European Union Establishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Union Establishment - Essay Example Though, the primary task of my paper is to, after conducting the research and deeply studying the EU concepts, answer the question of whether the EU was mainly created due to political or economical reasons. It is rather surprising that the European Union was officially created fourteen years ago, in 1993, because the idea of United Europe was pursued by many thinkers long before the 1990s. The list of historical personalities, who in different ways followed an idea of EU, is remarkable. It starts with Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon, and Metternich, and can be continued with such intellectuals and philosophers as Rousseau, Marx, Kant, and Leibniz the remarkable thinkers who proposed the idea of a European Community "as a long-term desirable political objective" (Davies). Furthermore, the first great effort to integrate an imperative section of Eurasia and the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea was brought up in the times of Roman Empire. It was the time when the idea about "eurocenttrism" and superiority of the European civilization arose for the first time (Davies). For those living in Europe, World War I and World War II meant the beginning of the end of the traditional time-honored European civilization. ... For the majority it was the period of perplexity and uncertainty, the Europeans were simply squeezed between the two growing powers: the USA and the USSR. Though, there was a minority of people who, having survived the wars, drew some important conclusions. At that point of time people realized that the way Europe reacted to wars and actually its capacity to react to military operations depended on its ability to surmount the hostile nationalism that brought about only catastrophes, desolation, and misery (European History Spartacus Educational). For that little group of people it was clear that the time to adopt the ideal of a joint and peaceful Europe as a common project has come (Davies). Nonetheless the fact that there was only a minority of those advocating the creation of joint and peaceful Europe, there were three reasons, or so to say "realities" that evidently showed that the time for new orientation towards the European integration had come. To begin with, the Europeans, even the most nationalistic ones were fully aware of their overall political and economical weaknesses. The world was once and forever changed by the wars, and the eminent and traditional European hegemony was in the past, while the two new superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, were formed possessing a superior economic, political and military strength. Secondly, having learnt the lesson from the two drastic wars, the European countries were fully aware of impossibility and malignancy of repeating the confrontation among European States. The last but not least reason for the establishment of European Union was a desire to create an open, just and more affluent continent in which the international relationships were developed in a frame of harmony, peace, and unity.

International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

International Law - Essay Example Senegal has ratified the U.N. Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and is obligated under its provisions to either prosecute or extradite Hebrà © (aut dedere aut prosequi).3 However, such obligation does not require Senegal to extradite Habre specifically to Belgium. Recent conventions and state practice has embraced a duty not to extradite persons that face seriously discriminatory applications of criminal law authority. This limitation on the duty to extradite is incorporated in both the European Terrorism Convention4 and the United Nations Terrorist Financing Convention5: â€Å"Nothing in this Convention shall be interpreted as imposing an obligation to extradite†¦if the requested State Party has substantial grounds for believing that the request for extradition†¦has been made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing a person on account of that persons race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin or political opinio n or that compliance with the request would cause prejudice to that persons position for any of these reasons.† Thus, an individual does not face fair criminal prosecution where relevant forms of discrimination result in selective prosecution.6 Such emergent exceptions to extradition should also be automatically incorporated in Article 1(F)(b) of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.7 Belgium as well as the Western World has shown a persistent practice of discrimination against Africans and to some extent Latin Americans so far as prosecution for crimes against humanity are concerned. While Belgium has readily prosecuted or initiated investigations against Africans accused of crimes against humanity, in March 2003, when at the behest of family members of civilians killed in the 1991 Gulf War, Belgian prosecutors launched an investigation of former President George H.W. Bush,

Personal Epiphany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Epiphany - Essay Example Since my destination was still an hour away, I did sit back to observe the station. To my astonishment, a group of children dressed in dirty clothes rushed into the train. Before I could realize what was happening, they started to do all sort of things – begging, singing, offering to polish the travellers’ shoes, cleaning the floor and selling knickknacks. I happened to notice a very small boy who stood out from the crowd. His grimy face camouflaged cherubic features. There were four of them in the group, but all the others dispersed as soon as I met them. I guessed they went to the other compartments, probably in search of other large-hearted people scattered in the train. The lady sitting next to me was complaining about the heat and how she failed to get a ticket in First Class A/C due to the pilgrim season. She also realized that the food served in the train was not something to her taste and was about to throw it away when the boy went near her and stretched his palm to her as his pain-filled eyes implored all those in the cabin. In a reflex action, she shoved the food packet to his hands and he went out of the train and stepped to the platform in a hurry. It seemed that he was just looking for some food and forgot the need to get something more before the train moved. As the train stayed in the station for five more minutes, I couldn’t help looking outside to see what the boy was up to. I saw him settle down near a pillar and open the packet hastily. I also saw how much he needed the food, from his slim frame and the anticipatory glee writ large on his face. At the exact moment he opened the packet, I saw an older girl like him, in tatters, approaching him and before he could do anything, she snatched the packet away from him and started to run through the platform making hysterical gestures. She laughed aloud and threw the food

Media Coursework Essay Example for Free

Media Coursework Essay For my GCSE media coursework I have been asked to write about a television soap or series. I have chosen to write about the popular soap, Eastenders. Eastenders is a fictional drama soap about a small community living in East London. First I shall explain what a soap is. A soap is a television program that is all about peoples daily lives and the events that happen. Soaps are ongoing, contemporary dramas. Contemporary means that the plots and storylines are all based on on real life events that can and do happen to real people. Ongoing means the plot of the soap is held out over the episodes. Soaps can be split into different categories such as, countryside soaps, city soaps, or police soaps. Emmerdale is an example of countryside soap, Coronation Street, Eastenders, as city soaps, and The Bill as a police soap. The reason television soaps are called soaps is because the soap used to be advertised on the side of soap packets. Soaps always end with a cliffhanger. When I say cliffhanger, I mean that at the end of the episode the main plot finishes half way through. This leaves the viewers wondering what will happen next, so they watch the next episode. On the other hand, series have a different way of keeping the viewers interested. At the end of the episode they show you a sneak preview of what will be happening in the next episode. I dont think this is a good way to make sure you keep your viewers because its spoils the surprise. A series has a new main plot for every episode, the plot is introduced as the episode begins and finishes as it ends. Series always have smaller plots. The idea for these is for you to keep in the back of your mind, so you keep watching. The smaller plots are carried on over two or three episodes, like in soap. Another way they keep people watching is by letting newspapers and magazines inform their readers of the future storylines. I dont think they should be allowed to do this because most people would rather watch the soap without knowing what will happen next. It makes the soap or series more enjoyable. By doing this, it means more people watch so they get more money. Another Eastender makes its money is by merchandising. In other words, Eastenders produce product which have a connection to Eastenders and try to sell them. On the Eastenders website (www. bbc. co. uk/eastenders) they sell items such as, mugs, T-shirt, books etc. All of which have some connection to Eastenders. They may have a picture of a character of Eastenders written across it. Series are not ongoing. They usually have about 12 episodes, then switch with a different series. Series also have different categories, such as, city and countryside series, relationship series, police, crime and prison series, comedy series, and hospital series. Both soaps and series exaggerate the plot to make it more interesting and attract more viewers. We know that it doesnt really happen like that in life but we except and believe it to make the soap work, if we didnt they would be no point in watching. Like in Eastenders, the characters live in a fictional city called Albert Square in East London. We all know this place doesnt exist but we believe in it. Julia Smith and Tony Holland created Eastenders as a rival for Coronation Street. The first ever episode was transmitted at 7pm on the 19th February 1985. For the first eight years, Eastenders was shown twice weekly but on the 11th April 1994, it was changed to three episodes per week. Now, in the year 2002, the standard yearly output with four episodes a week is 208 episodes plus the omnibus repeat on Sundays. However, there are often additional episodes filmed throughout the year, increasing the figure to between 210 and 215 episodes. I think one of the reasons it was changed to four times a week is because that is how many times Coronation Street is shown. Eastenders is one of the most successful BBC programs in history and to date is topping the charts with viewing figures of 11. 2milion viewers per weekday episode, which is equal to 53% share of television viewing. Eastenders is mostly watched by people aged 25- 45 with 34% of the viewers fitting in that age group. Closely following is the under24s which make up 24% of the viewers. The remaining 42% of the audience are the over 45s. Over half of the viewers are female whilst only 33% are male and 12% of Eastenders audience are children. The reason for such a low percentage of children, I think, is because Eastenders is on our screens at round about 7:30pm or 8:00pm and stays there for roughly half an hour. Most children would be in or going to bed. Eastenders is transmitted for our enjoyment, every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday with a repeat every Sunday. I timed an episode of Eastenders. The viewing time was 27:06:92 minutes and the credits were 00:31:38 seconds, which together, give a total o 27:38:25 minutes. This is slightly over the target length for Eastenders, which is 27 minutes and 15 seconds. The maximum is 27:40:00 minutes. I also timed an episode of another popular soap, Coronation Street. I found out that Eastenders is on our screens for about 1 minute and 30 seconds longer than Coronation Street. The reason for this may be that, Coronation Street has a commercial break, which Eastenders doesnt have. A plot is the main storyline of the program. It usually involves two or more of the characters. Currently, the main plot of Eastenders includes Phil Mitchell, Peggy Mitchell, Sonja Jackson, Jamie Mitchell, Lisa Fowler and her and Phils baby, Louise. In a recent episode, Lisa took her baby and fled to Portugal. Phil wasnt happy about this; after all she had taken his child. Phil followed her to find his daughter. In the last episode, Phil pulled up in a taxi and climbed out with Louise. The viewers were then expecting Lisa to get out, but then the taxi pulled away. Phil had returned. Without Lisa. People were very suspicious and refused to believe when Phil lied to them saying that he and Lisa had came to an agreement. He said Lisa was suicidal and they had agreed it was best for Phil to take the baby. We found out that this was a complete lie when Peggy, was unpacking for Phil and she came across two passports. One was Phils and the other was Lisas. Peggy knows he is lying but she refuses to believe it and keeps quiet about it. This is the main plot at the moment, it only involves a few characters, but it is interesting to watch. Other issues that have been in the plot of Eastenders include, rape, abortion, teenage pregnancy, homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution, divorce, extra marital affairs, unmarried mothers, mixed marriages, murder, gambling, adoption, teenage runaways, Alzheimers disease, HIV/AIDS, drink driving and euthanasia. I think that it is a good idea to broadcast these issues because all these subjects happen in real- life and it helps people to learn about it and how to cope if it should ever happen to them. These issues could also be involved in the sub- plot. Sub- plots are just like main plots but they involve fewer characters and are just there for us to keep in the back of our minds. If soaps only had one storyline, it might not involve your favourite character so you might not be interested in watching. The most recent sub- plots in Eastenders are involving Ian and his wife, Laura. Laura is pregnant, but we all know it isnt Ians child because he has had a vasectomy. Steven, Ians son has found out that Ian is not his real dad and that his real dad doesnt even live in England or know he has a son. Sonja made her boyfriend Jamie, sneak into Phils pub to find Lisas passport. Soaps usually have about three or four sub- plots. This means only about half of the cast is actually involved in one episode. They are roughly 35 different characters in the cast, two of whom have been in Eastenders since the first episode. The two characters that have been in Eastenders since the first episode are Adam Woodyatt, who plays Ian Beale and Wendy Richard, better known as Pauline Fowler. Adam Woodyatt is my favourite character. He is 34 years old and was born on the 28th June 1968. He was born in Walthamstow. Adam is one of the few cast members to actually come from the East End of London. Ian Beale is my favourite character because he is a very believable character. This is because if you combine Adams wonderful acting with the skill of the scriptwriters, it creates a real, believable character. Also, Ian is nearly always written into the script. So far, Ian has been through divorce more than twice, bankruptcy, his wife tried to murder him, he has slept with a prostitute, told his old fianci e, Mel, that his child was ill just so she would marry him and his most recent plot is that his current wife, Laura, is pregnant but the child is definitely not Ians. Ian Beale comes across as a sneaky, sly, wimp and he likes to get his own way. He always seems to be plotting something but his plans never work. He is a bit of a failure. As a businessman, as a husband and as a dad. His business failed when he went bankrupt, he has been married three or four times and his son has left him, to go see his real dad. Ian does not seem like a nice man. The reason I like him is because I feel quite sorry for him. Everything goes wrong and I think he deserves something nice to happen. Underneath, I think he is really sensitive. He cries a lot, I must have seen him cry about 5 times, usually to do with his children. Ian is a character I definitely wouldnt like to be, because he has a hard life. However, the character I would love to be is Janine Butcher. The actress Charlie Brooks has the task of being Janine Butcher. Charlies date of birth is 3rd May 1981 and is originally from Barmouth, North Wales. Her first appearance in the soap was on 22nd June 1989 when she was only eight years of age. She was the third actress to play Janine Butcher. Janine is a fairly pleasant character although she is awful to the people she dislikes. I think she is greatly misunderstood. She likes to get her own way, and if she doesnt she really can be a frightful person to be near. She is also uses people. She once made friends with a man called Terry, just to get her hands on his money and have a job and a place to stay. But, I would still like to be Janine because she knows how to have fun and is very witty. Janine also knows how to take care of herself. These are the reasons I admire her. On a whole, I think Eastenders is really realistic because they dont exaggerate the issues too much unlike other soaps. It is also fun and easy to watch. It doesnt matter if you miss one or two episodes because it is so easy to catch up on the plot. I really enjoy watching Eastenders along with 53% of television viewing and I think it is one of the best soaps to watch.

The Neurobiology of Fear: Emotional Memory and Post-Traumatic Stress Di

The Neurobiology of Fear: Emotional Memory and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder For survivors of traumatic events, the trauma itself is often only the beginning. While some are relatively unaffected, many others will develop post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, an affliction that haunts its victims with terrifying memories, nightmares, and panic attacks. (For a comprehensive list of symptoms and diagnostic criteria, the reader may refer to the DSM-IV, relevant portions of which may be found online (7).) The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 3.6 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 54 suffer from PTSD; 30 percent of those who have spent time in war zones - one million veterans of Vietnam alone - are affected (6). PTSD is treated with several forms of psychotherapy, including exposure therapy, centered around a controlled confrontation of frightening stimuli. While medication may treat co-occurring depression, anxiety, or insomnia (6), pharmacological agents targeting PTSD remain unavailable. In part, this is because researchers hav e only begun to describe the underlying neurobiology. Several recent studies have pointed to the brain structure known as the amygdala as a central player, but questions remain: How does this small structure "recognize" danger? How does it create emotional memories? What causes recurrence of these memories? Answers to these questions are complex and incomplete. As an anxiety disorder, PTSD has its foundations in fear and "emotional memory." Like factual memory, emotional memory also involves the storage and recall of events and details; this has been termed the explicit or conscious memory (2). Emotional memory, though, has a second, distinct component. This facet, t... ...ing, from Stephen Maren's Emotion and Memory Systems Laboratory at the University of Michigan. http://maren1.psych.lsa.umich.edu/Models.html 4)Summary of Research at Stephen Maren's Emotion and Memory Systems Laboratory at the University of Michigan. http://maren1.psych.lsa.umich.edu/Research.html 5)Anxiety Disorders Treatment Target: Amygdala Circuitry, from the National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/events/pranxst.cfm 6)Facts About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, from the National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/ptsdfacts.cfm 7)PTSD Diagnostic Criteria from the DSM-IV, from Bully Online, a service of the United Kingdom National Workplace Bullying Advice Line. http://www.successunlimited.co.uk/PTSD/ 8)Building a Brainier Mouse. Zsien, Joe T. 2000. Scientific American http://www.sciam.com/missing.cfm

The Effects of Addicting to Cyber Social Networks

The Effects of Addicting to Cyber Social Networks Social network is an addictive thing nowadays. I believe that everyone, start from teenagers up to old people addict to cyber social networks. Almost every single breathe, they update their twit, their statues, etc. If we cannot control ourselves to use this social network in the good way, it will not take a long time for us to get the bad impacts. There are so many bad impacts of addicting social networks.First of all, we will next to our far away people we usually connected to, but we will be far with the people around us. How come? Many people always keep contact to their friends in cyber world by social networking, so they often don’t care with the people around them. That condition absolutely makes others feel uncomfort to talk with that person. So, don’t be surprised if those real friends will stay away from that person. Actually it’s good to keep contact with people who far away with us. However, real frien ds are more important than cyber friends.Why? Because if we have a problem, real friends will help us directly than cyber friends. So the main point here, we have to priority our real friends first, then our cyber friends. The second is our main activity will be annoyed because of addicting to social networks. I am sure that we often meet someone who cannot live faraway from their gadget just to update his social networks. Don’t you ever think that this habit actually is annoyed his main activity? For example, there is a student in a class.All of us know that his main activity should be related with studying. However, if he is too busy with his social networks, how about his study? I believe that he will not be able to focus on his study because every single breathe he updates his social networks as I said before. That habit will also influence his score, how come? Because if we cannot focus on what we do, of course we will not be able to do it well. We will not be able to gi ve our best on it. The last but not least, addicting to social networks will give bad impact for our body.As we know that if we addict to something, in this case social networks, we will not be able to be separated with our gadgets. Whenever and wherever we go, those gadgets will stick with our hand, and absolutely it’s dangerous for us. Medical research has found that two mobile phones which are calling to each other for some hours can make an egg cooked. From that news, I think we should know how dangerous the radiation of this gadget is. Besides the radiation, too much doing this activity will make us feel lazy to move, we will sit all day long.Sitting for a long time is also not good for our body, we have to do exercise at least 15 minutes per day regularly. As you know, it is really dangerous for us if we cannot use cyber social networks in a good way. Being far away with people around us, annoying our main activity and also causing harm for our health is just some examp les of this bad habit. In my opinion, technology is good for us, but we have to use it in a good way too, so we can get the advantages. Sonia Dwi Cahyanti 110221414604/AA

Benifits of Walking

â€Å"Benefits of Walking† Walking provides a wide range of benefits, some of which are more obvious than others. The obvious benefits of walking include the benefits to the individual from physical fitness and mental health improvements. A less obvious benefit is the way in which getting more people walking more often can help to generate a stronger local community, which in turn will contribute to happier and healthier neighborhoods. Every channel you turn to, every magazine you flip through, and every sports store you go to, shows the concept of exercising.Most people think of exercise as too much work. They make excuses like I don’t have enough time, or I’ll do it later. The purpose of this essay is to persuade my listeners to get out their walking shoes and start reaping the benefits of a healthy life and start walking. First we will discover how walking benefits our bodies, second uncover how easy it is to incorporate walking in to our daily lives, and thir d reveal the only equipment that one needs to take the first step putting one foot in front of the other.For many of us we are always finding ways to get out of exercising. Either we are too busy or we are putting it off until we have more time, but actually we never get the time to exercise and we just see ourselves jumping from a size 6 to a size 12. Well I have help for you. We were all born with 2 arms and 2 legs, so let’s put those legs to the use they were intended. Walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise and provides many health benefits.Regular walkers have fewer heart attacks and strokes, have lower blood pressure, and have higher levels of healthy HDL cholesterol than couch sitters do. In one study of women, a regular walking program did just as much in the heart-protection department as more vigorous exercise did. Thirty minutes of walking a day makes your muscles more sensitive to insulin. That allows glucose to do its duty inside your cells rather than pi le up in your bloodstream and cause other havoc.Even just a 5-minute walk cuts down on cigarette cravings. It engages your brain's emotion centers, unleashing mood-enhancing hormones that decrease cravings and take your mind off that cigarette. And establishing a walking habit proves to you that you have the discipline to stick with your stop-smoking plan. Physical activity nourishes brain tissue and stimulates its production of neurons, synapses, and blood vessels. Some studies have found that walking can counter faltering memories in people over age 50.Anyone who has come back from a walk in a different frame of mind than they went out with can attest to this. Studies back up that walking benefits your mood and may even ward off depression and anxiety. Not only can a walk perk you up when you need it, but also it helps improve the quality of your sleep, so you're more energetic all day long. Walking regularly can lower your risk of arthritis, macular degeneration, and even cancer by an astonishing 50% compared with people who don't exercise. Walking has the highest compliance rate of any exercise.