman Empire and China (Newton).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The long-term impact of the Silk Road on Chinese culture and history were that it literally brought a strong economy to China, and brought the goods and customs of other cultures into its borders. The traders, including Zhang Qian in 138 B.C.E., were able to learn economic, military, and geographical information that would help in the roads expansion and with Chinese military success. The Silk Road was so important to the culture of both the Eastern and Western world because during Roman times, even the lower socioeconomic classes depended upon the goods that were imported from China on the Silk Road, and even the religion of Buddhism was spread by way of the Silk Road. Its impact on the world was huge and its impact on Chinese culture even more prominent (Newton). Works Cited The Silk Road. Beauty, the Land of China. ThinkQuest. 19 Jan. 2007 http://library.thinkquest.org/20443/silkroad.html. The Silk Road. Newton Public Schools. 19 Jan. 2007 http://www.newton.mec.edu/Angier/DimSum/Silk%20Road%20Info.html.    100 Word Assignment  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most surprising aspects of my research about the Silk Road was the vast expanse of space which is encompassed. It’s amazing how far the caravans had to travel and how large they were. From all accounts the Silk Road was dangerous to those traveling it because of the terrain and yet it was such an integral part of Chinese history and lasted for many years, even expanding. The images of the Silk Road that I could find reminded me the regal images of Chinese royalty, for some reason. It’s as if everyone is perceived as being clothed in silk from head to toe, even the camels! I definitely see how difficult the trip must have been because of the limited means of transportation that the merchants had access to, and how they could easily become victims of a raid for their goods. I also thought that it was interesting that Buddhism itself was virtually spread by way of the Silk Road. I was surprised to see that the Silk Road is being revitalized for tourism purposes and that there are many tour groups that specialize in trips just along the route that used to be traveled by Chinese merchants in ancient times.

Interpersonal and written communication techniques Essay Example for Free

Interpersonal and written communication techniques Essay Lip-reading: One skill that I have not fully develop to make me more employable in the I.T industry is the lip reading technique. Lip reading is the movement of lips and tongue; body language and facial expressions add to this technique, as it helps you to lip read better. With this technique I learnt that you have to look at the way a person stresses their speech, the rhythm and phrasing when trying to lip read. A good thing that I find about lip reading is that it provides a method of communication for deafened people. However, I found it quite difficult to lip read, because you have to pay full attention and look at lip shape and movement at all times, preventing me from concentrating. This technique is useful because it is a means of communication for the severely or totally deafened people. I also found this technique difficult to use because not all words are easy to read, some people mumble or even covered their hands when they were talking. This prevented me to lip read exactly what they say. I can further improve on this technique, by practising it over and over again, as it takes time and patience. Through this I will also be improving my confidence and strengthening my communication ability. Body language: I have developed my method of body language to make myself more employable to the i.t industry. Body language is the non-verbal signals as a method of communication through stance, gestures, facial expression etc. It also builds better relationships at home or at school. Some people may find it difficult to use body language in order to communicate, because they might find it hard to understand their gestures or facial expressions to convey what they are trying to say. This technique is useful and important in order to send the right message and to be able to read the signals the other person is sending back. Spoken communication is essential, as well as body language and facial expressions. By giving of natural body language, you are  showing that you are paying complete attention to what the employer is saying. Barriers to communication: I have develop the skill of barriers to communications. I developed this by making sure that I did not make the audience bored with my presentation. I did this by projecting my voice, so that it was loud and clear for the audience to hear and understand. Also, I made sure that my mobile phone was switched off, to avoid any distractions whilst presenting my presentation. This is a good skill to have because when communicating because when in a Conversation you are showing that you are paying full attention to everything they are saying. Positive language: I have developed the skill of using positive gesture. For example, having a smile on my face can make the other person feel more comfortable with what they are trying to say. I have also been using a genuine, formal tone of voice when addressing my peers, which makes me come across as someone with a positive attitude. I used ‘nodding’ as a form of positive language when someone was talking or explaining something to me. This shows that I am in agreement with what they are trying to say. In some conversations I may have summarised what they said to show that I have been listening to what they have said. Negative language: I have developed the skill to avoid using negative language with the improvement in my positive language. The use of negative language when communication with another person can make them feel really uncomfortable, this may also make them not want to talk to you. I stopped using negative facial expressions, to make myself come across more positively than negatively. I respond to people even if I have no interest in what they are saying. Types of questions: This is one of the skills that I have not improved on. I don’t tend to ask open questions when in a conversation. When I am not interested in a conversation I tend to either say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to questions. This stops the conversation from flowing and shows my lack of interest. This technique can be improved/developed by avoiding the use of closed questions, because it  may show that you don’t want to be a part of that particular conversation and want it to end by giving dull replies. Speed of response: The speed of response technique depends on what the question or conversation is about. There may be some questions that I might be asked that require time to think to be able to give a clear respond to what they have asked. However, in some particular conversations my speed of response is quite fast, because I am aware of what to say. So, my speed of response depends completely on what the conversation or questions are about. Written communication skills: Capitalisation: A skills that I have improved in written communication is capitalisation. I have improved on this skill by always ensuring that I always use capital letters when writing a letter or important emails as it is essential and makes the letter or email look more professional. Capital letters are use at the start of sentences, names and country names. They are also used abbreviations for UK, USA etc. The idea of capitalisation is to make sure your sentences are clear. They can also be used for emphasis, you could capitalise words within your work and in order to emphasise your opinion. It may be difficult to read over your work to check that you have added capital letters if you are in a rush. Structure: One of the skills that I have not developed in written communication is structure, because I find it time consuming to structure a piece of writing. However, it is important to structure your piece of writing so that it makes sense. You will be able to order your writing in order of importance. Ordering your writing is important, because the reader may not understand your writing. I can further improve on this skills by making sure that I order and structure my work neatly as I go along, instead of leaving to the end, which makes it more time consuming. If I don’t do this then I am making it more difficult for myself trying to figure out what I have written. Smileys: I have improved on this skills, because I am able to use smileys and  emotions, which makes the conversation flow more effectively. However they are only used informally and not it letters. They can change the mood of you’re writing to show what mood you are in. It is also easier to get messages across to the other person. It is easier to show excitement or sarcasm with the use of emotions. They can also be used for advertisements, which can make the poster look more interesting and can easily grab the reader’s attention. However, they are not to be used in letters or in important emails, as it might give a bad impression of you, and you may not be taken seriously. Therefore, it is important to improve on this technique, as you should be aware of when you should or should not use these informal methods of communicating. Proof reading/spelling/grammar: I have not improved on the technique of proof reading my spelling and grammar after writing a letter or email. I think it would be important to improve on this technique as my letter would look more professional. Sending a letter or email that has poor spelling and poor use of grammar, shows your lack of interest and you will not be taken seriously. I can further improve on this technique by taking time out to proof read my work before sending it out. Proof reading my work can make a huge difference, because I will be taken more seriously if my letter is written in a more professional manner. Alternative viewpoints: I have not improved on the technique of giving or taking on board alternative viewpoints. I think it is a good idea to maybe take on board alternative viewpoints given to me by other people, so that I try more than one way of dong certain tasks. I think I can improve on this technique by giving other people my alternative viewpoints. In this way it shows that I have been listening to what the other person has been saying. By taking on board other the viewpoints of other people will help me to improve on my work. However, it may be difficult to grasp, because I rarely ever take on alternative viewpoints. Note taking: I have improved on the technique of note taking since September. I have improved on this skill, as I had started to take notes of important topics discussed during class discussions. Also I have started to highlight the key  facts on the hand-outs that were given to me. So that I focus mainly on the key points. This made it easier for me when it came to revision, because I knew exactly what I had to revise on for the exam. I also annotated the points on the hand outs, so that I am aware of what it means when I come to revise on that topic, as I am able to clearly understand it with extra detail. Guidelines: I have improved on the technique of using guidelines when doing my work. In September when starting my ict btec course, I downloaded the assignment brief for each unit. I always had the assignment brief out whenever I did a task, to help me understand what I have got to do to achieve the task clearly with step to step instructions given of everything I need to add in order to pass the task. Having improved on this technique was useful, because it gave me extra information of what the course is about, the deadlines for each task etc. Using the assignment brief made me more independent as I didn’t need to constantly ask my teacher for help.

The Terrorism In Pakistan Politics Essay

The Terrorism In Pakistan Politics Essay Land trembled followed by an ear deafening noise. Smoke and dust caused an unpleasant darkness, people were shouting and crying in pain, blood was everywhere. This was a dreadful scene of a bomb blast. Terrorism, you may have heard this word many times especially in recent years. So what is terrorism? What is its origin? How can it be defined? These are common questions which arise in a person mind when he hears word Terrorism. The word terrorism origins from the French word terrorisme.(Online etymology definition) Before I can explain terrorism in Pakistan I will try to establish what terrorism and terrorists are. Terrorism in simple words can be described as systematic use of terror to cause uneasiness in the society. Terrorism has no legally accepted criminal law definition. Common definitions of terrorism describe it as the violent acts carried out in order to cause dismay, and these acts based on religious, political or ideological goals as their motives. Definition of terrorism has proven to be a controversial matter. Many governments and states use their own legislating definition of terrorism which is different from other definitions due to colliding ideology. Many religious and social factions also have their own beliefs about it. Research has found about more than 100 definitions of terrorism. (Jeffrey Record, (2009). But there isnt even a single definition which is accepted by everyone. Some points differ in every definition of terrorism, yet there is one thing which is common in every definition as Walter Laquer said the only general characteristic of terrorism generally agreed upon is that terrorism involves violence and the threat of violence. (Centre for strategic and statistical studies) In this regard Angus Martyn said in Australian Parliament. The international community has never succeeded in developing an accepted comprehensive definition of terrorism. During the 1970s and 1980s, the United Nations attempts to define the term floundered mainly due to differences of opinion between various members about the use of violence in the context of conflicts over national liberation and  self-determination. Hence it can be concluded that there is no legitimate definition of terrorism accepted by everyone. What is a terrorist? In simple words a person who commits an act of terrorism is called terrorism. He may be a single person or a group of people sharing common ideals. There is a lot of controversy about it; it all comes down to how a person ideology allows him to see things. As David Hanny said One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.(David Hanny, 2005) I can easily correlate this argument with help of an example, when Soviet Russia attacked Afghanistan the resistance group was called Afghan Mujahedeen (Freedom fighters) by almost all the world. And after 20 years later when these men tried to fight off American forces to save their homeland, they were crowned as Taliban (A terrorist Group). A liberal person working for the betterment of the society may be called terrorist by some people while others may call him a patriot or statesman. An example would be Martin Luther King although he worked all his life for liberty of black people; he was called a terrorist by west media and politicians for a long portion of his life. Now I will try to establish some of the common type of terrorism types. Violent acts carried out in order to disturb the peace of society pertaining to cause disorder can be classified as civil terrorism. A common example of it can be target killing. Sometimes terrorists perform violent actions in order to achieve some political agenda; this can be labeled as political terrorism. Perpetrators of this type of terrorism have some political aim as their motive. Death sentence of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is considered as political terrorism by some idealists. Sometimes terrorist will work as a lone wolf, he doesnt has any ideal or a political agenda behind it. He will just do it for fun; he doesnt even intend to cause uneasiness in the society nor is it his aim to destroy peace. Common example can be of a target killer. State terrorism is type of terrorism in which a nation will violate other nation right of freedom, invade it and continue to capture and rule it by fear. There is a lot of con troversy involved about what is in boundary of state terrorism and what is not. Some people consider American aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq to be state terrorism, while some consider this aggression to be justified on grounds of eradicating terrorists. Another controversial example of state terrorism will be of Israeli aggression on Palestinian home. It was strongly condemned by the Arab world but was supported by America. Many Muslim countries still hasnt accepted Israel and war still rages on. Yet there are some examples of state terrorism accepted by most of ideologies around the world. Indian reign of Jammu Kashmir is prime example of this kind of terrorism. Soviet Russian aggression on Afghanistan can also be placed into state terrorism. Religious terrorism is terrorism performed by a group or a single person, motivation of this type of terrorism is rooted in ethics and religious understanding of the group or individual. These types of terrorist acts have been perform ed since old time in order to enforce a system of belief. A religion cannot be necessarily held responsible for it; it all comes down to the understanding and interpretation of individual. Deadly operations such as 11 September World trade centre attack, London underground bombings and 2002 Bali Bombings are prime examples of this type of terrorism. (Sageman, Mark 2005) Bomb blasts, target killing, murders, and drone attacks unfortunately these topics are the headlines of news nowadays in Pakistan. Pakistan has been target of constant terrorist activities since its birth, it has been challenged by various group on basis of nationalism, religious segregation and political ideology. 1947 separation, 1971 civil war are biggest examples of this kind. Even today Pakistan is facing several distinct conflicts, both national and international. The annual death toll from recent terrorist attacks has risen from 164 in 2003 to 3318 in 2009, massing up to 35,000 Pakistanis being killed as of 2010. According to Government of Pakistan estimates the total economic damage caused by terrorism directly or indirectly masses up to 68 billion dollars. (Mohsin Hameed, 2011) These statistics gives us the idea of how gravely these terrorist activities are hurting Pakistan. Now I will try to narrow down the causes of terrorism. Unemployment is one of the biggest primordial of terrorism. Many people engage into terrorist activities because they dont have other means to realize their basic needs. Perpetrators approach these people and ask them to carry out their hideous missions in exchange for large sums of money. Sometimes these people have to comply to perpetrator demands because they have no alternate route to make money. Another big cause of terrorism is illiteracy and lack of awareness. Many people of tribal areas are tending to be brainwashed by terrorists because they lack education and awareness. These people then indulge into terrorist activities while believing that what they are doing is right. Exploiting religion is also one of causes of terrorism. Religious doctrine in our view is a justification for terrorist activities. Religious extremists are tending to indulge in terrorism because they are discontent with the political and economic status quo. Religious justifications are often combined wit h other, explicitly political, goals, such as nationalism or self-determination. (Martha chensaw, 2005). These religious extremists then make use of innocent people by brainwashing them, making use of false religion facts. Politics also causes terrorism in some form or other, target killing nowadays is comprised of political enviousness. These are the main causes which make up the roots of terrorism in Pakistan. Now I will try to illuminate about the effects of terrorism in Pakistan. Terrorism in itself causes the loss of life and money. It also has various other related effects which cause problems for Pakistan and its people. Terrorism directly or indirectly embodies fear into mind of the people. People tend to stay at homes and avoid public gatherings. It has changed the lifestyle of people mostly in big cities. People arent certain whether they will return from work alive or not. People are abandoning their homes in tribal areas where war against terrorism is being fought. Due to fear of terrorism foreigners are avoiding to visit Pakistan and it has drastically declined our tourism industry. Foreign companies hesitate to make investment in Pakistan. Pakistani Governments has made efforts towards ending terrorism in Pakistan. Pakistani army is at war against rebel groups in tribal areas. But is this enough? Government efforts to decrease target killing in Karachi and Baluchistan have all been in vain. What does this tell us? Government efforts most certainly arent enough to end terrorism. These efforts may have decreased terrorism but are tending to fail in the long run. If Governments efforts arent enough to end terrorism then what should be done about it? Everyone in the society has an obligation to eradicate terrorism. Government should hold seminars to spread awareness about terrorism. It needs to educate people of tribal areas and spread the true knowledge and spirit of Islam so that perpetrators cant exploit our beloved religion. It should provide adequate jobs to people so that people wont tend to indulge in criminal activities. Government needs to have talks with terrorist groups and try to talk them out of it. It should listen to their reasonable desires. Government should also make efforts to stop drone attacks. Killing innocent people of tribal areas cant be justified by labeling them terrorists. People whose loved ones are killed by these horrendous attacks wont stay silent. They will indulge in terrorist activities to take revenge for their loved ones. Violence begets violence. We cant stop violence using violence. Media also has a huge role to play if we want to end terrorism. Foreign Media blames Islam for terrorist activ ities, which is a blatant accuse. It is our media duty to prove the World that Islam is a religion of peace and harmony and strongly condemn terrorist acts. If Pakistani media is able to show the bright side of Islam and Muslims foreigners will stop hating us. This will break the cycle of hate and if we are able to break cycle of hate, terrorism will be uprooted from the world. Terrorism is a grave problem world is facing at the moment. We can end terrorism and eradicate the perpetrators with mutual understanding and harmony. It is everyones duty in the world despite which religion or faction you belong to make efforts towards ending it. All Globally conflicted issues should be dealt with dialogue and talk.

The History of Rap Music :: Rap Music Jamaican Culture Essays

The History of Rap Music Rap music originated as a cross-cultural product. Most of its important early practitioners-including Kool Herc, D.J. Hollywood, and Afrika Bambaataa-were either first- or second-generation Americans of Caribbean ancestry. Herc and Hollywood are both credited with introducing the Jamaican style of cutting and mixing into the musical culture of the South Bronx. By most accounts Herc was the first DJ to buy two copies of the same record for just a 15-second break (rhythmic instrumental segment) in the middle. By mixing back and forth between the two copies he was able to double, triple, or indefinitely extend the break. In so doing, Herc effectively deconstructed and reconstructed so-called found sound, using the turntable as a musical instrument. While he was cutting with two turntables, Herc would also perform with the microphone in Jamaican toasting style-joking, boasting, and using myriad in-group references. Herc's musical parties eventually gained notoriety and were often documented on cassette tapes that were recorded with the relatively new boombox, or blaster, technology. Taped duplicates of these parties rapidly made their way through the Bronx, Brooklyn, and uptown Manhattan, spawning a number of similar DJ acts. Among the new breed of DJs was Afrika Bambaataa, the first important Black Muslim in rap. (The Muslim presence would become very influential in the late 1980s.) Bambaataa often engaged in sound-system battles with Herc, similar to the so-called cutting contests in jazz a generation earlier. The sound system competitions were held at city parks, where hot-wired street lamps supplied electricity, or at local clubs. Bambaataa sometimes mixed sounds from rock-music recordings and television shows into the standard funk and disco fare that Herc and most of his followers relied upon. By using rock records, Bambaataa extended rap beyond the immediate reference points of contemporary black youth culture. By the 1990s any sound source was considered fair game and rap artists borrowed sounds from such disparate sources as Israeli folk music, bebop jazz records, and television news broadcasts. In 1976 Grandmaster Flash introduced the technique In 1979 the first two rap records appeared: "King Tim III (Personality Jock)," recorded by the Fatback Band, and "Rapper's Delight," by Sugarhill Gang. A series of verses recited by the three members of Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight" became a national hit, reaching number 36 on the Billboard magazine popular music charts. The spoken content, mostly braggadocio spiced with fantasy, was derived largely from a pool of material used by most of the earlier rappers. The backing track for "Rapper's Delight" was supplied by hired studio musicians, who replicated

The Hard Life of Samuel Coleridge :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Hard Life of Samuel Coleridge      Ã‚  Ã‚   Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born on October 21, 1772 in Ottery St. Mary, Devonshire. He was the youngest of ten children and was often teased and bullied by the others. When he was 7 years old, Coleridge ran away from home. He was found unharmed the next morning. This event has recurred, in a literary sense, in a large portion of his writings. Many of his poems, sketches, and notebooks contained pictures and descriptions of his night spent outdoors. Although it was evident that Coleridge was a prodigy, he did not do well at a young age because he lost himself in women, drugs, and alcohol. He turned to the army, but this too fell through for him because his family was furious and his brother had him released for reasons of insanity. He immediately brought him back to Cambridge. It was here that he met William Wordsworth (Ashton 29).    In 1797, Coleridge published "Poems" which was well liked. This excited him because he thought that this would begin his road to success. One year later, Wordsworth and Coleridge had their famous "Lyrical Ballads" published. Coleridge's "The Ancient Mariner," opens the book. Many people believe that the work the two men did together greatly contributed to the creation of the Romantic Period. It was chosen to open the book because of its powerful descriptions about remorse. This, combined with the element of psychological obsession, may have had a lot to do with his younger years. In several ways, Coleridge's life experiences seem to have a lot to do with his poem, "Frost at Midnight."    However brilliant, Coleridge was not necessarily a happy man. In 1802 he wrote to Southey: "All my poetic genius is gone, and I have been fool enough to suffer deeply in my my mind, regretting the loss, which I attribute to my long and exceedingly severe metaphysical investigations, and these partly to ill-health, and partly to private afflictions..." (Watson 3).   He, like many, was going through a tough period in his life. His poem, "Frost at Midnight," is an excellent example of his attempts to find hope in his life. He wrote this poem for his son, Hartley.

The International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Essay -- Yugoslav

The International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia     On May 25, 1993, U.N. Security Council Resolution 827 established an international tribunal charged with prosecuting violations of international law arising from the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Not since the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, following World War II has an international court tried individuals accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. The International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTFY), which was established at The Hague, Netherlands, is widely seen as an important step toward the deterrence of crimes, the establishment of the firm rule of international law, and the promotion of world peace. Yet, from its inception, the tribunal has generated controversy among supporters and detractors. Among those who believe that the tribunal idea is sound, the principal concerns are that such an institution be established on a sound legal basis, that it adhere to an acceptably high standard of due process, that it administer equal and dispass ionate justice, and that it be perceived by nations and individuals to be legitimate, fair and effective. Unfortunately, the Yugoslavia tribunal has not yet met all these standards--and may never be able to meet all of them in the fullest sense. A discussion of some of the realities that face the ICTFY demonstrates why the task of making the tribunal work is so difficult--and why it is vital that it be accomplished.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  None of the four requirements that the tribunal must meet is easily achieved, and, in some cases, success seems unlikely. Many supporters of international humanitarian law are convinced, however, that, so long as the court does no harm, it must continue to pursue its original goals. This position supports the general idea of the rule of law, without reference to the circumstances. Ordinarily, of course, justice is supposed to be above the particularities of any case. Yet the nature of the circumstances in the case of the former Yugoslavia may undermine the ICTFY's credibility and render it ineffective in obtaining justice and promoting the concept of international humanitarian law. Justice must be predicated on detachment and impartiality. But the ICTFY is essentially a first attempt at administering such justice, and the peculiarities of the test case have to be kept from contaminating the process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The... ...via and International Law." East European Constitutional Review 5, no. 4 (1996): 75-79. Dimitrijevic, Vojin. "The War Crimes Tribunal in the Yugoslav Context." East European Constitutional Review 5, no. 4 (1996): 85-92. Dworkin, Anthony. "The World in Judgement." Index on Censorship 5 (1996): 137-144. Guest, Iain. "The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia: A Preliminary Assessment." In Implementation of the Helsinki Accords: The War Crimes Trials for the Former Yugoslavia: Prospects and Problems, briefing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Washington D. C., May 28 1996, 75-84. Washington, D. C.: Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 1996. Niarchos, Catherine N. "Women, War, and Rape: Challenges Facing the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia." Human Rights Quarterly 17 (1995): 649-690. Teitel, Ruti. "Judgment at The Hague." East European Constitutional Review 5, no. 4 (1996): 80-85. Thornberry, Cedric. "Saving the War Crimes Tribunal." Foreign Policy no. 104 (Fall 1996): 72-85. Walsh, Brian. "Resolving the Human Rights Violations of a Previous Regime." World Affairs 158 (Winter 1996): 111-121.

Brain Development Essay

At birth there are about 100 billion brain cells produced and they are beginning to connect with each other. At the first week of age, brain development starts with conception. It is important to reach the age of an infant and practice the ten principals. In the early years, young brains produce almost twice as many synapses as they will need. By age two, the number of synapses a toddler has is similar to that of an adult. By three the child has twice as many synapses as an adult. The infant brain develops through the interaction with the world around, especially the interaction with adults. At the first few months, an infant cannot response to praise or punishment. Emerging research on brain development indicates that the degree for responsive care giving that children receive as infants and toddlers positively affects the connections between neurons in the brain (Brain Cells), and the architecture of the brain itself. The first three years of life are the period of growth in all areas of a baby’s development. Consistent, responsive relationships enable infants and toddlers to develop secure attachments. Infants and Toddlers develop knowing and understanding by perceiving experiences directly with the senses. For infants to acquire the ability to comprehend this sensory information they must b able to distinguish between the familiar and the unknown; later they will begin to consider, to formulate, and to form mental images in this process of experiencing and clarifying the environment. Infants begin by exploring the world with their bodies. They internalize what they take in through their senses and display it in their physical movements. Infants gather vital information through such simple acts as mouthing, grasping, and reaching. The knowing process also involves language abilities. As young children use their senses to experience the world, they need labels to categorize and remember these experiences. By creating these labels, children increase their ability to communicate and begin to control their own behavior. These expanded abilities give young children additional opportunities to understand the world (Infant, Toddlers, and Caregiver Ninth Edition). Recent brain research supports the goal of building a total person instead of concentrating on cognitive development alone. Providing a rich environment with interesting things to do is desirable and stimulates cognitive development. But that does not work without working on physical, social, and emotional development at the same time. What make differences are the day-to-day living, the relationships, the experiences, the diapering, the feedings, the toilet training, and the free play and exploration that contribute to intellectual development. Early experiences matter, and shape brain architecture. Advances in brain research have provided great insight into how young children’s experiences have profound impact on genetic predispositions and thereby share the processes that determine whether their brains will have adaptations or maladaptations for later learning, memory, reasoning, executive functioning, expressing a full range of positive and negative emotions, socialization, behavior control and lifelong health. The thrust of this element is to close the gap between what we have learned and what we do with infants and toddlers. Experiences that prepare the developing brain to function optimally include having warm, nurturing, attentive social interactions and conscientiously buffering young children from the adverse impact of toxic stress. Lack of these kinds of experiences can have devastating, long-term effects on brain development including cognitive functioning and social-emotional competencies. For example, unpredictable or chaotic routines or lack of consistent caregivers may jeopardize children’s foundation for identity development or self regulation, or few language experiences, toys, and opportunities to explore impede the development of neural connections and pathways that facilitate learning (Essential elements of Quality-Infant-toddler Program). To deliver high quality care giving, adults need to understand and recognize key developmental processes that help them understand and support infants and toddlers. Since this essential element explicitly identifies knowledge about key developmental processes threats to them as a factor in quality infant-toddler program, three terms are defined as important pieces of a wider knowledge base about brain development that informs practice: serve and return, executive functioning and toxic stress. Serve and return is the interaction between young children and their parents and caregiver is a key to healthy brain development. It helps to create neural connections that build later cognitive and emotional skills. Executive functioning represents the cognitive skills that enable a child to focus on, hold, and think about information, filter distractions; and divert their attention to something new. The foundation for executive functioning is laid in infancy and is facilitated through early experiences. Acquiring the early building blocks of (executive functioning) skills is one of the most important and challenging tasks of the early childhood years. Toxic stress is defined as strong, frequent, and/or prolonged adversity without adequate adult support. Toxic stress disrupts brain development. While some experience with manageable stress is important for healthy development, prolonged, uninterrupted, overwhelming stress; toxic stress without the buffering relationships a child needs, can result in damaged, weakened systems and brain architecture that can have negative long-term effect (Essential Elements of Quality-Infant-Toddler Program). Environments make a difference in brain development. Environments that provide proper nutrition and regularly scheduled periods of sleep and physical activity consistently promote warm, nurturing, attentive social interaction; and conscientiously buffer young children from the adverse impacts of toxic stress. Lack of adequate nutrition, physical activity, appropriate sensory stimulation or social-emotional developmental experiences disrupt brain architecture and can have a decisively negative Impact on future development (Essential Elements of Quality-Infant-Toddler Program). Finding about the impact of early experiences on brain development highlight the importance of intervening early with highly stressed infants and toddlers and their families. Infants and children who are rarely spoken to, who are exposed to few toys, and who have little opportunity to explore and experiment with their environment may fail to fully develop the neural connections and path ways that facilitate later learning. Despite their normal genetic endowment, these children are at a significant intellectual disadvantage and are likely to require costly special education or other remedial services when they enter school. Fortunately, intervention programs that start working with children and their families at birth or even prenatally can help prevent this tragic loss of potential. While high-quality infant and toddler programs are not necessarily intervention programs. When caregiver and parenting practices are grounded in knowledge of early brain development, caregivers and parents are much more effective in providing experiences that facilitate optimal development including strong brain architecture (Essential element of Quality-Infant-Toddler Program).