Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER SEVEN FARMER

FARMER Stor Gendibal jogged along the country road outside the university. It was not common practice for Second Foundationers to venture into the farming world of Trantor. They could do so, certainly, but when they did, they did not venture either far or for long. Gendibal was an exception and he had, in times past, wondered why. Wondering meant exploring his own mind, something that Speakers, in particular, were encouraged to do. Their minds were at once their weapons and their targets, and they had to keep both offense and defense well honed. Gendibal had decided, to his own satisfaction, that one reason he was different was because he had come from a planet that was both colder and more massive than the average inhabited planet. When he was brought to Trantor as a boy (through the net that was quietly cast throughout the Galaxy by agents of the Second Foundation on the lookout for talent), he found himself, therefore, in a lighter gravitational field and a delightfully mild climate. Naturally he enjoyed being in the open more than some of the others might. In his early years on Trantor, he grew conscious of his puny, undersized frame, and he was afraid that settling back into the comfort of a benign world would turn him flabby indeed. He therefore undertook a series of self-developing exercises that had left him still puny in appearance but kept hint wiry and with a good wind. Part of his regimen were these long walks arid joggings – about which some at the Speaker's Table muttered. Gendibal disregarded their chattering. He kept his own ways, despite the fact that he was first-generation. All the others at the Table were second – and third-generation, with parents and grandparents who had been Second Foundationers. And they were all older than he, too. What, then, was to be expected but muttering? By long custom, all minds at the Speaker's Table were open (supposedly altogether, though it was a rare Speaker who didn't maintain a comer of privacy somewhere – in the long run, ineffectively, of course) and Gendibal knew that what they felt was envy. So did they; just as Gendibal knew his own attitude was defensive, overcompensating ambition. And so did they. Besides (Gendibal's mind reverted to the reasons for his ventures into the hinterland) he had spent his childhood in a whole world – a large and expansive one, with grand and variegated scenery – and in a fertile valley of that world, surrounded by what he believed to be the most beautiful mountain ranges in the Galaxy. They were unbelievably spectacular in the grim winter of that world. He remembered his former world and the glories of a now-distant childhood. He dreamed about it often. How could he bring himself to be confined to a few dozen square miles of ancient architecture? He looked about disparagingly as he jogged. Trantor was a mild and pleasant world, but it was not a rugged and beautiful one. Though it was a farming world, it was not a fertile planet. It never had been. Perhaps that, as much as any other factor, had led to its becoming the administrative center of, first, an extensive union of planets and then of a Galactic Empire. There was no strong push to have it be anything else. It wasn't extraordinarily good for anything else. After the Great Sack, one thing that kept Trantor going was its enormous supply of metal. It was a great mine, supplying half a hundred worlds with cheap alloy steel, aluminum, titanium, copper, magnesium – returning, in this way, what it had collected over thousands of years; depleting its supplies at a rate hundreds of times faster than the original rate of accumulation. There were still enormous metal supplies available, but they were underground and harder to obtain. The Hamish farmers (who never called themselves â€Å"Trantorians,† a term they considered ill-omened and which the Second Foundationers therefore reserved for themselves) had grown reluctant to deal with the metal any further. Superstition, undoubtedly. Foolish of them. The metal that remained underground might well be poisoning the soil and further lowering its fertility. And yet, on the other hand, the population was thinly spread and the land supported them. And there were some sales of metal, always. Gendibal's eyes roved over the fiat horizon. Trantor was alive geologically, as almost all inhabited planets were, but it had been a hundred million years, at least, since the last major geological mountain-building period had occurred. What uplands existed had been eroded into gentle hills. Indeed, many of them had been leveled during the great metal-coating period of Trantor's history. Off to the south, well out of sight, was the shore of Capital Bay, and beyond that, the Eastern Ocean, both of which had been re-established after the disruption of the underground cisterns. To the north were the towers of Galactic University, obscuring the comparatively squat-but-wide Library (most of which was underground), and the remains of the Imperial Palace still farther north. Immediately on either side were farms, on which there was an occasional building. He passed groups of cattle, goats, chickens – the wide variety of domesticated animals found on any Trantorian farm. None of them paid him any mind. Gendibal thought casually that anywhere in the Galaxy, on any of the vast number of inhabited worlds, he would see these animals and that on no two worlds would they be exactly alike. He remembered the goats of home and his own tame nanny whom he had once milked. They were much larger and more resolute than the small and philosophical specimens that had been brought to Trantor and established there since the Great Sack. Over the inhabited worlds of the Galaxy, there were varieties of each of these animals, in numbers almost beyond counting, and there was no sophisticate on any world who didn't swear by his favorite variety, whether for meat, milk, eggs, wool, or anything else they could produce. As usual, there were no Hamish in view. Gendibal had the feeling that the farmers avoided being seen by those whom they referred to as â€Å"scowlers† (a mispronunciation – perhaps deliberately – of the word â€Å"scholars† in their dialect). – Superstition, again. Gendibal glanced up briefly at Trantor's sun. It was quite high in the sky, but its heat was not oppressive. In this location, at this latitude, the warmth saved mild and the cold never bit. (Gendibal ever. missed the biting cold sometimes or so he imagined. He had never revisited his native world. Perhaps, he admitted to himself, because he didn't want to be disillusioned.) He had the pleasant feel of muscles that were sharpened and tightened to keenness and he decided he had jogged just long enough. He settled down to a walk, breathing deeply. He would be ready for the upcoming Table meeting and for one last push to force a change in policy, a new attitude that would recognize the growing danger from the First Foundation and elsewhere and that would put an end to the fatal reliance on the â€Å"perfect† working of the Plan. When would they realize that the very perfection was the surest sign of danger? Had anyone but himself proposed it, he knew, it would have gone through without trouble. As things stood now, there would be trouble, but it would go through, just the same, for old Shandess was supporting him and would undoubtedly continue to do so. He would not wish to enter the history books as the particular First Speaker under whom the Second Foundation had withered. Hamish! Gendibal was startled. He became aware of the distant tendril of mind well before he saw the person. It was Hamish mind – a farmer – coarse and unsubtle. Carefully Gendibal withdrew, leaving a touch so light as to be undetectable. Second Foundation policy was very firm in this respect. The farmers were the unwitting shields of the Second Foundation. They must be left as untouched as possible. No one who came to Trantor for trade or tourism ever saw anything other than the farmers, plus perhaps a few unimportant scholars living in the past. Remove the farmers or merely tamper with their innocence and the scholars would become more noticeable – with catastrophic results. (That was one of the classic demonstrations which neophytes at the University were expected to work out for themselves. The tremendous Deviations displayed on the Prime Radiant when the farmer minds were even slightly tampered with were astonishing.) Gendibal saw him. It was a farmer, certainly, Hamish to the core. He was almost a caricature of what a Trantorian farmer should be tall and wide, brown-skinned, roughly dressed, arms bare, dark-haired, dark-eyed, a long ungainly stride. Gendibal felt as though he could smell the barnyard about him. (Not too much scorn, he thought. Preem Palver had not minded playing the role of farmer, when that was necessary to his plans. Some farmer he was – short and plump and soft. It was his mind that had fooled the teenaged Arkady, never his body.) The farmer was approaching him, clumping down the road, staring at him openly – something that made Gendibal frown. No Hamish man or woman had ever looked at him in this manner. Even the children ran away and peered from a distance. Gendibal did not slow his own stride. There would be room enough to pass the other with neither comment nor glance and that would be best. He determined to stay away from the farmer's mind. Gendibal drifted to one side, but the farmer was not going to have that. He stopped, spread his legs wide, stretched out his large arms as though to block passage, and said, â€Å"Ho! Be you scowler?† Try as he might, Gendibal could not refrain from sensing the wash of pugnacity in the approaching mind. He stopped. It would be impossible to attempt to pass by without conversation and that would be, in itself, a weary task. Used as one was to the swift and subtle interplay of sound and expression and thought and mentality that combined to make up the communication between Second Foundationers, it was wearisome to resort to word combination alone. It was like prying up a boulder by arm and shoulder, with a crowbar lying nearby. Gendibal said, quietly and with careful lack of emotion, â€Å"I am a scholar. Yes.† â€Å"Ho! You am a scowler. Don't we speak outlandish now? And cannot I see that you be one or am one?† He ducked his head in a mocking bow. â€Å"Being, as you be, small and weazen and pale and upnosed.† â€Å"What is it you want of me, Hamishman?† asked Gendibal, unmoved. â€Å"I be titled Rufirant. And Karoll be my previous.† His accent became noticeably more Hamish. His r's rolled throatily. Gendibal said, â€Å"What is it you want with me, Karoll Rufirant?† â€Å"And how be you titled, scowler?† â€Å"Does it matter? You may continue to call me ‘scholar.'† â€Å"If I ask, it matters that I be answered, little up-nosed scowler.† â€Å"Well then, I am titled Stor Gendibal and I will now go about my business.† â€Å"What be your business?† Gendibal felt the hair prickling on the back of his neck. There were other minds present. He did not have to turn to know there were three more Hamishmen behind him. Off in the distance, there were others. The farmer smell was strong. â€Å"My business, Karoll Rufirant, is certainly none of yours.† â€Å"Say you so?† Rufirant's voice rose. â€Å"Mates, he says his business be not ours.† There was a laugh from behind him and a voice sounded. â€Å"Right he be, for his business be book-mucking and ‘puter-rubbing, and that be naught for true men.† â€Å"Whatever my business is,† said Gendibal firmly, â€Å"I will be about it now.† â€Å"And how will you do that, wee scowler?† said Rufirant. â€Å"By passing you.† â€Å"You would try? You would not fear arm-stopping?† â€Å"By you and all your mates? Or by you alone?† Gendibal suddenly dropped into thick Hamish dialect. â€Å"Art not feared alone?† Strictly speaking, it was not proper to prod him in this manner, but it would stop a mass attack and that had to be stopped, lest it force a still greater indiscretion on his part. It worked. Rufirant's expression grew lowering. â€Å"If fear there be, bookboy, th'art the one to be full of it. Mates, make room. Stand back and let him pass that he may see if I be feared alane.† Rufirant lifted his great arms and moved them about. Gendibal did not fear the farmer's pugilistic science; but there was always a chance that a goodly blow might land. Gendibal approached cautiously, working with delicate speed within Rufirant's mind. Not much – just a touch, unfelt – but enough to slow reflexes that crucial notch. Then out, and into all the others, who were now gathering in greater numbers. Gendibal's Speaker mind darted back and forth with virtuosity, never resting in one mind long enough to leave a mark, but just long enough for the detection of something that might be useful. He approached the farmer catlike, watchful, aware and relieved that no one was making a move to interfere. Rufirant struck suddenly, but Gendibal saw it in his mind before any muscle had begun to tighten and he stepped to one side. The blow whistled past, with little room to spare. Yet Gendibal still stood there, unshaken. There was a collective sigh from the others. Gendibal made no attempt to either parry or return a blow. It would be difficult to parry without paralyzing his own arm and to return a blow would be of no use, far the farmer would withstand it without trouble. He could only maneuver the man as though he were a bull, forcing him to miss. That would serve to break his morale as direct opposition would not. Bull-like and roaring, Rufirant charged. GendibaI was ready and drifted to one side just sufficiently to allow the farmer to miss his clutch. Again the charge. Again the miss. GendibaI felt his own breath begin to whistle through his nose. The physical effort was small, but the mental effort of trying to control without controlling was enormously difficult. He could not keep it up long. He said – as calmly as he could while batting lightly at Rufirant's fear-depressant mechanism, trying to rouse in a minimalist manner what must surely be the farmer's superstitious dread of scholars – â€Å"I will now go about my business.† Rufirant's face distorted with rage, but for a moment he did not move. Gendibal could sense his thinking. The little scholar had melted away like magic. Gendibal could feel the other's fear rise and for a moment But then the Hamish rage surged higher and drowned the fear. Rufirant shouted, â€Å"Mates! Scowler he dancer. He do duck on nimble toes and scorns the rules of honest Hamish blow-for-blow. Seize him. Hold him. We will trade blow for blow, then. He may be firststriker, gift of me, and I – I will be last-striker.† Gendibal found the gaps among those who now surrounded him. His only chance was to maintain a gap long enough to get through, then to run, trusting to his own wind and to his ability to dull the farmers' will. Back and forth he dodged, with his mind cramping in effort. It would rat work. There were too many of them and the necessity of abiding within the rules of Trantorian behavior was too constricting. He felt hands on his arms. He was held. He would have to interfere with at least a few of the minds. It would be unacceptable and his cancer would be destroyed. But his life – his very life – was at hazard. How had this happened? The meeting of the Table was not complete. It was not the custom to wait if any Speaker were late. Nor, thought Shandess, was the Table in a mood to wait, in any case. Stor Gendibal was the youngest and far from sufficiently aware of the fact. He acted as though youth were in itself a virtue and age a matter of negligence on the part of those who should know better. Gendibal was not popular with the other Speakers. He was not, in point of fact, entirely popular with Shandess himself. But popularity was not at issue here. Delora Delarmi broke in on his reverie. She was looking at him out of wide blue eyes, her round face – with its accustomed air of innocence and friendliness – masking an acute mind (to all but other Second Foundationers of her own rank) and ferocity of concentration. She said, smiling, â€Å"First Speaker, do we wait longer?† (The meeting had not yet been formally called to order so that, strictly speaking, she could open the conversation, though another might have waited for Shandess to speak first by right of his title.) Shandess looked at her disarmingly, despite the slight breach in courtesy. â€Å"Ordinarily we would not, Speaker Delarmi, but since the Table meets precisely to hear Speaker Gendibal, it is suitable to stretch the rules.† â€Å"Where is he, First Speaker?† â€Å"That, Speaker Delarmi, I do not know.† Delarmi looked about the rectangle of faces. There was the First Speaker and what should have been eleven other Speakers. – Only twelve. Through five centuries, the Second Foundation had expanded its powers and its duties, but all attempts to expand the Table beyond twelve had failed. Twelve it had been after Seldon's death, when the second First Speaker (Seldon himself had always been considered as having been the first of the line) had established it, and twelve it still was. Why twelve? That number divided itself easily into groups of identical size. It was small enough to consult as a whole and large enough to do work in subgroups. More would have been too unwieldy; fewer, too inflexible. So went the explanations. In fact, no one knew why the number had been chosen – or why it should be immutable. But then, even the Second Foundation could find itself a slave to tradition. It took Delarmi only a flashing moment to have her mind twiddle the matter as she looked from face to face, and mind to mind, and then, sardonically, at the empty seat – the junior seat. She was satisfied that there was no sympathy at all with Gendibal. The young man, she had always felt, had all the charm of a centipede and was best treated as one. So far, only his unquestioned ability and talent had kept anyone from openly proposing trial for expulsion. (Only two Speakers had been impeached – but not convicted – in the hemimillennial history of the Second Foundation.) The obvious contempt, however, of missing a meeting of the Table was worse than many an offense and Delarmi was pleased to sense that the mood for trial had moved forward rather more than a notch. She said, â€Å"First Speaker, if you do not know the whereabouts of Speaker Gendibal, I would be pleased to tell you.† â€Å"Yes, Speaker?† â€Å"Who among us does not know that this young man† (she used no honorific in speaking of him, and it was something that everyone noted, of course) â€Å"finds business among the Hamish continually? What that business might be, I do not ask, but he is among them now and his concern with them is clearly important enough to take precedence over this Table.† â€Å"I believe,† said another of the Speakers, â€Å"that he merely walks or jogs as a form of physical exercise.† Delarmi smiled again. She enjoyed smiling. It cost her nothing. â€Å"The University, the Library, the Palace, and the entire region surrounding these are ours. It is small in comparison with the planet itself, but it contains room enough, I think, for physical exercise. – First Speaker, might we not begin?† The First Speaker sighed inwardly. He had the full power to keep the Table waiting – or, indeed, to adjourn the meeting until a time when Gendibal was present. No First Speaker could long function smoothly, however, without at least the passive support of the other Speakers and it was never wise to irritate them. Even Preem Palver had occasionally been forced into cajolery to get his way. – Besides, Gendibal's absence was annoying, even to the First Speaker. The young Speaker might as well learn he was not a law unto himself. And now, as First Speaker, he did speak first, saying, â€Å"We will begin. Speaker Gendibal has presented some startling deductions from Prime Radiant data. He believes that there is some organization that is working to. maintain the Seldon Plan more efficiently than we can and that it does so for its own purpose. We must, in his view therefore, learn more about it out of self-defense. You all have been informed of this, and this meeting is to allow you all a chance to question Speaker Gendibal, in order that we may come to some conclusion as to future policy.† It was, in fact, even unnecessary to say this much. Shandess held his mind open, so they all knew. Speaking was a matter of courtesy. Delarmi looked about swiftly. The other ten seemed content to allow her to take on the role of anti-Gendibal spokesperson. She said, â€Å"Yet Gendibal† (again the omission of the honorific) â€Å"does not know and cannot say what or who this other organization is.† She phrased it unmistakably as a statement, which skirted the edge of rudeness. It was as much as to say: I can analyze your mind; you need not bother to explain. The First Speaker recognized the rudeness and made the swift decision to ignore it. â€Å"The fact that Speaker Gendibal† (he punctiliously avoided the omission of the honorific and did not even point up the fact by stressing it) â€Å"does not know and cannot say what the other organization is, does not mean it does not exist. The people of the First Foundation, through most of their history, knew virtually nothing about us and, in fact, know next to nothing about us now. Do you question our existence?† â€Å"It does not follow,† said Delarmi, â€Å"that because we are unknown and yet exist, that anything, in order to exist, need only be unknown.† And she laughed lightly. â€Å"True enough. That is why Speaker Gendibal's assertion must be examined most carefully. It is based on rigorous mathematical deduction, which I have gone over myself and which I urge you all to consider. It is† (he searched for a cast of mind that best expressed his views) â€Å"not unconvincing.† â€Å"And this First Foundationer, Golan Trevize, who hovers in your mind but whom you do not mention?† (Another rudeness and this time the First Speaker flushed a bit.) â€Å"What of him?† The First Speaker said, â€Å"It is Speaker Gendibal's thought that this man, Trevize, is the tool – perhaps an unwitting one – of this organization and that we must not ignore him.† â€Å"If,† said Delarmi, sitting back in her chair and pushing her graying hair backward and out of her eyes, â€Å"this organization – whatever it is – exists and if it is dangerously powerful in its mental capabilities and is so hidden, is it likely to be maneuvering so openly by way of someone as noticeable as an exiled Councilman of the First Foundation?† The First Speaker said gravely, â€Å"One would think not. And yet I have noticed something that is most disquieting. I do not understand it.† Almost involuntarily he buried the thought in his mind, ashamed that others might see it. Each of the Speakers noted the mental action and, as was rigorously required, respected the shame. Delarmi did, too, but she did so impatiently. She said, in accordance with the required formula, â€Å"May we request that you let us know your thoughts, since we understand and forgive any shame you may feel?† The First Speaker said, â€Å"Like you, I do not see on what grounds one should suppose Councilman Trevize to be a tool of the other organization, or what purpose he could possibly serve if he were. Yet Speaker Gendibal seems sure of it, and one cannot ignore the possible value of intuition in anyone who has qualified for Speaker. I therefore attempted to apply the Plan to Trevize.† â€Å"To a single person?† said one of the Speakers in low voiced surprise, and then indicated his contrition at once for having accompanied the question with a thought that was clearly the equivalent of: What a fool! â€Å"To a single person,† said the First Speaker, â€Å"and you are right. What a fool I am! I know very well that the Plan cannot possibly apply to individuals, not even to small groups of individuals. Nevertheless, I was curious. I extrapolated the Interpersonal Intersections far past the reasonable limits, but I did it in sixteen different ways and chose a region rather than a point. I then made use of all the details we know about Trevize – a Councilman of the First Foundation does not go completely unnoticed – and of the Foundation's Mayor. I then threw it all together, rather higgledy-piggledy, I'm afraid.† He paused. † Well?† said Delarmi. â€Å"I gather you†¦ – Were the results surprising?† â€Å"There weren't any results, as you might all expect,† said the First Speaker. â€Å"Nothing can be done with a single individual, and yet – and yet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And yet?† â€Å"I have spent forty years analyzing results and I have grown used to obtaining a clear feeling of what the results would be before they were analyzed – and I have rarely been mistaken. In this case, even though there were no results, I developed the strong feeling that Gendibal was right and that Trevize should not be left to himself.† â€Å"Why not, First Speaker?† asked Delarmi, clearly taken aback at the strong feeling in the First Speaker's mind. â€Å"I am ashamed,† said the First Speaker, â€Å"that I have let myself be tempted into using the Plan for a purpose for which it is not fit. I am further ashamed now that I am allowing myself to be influenced by something that is purely intuitive. – Yet I must, for I feel this very strongly. If Speaker Gendibal is right – if we are in danger from an unknown direction – then I feel that when the time comes that our affairs are at a crisis, it will be Trevize who will hold and play the deciding card.† â€Å"On what basis do you feel this?† said Delarmi, shocked. First Speaker Shandess looked about the table miserably, â€Å"I have no basis. The psychohistorical mathematics produces nothing, but as I watched the interplay of relationships, it seemed to me that Trevize is the key to everything. Attention must be paid to this young man.† Gendibal knew that he would not get back in time to join the meeting of the Table. It might be that he would not get back at all. He was held firmly and he tested desperately about him to see how he could best manage to force them to release him. Rufirant stood before him now, exultant. â€Å"Be you ready now, scowler? Blow for blow, strike for strike, Hamish-fashion. Come then, art the smaller; strike then first.† Gendibal said, â€Å"Will someone hold thee, then, as I be held?† Rufirant said, â€Å"Let him go. Nah nah. His arms alane. Leave arms free, but hold legs strong. We want no dancing.† Gendibal felt himself pinned to the ground. His arms were free. â€Å"Strike, scowler,† said Rufirant. â€Å"Give us a blow.† And then Gendibal's probing mind found something that answered – indignation, a sense of injustice and pity. He had no choice; he would have to run the risk of outright strengthening and then improvising on the basis of There was no need! He had not touched this new mind, yet it reacted as he would have wished. Precisely. He suddenly became aware of a small figure-stocky, with long, tangled black hair and arms thrust outward – careening madly into his field of view and pushing madly at the Hamish farmer. The figure was that of a woman. Gendibal thought grimly that it was a measure of his tension and preoccupation that he had not noted this till his eyes told him so. â€Å"Karoll Rufirant!† She shrieked at the farmer. â€Å"Art bully and coward! Strike for strike, Hamish-fashion? You be two times yon scowler's size. You'll be in more sore danger attacking me. Be there renown in pashing yon poor spalp? There be shame, I'm thinking. It will be a fair heap of finger-pointing and there'll be full saying, ‘Yon be Rufirant, renowned baby-smasher.' It'll be laughter, I'm thinking, and no decent Hamishman will be drinking with you – and no decent Hamishwoman will be ought with you.† Rufirant was trying to stem the torrent, warding off the blows she was aiming at him, attempting weakly to answer with a placating, â€Å"Now, Sura. Now, Sura.† Gendibal was aware that hands no longer grasped him, that Rufirant no longer glared at him, that the minds of all were no longer concerned with him. Sura was not concerned with him, either; her fury was concentrated solely on Rufirant. Gendibal, recovering, now looked to take measures to keep that fury alive and to strengthen the uneasy shame flooding Rufirant's mind, and to do both so lightly and skillfully as to leave no mark. Again, there was no need. The woman said, â€Å"All of you back-step. Look here. If it be not sufficient that this Karoll – heap be like giant to this starveling, there must be five or six more of you ally-friends to share in shame and go back to farm with glorious tale of dewing-do in baby-smashing. ‘I held the spalp's arm,' you'll say, ‘and giant Rufirant-block pashed him in face when he was not to back-strike.' And you'll say, ‘But I held his foot, so give me also – glory.' And Rufirant-chunk will say, ‘I could not have kiln on his lane, so my furrow-mates pinned him and, with help of all six, I gloried on him.'† â€Å"But Sura,† said Rufirant, almost whining, â€Å"I told scowler he might have first-shrike.† â€Å"And fearful you were of the mighty blows of his thin arms, not so, Rufirant thickhead. Come. Let him go where he be going, and the rest of you to your homes back-crawl, if so be those homes will still find a welcome-making for you. You had all best hope the grand deeds of this day be forgotten. And they will not be, for I be spreading them far-wide, if you do make me any the more fiercely raging than I be raging now.† They trooped off quietly, heads hanging, not looking back. Gendibal stared after them, then back at the woman. She was dressed in blouse and trousers, with roughmade shoes on her feet. Her face was wet with perspiration and she breathed heavily. Her nose was rather large, her breasts heavy (as best Gendibal could tell through the looseness of her blouse), and her bare arms muscular. – But then, the Hamishwomen worked in the fields beside their men. She was looking at him sternly, arms akimbo. â€Å"Well, scowler, why be lagging? Go on to Place of Scowlers. Be you feared? Shall I company you?† Gendibal could smell the perspiration on clothes that were clearly not freshly laundered, but under the circumstances it would be most discourteous to show any repulsion. â€Å"I thank you, Miss Sura†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The name be Novi,† she said gruffly. â€Å"Sura Novi. You may say Novi. It be unneeded to moresay.† â€Å"I thank you, Novi. You have been very helpful. You be welcome to company me, not for fear of mine but for company-pleasure in you.† And he bowed gracefully, as he might have bowed to one of the young women at the University. Novi flushed, seemed uncertain, and then tried to imitate his gesture. â€Å"Pleasure – be mine,† she said, as though searching for words that would adequately express her pleasure and lend an air of culture. They walked together. Gendibal knew well that each leisurely step made him the more unforgiveably late for the Table meeting, but by now he had had a chance to think on the significance of what had taken place and he was icily content to let the lateness grow. The University buildings were looming ahead of them when Sura Novi stopped and said hesitantly, â€Å"Master Scowler?† Apparently, Gendibal thought, as she approached what she called the â€Å"Place of Scowlers,† she grew mare polite. He had a momentary urge to say, â€Å"Address you not yon poor spalp?† – But that would embarrass her beyond reason. â€Å"Yes, Novi?† â€Å"Be it very fine like and rich in Place of Scowlers?† â€Å"It's nice,† said Gendibal. â€Å"I once dreamed I be in Place. And – and I be scowler.† â€Å"Someday,† said Gendibal politely, â€Å"I'll show it thee.† Her look at him showed plainly she didn't take it for mere politeness. She said, â€Å"I can write. I be taught by schoolmaster. If I write letter to thee,† she tried to make it casual, â€Å"how do I mark it so it come to thee?† â€Å"Just say, ‘Speaker's House, Apartment 27,' and it will come to me. But I must go, Novi.† He bowed again, and again she tried to imitate the action. They moved off in opposite directions and Gendibal promptly put her out of his mind. He thought instead of the Table meeting and, in particular, of Speaker Delora Delarmi. His thoughts were not gentle.

Girl Before the Mirror Essay

The painting by Pablo Picasso â€Å"Girl Before the Mirror† was the painting that caught my attention because at first glance I notice a woman adjusting the mirror as she is looking at her reflection; this is something I do every day. I gazed longer at the painting and the woman’s appearance seems to be younger in the mirror, perhaps she is reflecting on her past (youth). The dialogue taking place in this story is with herself as she is reflecting on the many years that have passed and how her appearance has changed. Her pregnancy has captured her attention to the changes in her life. The painting reflects the past, present, and future. The different colors, lines, and shapes tell a story about her development. The colors in the mirror are deep dark in color representing a faint memory of what once was. Looking at herself in the mirror gives her a sense of relief yet pain. She can still see a little of her youth in the mirror, which easies some of her distress as she is aging knowing one day that the memories of her youth will soon fade. The long strokes of lines and curves in the mirror by her face and around her head display a covering a sense of innocence; before she has known a man intimately. The lines in the lower area of her body in the mirror shows it is still in development as the lines are arched up and not down in a drooping manner as with age. Her body has not set firmly in position so it appears altered in the mirror just like a teenager starting puberty; one breast grows larger than the other. In her conversation with herself she knows her innocence has vanished, and a development is changing her life once again; the baby growing within her. The circles remind me of life. There is a beginning and an ending. The circles in this painting are in locations of the body that develop at a much faster pace than the rest of the body. The breast is developing in the mirror as the breast of the women looking at herself has full bulging breast because of her pregnancy. The circle in the stomach area in the mirror is low; the uterus, and it is still n the development stage. The circle in the stomach area of the women looking at herself in the mirror is fully developed. The black thick circle is completed meaning the uterus is fully developed and the green color almost filling the inside of the thick black circle is the womb. It is almost time to bring forth the baby into the world and life begins for the baby and the women looking at herself in the mirror. The circle on the elbow symbolizes the joints of the bones and is completely developed and aging. In pregnancy the baby will draw the calcium from the mother’s bones making the joints age and hurt. Her circle eyes in the mirror not fully develop like a baby’s ultrasound picture shows her childlike innocence. When a child looks at you unsure of something, his or her eyes become round in curiosity. The women looking at herself is thinking â€Å"where is my youth. I do not remember it fading away and I am starting a new chapter in my life and as I reflect on my new life with child I have to cope with my youth fading away. Thinking to herself further â€Å"will I remember my past,† as she looks at herself in the mirror; seeing a dim fraction of her youth. I believe this piece of art symbolize â€Å"reflection. † The mirror is the object of focus; at some point in life one looks back at the past whether it is in thought, pictures, or video. The days go by so fast and in the everyday activity of life that time becomes precious as it is very limited. If one does not stop to reflect on it (life) once in a while life will just pass them by like a shadow from the side of your eye that quickly disappears when you try to focus upon it. The very purpose of the painting may be to stop and reflect on the past; where you have been or accomplished in your life, and where you may see yourself in the years to come. The artist drew this painting to express his thoughts on what he was thinking at the time. The mirror is a symbolism object that the artist used to allow the viewer to relate and interpret his thoughts. The artist must have been aging at the time he drew the picture and his thoughts reflected his emotions. I believe he used a woman because women are emotional and symbolizes life. The women’s body produces life and before life can begin it has to develop. The baby develops in the womb and at the right time the baby is born and life starts. In time life changes from baby to toddler, adolescence, and adult, and one must take time to reflect on it before it is gone. In concluding the mirror represents reflection of what you see and what was and perhaps what will come; age. If you do not take time to reflect on yourself life will pass by just like a circle there is a beginning and an ending. The beginning of the circle is the start (birth) and as life develops the ending becomes closer to the beginning and once it touches life is complete. There will be no time left to reflect on life as it has passed by. The painting does not just represent females but males too. The painting is about life and reflecting on oneself before time runs out. There is a time for birth and a time to give birth but people in time will pass away. My first emotion when viewing the painting was time. One cannot buy time or stop time it keeps going despite of what is going on in it.

A Woeful Trap... Act 1 In Hamlet

Is he crazy or wise? It is simply crazy craftsmanship, but punishes the distraction of pain. Maybe Hamlet is a victim - as we all think of at some point - it is the intellectual perspective of the world for crazy confusion. He is a civilian of his own; a traveler with a passport goes into a strange, twilight region of the soul. Whether Hamlet's pain or insanity is caused by his relationship or his own melancholy, Hamlet's struggle reflects the essential nature of human suffering that all people can associate. The specific performance of Hamlet's suffering is closely related. In the first two scenes of the third act, Hamlet and Claudius designed traps to capture each other's secrets. Claudius secretly attacked Hamlet to discover its essence of madness. Live the conscience of the king (III. I 582). This drama is the story of the Duke of Vienna and his wife Baptista of Gonzago who married the murderer Lucian. Hamlet believes that this script is not a ghost, it is an opportunity to build a more reliable foundation for Claudius' sin. Since he did not know whether to believe a member of the spiritual world, he tried to judge whether Claudius read his actions and committed sin because of his feelings of guilt in his mental state. Hamlet 's uncertainty about Claudius' s sin and his importance of collecting Claudios evidence, Hamlet plans to organize a trap for his monologue at the end of the second act. Hamlet knew that society would not tolerate the murder of Claudius as a form of revenge without evidence that Claudius murdered Hamlet 's father. Hamlet noticed that the only evidence of his guilt against Claudius is a ghost word that could not rely on the evidence to prove that Hamlet's action was justified. He also needs to make sure that Claudius is guilty to make sure what he is doing is right. Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' has two examples of nemesis. It is hesitant to Hamlet and Hamlet. Hamlet fulfilled Claudius 'nemesis, Claudius killed Hamlet' s father and married his mother. The devil of Claudius demanded immediate revenge. His dead father's ghost appeared before Hamlet and persuaded him to retaliate. He discovered that Claudius was a real murderer and killed him after many insistent ideas. Among the same drama, Hamlet's nemesis is superior or inferior to him. He could not decide the dilemma he was facing. In the first game of the third act of the play, he revealed his way of thinking as follows: Is Hamlet a romantic hero? How will the reader's attitude towards Hamlet change through the script? How will the description of Hamlet's character affect the entire drama? Hamlet changed between Act 1 and Act 2? Or is Hamlet the same as what was drawn at the beginning of the play? I hope these Hamlet paper themes will help you create excellent works and model Hamlet paper. If you are busy for some reason, we can also help you. If you need help from qualified and experienced writers, visit our online resource, Writemy EssayOnline.com. You can order any k ind of paper about any subject, and subject in any format style. It can be used as a template for your own research. There is no need to prepay the full amount. In addition, you can track the progress of the order and preview the order for free. Please try it now. We are available 24 hours!

See Below week 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

See Below week 6 - Essay Example or the hypothesis test to take place.one of the scenario s where the t statistics is used is when a researcher wants to know whether or a treatment for a certain ailment administered by doctors can cause a change in a population mean. First, a sample from the population is obtained and treatment is administered. If the results from this sample population do not tally with those of the original population, then the investigator can conclude that the treatment actually has a significant effect. The difference between the actual mean and the sample mean indicates that the hypothesized value of ÃŽ ¼ should be rejected. The main goal of this hypothesis test to the researcher is actually to evaluate the significance of the observable difference between the original sample mean and the population mean.it would be wrong of we make an assumption that the significant effect is large since the treatment effect is partly determined by size of the sample and partly by the size of the effect. It is therefore recommendable that a measure of effect of size be computed along with the assumption test. After completing the t statistic, there will be formation of a ratio. The top part of the ratio indicates the obtained difference between the sample mean and the hypothesized population mean. The bottom of the ratio is the typical error which measures how much variance is expected by accidental. Finally, the movie would be more captivating by including mathematical calculations for better

Nasir's Rise to Power in Egypt Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nasir's Rise to Power in Egypt - Assignment Example Though he did not become President until 1954, he openly supported a way of life for Egypt that included no presence of Western countries whatsoever, with successful results (Rose & Boxberger, 2000). This, and many other things, was to work towards his benefit during his years as President. Nasir was able to rise to such a position for several reasons. First and foremost was the feeling throughout the country that the British had stayed quite long enough (Rose & Boxberger, 2000). Nasir, who longed for a country and region with no Western influence, was the logical choice for president. Second, Nasir had great dreams and visions for the country, and felt that it had been kept not only under the thumb of Western influence but also as a second-rate country for far too long (Trueman, 2000). This gave him a starting point, a place from which Egypt could work its way from. He felt that the poverty of Egypt, as well as the lack of national pride, could be mended if the right steps were taken, such as nationalizing the Suez Canal, a move which brought him head-to-head with the former British controllers of his country and ultimately showed that Egypt was ready to stand on its own (Trueman, 2000). By the time this was realized, Nasir had not only won a monetary victory for his country, but a social one as well. He also knew the disregard for the framework of the country, its internal workings, and how little attention under the rule of the British had been paid to them (Trueman, 2000). By focusing his energies on his country, instead of far-off conquest, Nasir was able to bring not only national pride but unity to Egypt. Nasir was beloved by Egypt for many reasons. He was able to show the people of the country that he was willing to take on anything in their favor, and make sure that not only the former rulers of Egypt but the world knew that Egypt would be nothing but

Name Changes in the Book of Genesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Name Changes in the Book of Genesis - Essay Example Sarah was a half sister to Abraham, and the Bible describes her as beautiful (Genesis 12). For example, when Abraham and Sarah went to Egypt, the Egyptians saw her as beautiful, and they praised her beauty to the household of Pharaoh (Genesis 12:14). However, God was not happy with Pharaoh, and He did strike the household of Pharaoh with plagues (Genesis 12: 14-17). That is when Pharaoh discovered that Sarai was Abrahams wife, and he demanded that Abraham should leave Egypt immediately (Genesis 12: 18-20). Abraham died at the age of 175, and he was buried by Isaac and Ishmael, his sons. Jacob was a grandson of Abraham through Isaac. God also changed his name to Israel, meaning may God prevail (Genesis 32: 28-29). This paper analyzes how the changes in Abraham, Sarah and Jacob’s names shaped their characters. Abram to Abraham: In Genesis chapter 17 verses 4 to 6, God enters into a covenant with Abram. God made a promise to him, that he will become a father of many nations, and his name shall not be called Abram anymore, but Abraham. God also promised to make Abraham fruitful, and from him, Kings would descend. God’s conversation with Abraham began in Genesis Chapter 12 verses 2. In this verse, God promises Abram that he will make him into a great nation, and will bless him. He also promised to make his name great.The name Abram refers to the exalted one and this is a name that his father Terah gave it to him. However, this name was an embarrassment to Abraham, and this is because he was unable to get children. This is despite Abraham possessing great wealth (Shooter's Bible, 18). From the scriptures, we can denote that Abraham had other sons apart from Isaac and Ishmael. These children were born with him to his wife Keturah. Keturah gave Abraham six sons, and through these children, God was able to fulfill his prophecy of making Abraham a father to many nations. For example, Ishmael formed the generation of the Ishmaelite, while Isaac formed the ge neration of the Israelites. This is through his son Jacob, whom God renamed Israel. It is important to denote that the Abraham lived a blessed life, as a result of God’s blessings to his life. We find that Abraham, true to the words of God became a great man, and he had enormous wealth. Genesis chapter 17 verses 23 to 27 denote that Abraham had possessions, and this included male servants, born of his household, and those that he bought by his own money. This was a symbol of wealth, and it is because poor people cannot afford to have servants within their households. After a change to this name, we find that Abraham began to have angelic visitors. For instance, in Genesis chapter 18 verses 1 to 2, we find that Abraham was visited by three angelic visitors. Because of the stature of Abraham before Gods eyes, God revealed to him what He was about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18: 16-19). This is because God had chosen Abraham to become a father to many nations, and on th is basis, he also allowed him to intercede for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18: 22-24).  

Supply chain theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supply chain theory - Essay Example In order to be well placed and to take advantage of the increase in sales, EBBD will adjust its order rate. The bullwhip effect is the vulnerability created from mutilated data streaming all over the inventory network. It is the increment in the variability of request as it moves from the Customer to the Manufacturer. In order to reduce the bullwhip effect, EBBD will make smaller order additions to minimize time between requests. This will make processing and delivery of order to the clients to be more effective and timely. The piece by piece increase will also reduce the cost of handling that would be incurred by making excessive order. The order strategy is meant to ensure that at every given time, there is enough stock to supply to retailers throughout the week. The order quantity is a slight incremen0t of the retailers demand. Having stock will ensure no order goes un-served and reduces the backlog of order from retailers. Fernie & Sparks (2009) argue that maintaining equilibrium within the stock of a chains supply needs a deep consideration of all the stock holders ranging from the c ustomers as well as the suppliers. The sales within EBBD in the first five weeks had minimum change and this can be as a result of much attention given to the campaign other than the sales. However, the sales started increasing the mid weeks. Seven weeks after the kick off of the campaign, the sales started to rise. The trend was high affected by the fact that at this point the campaigns had been extended to all the target areas. Arikan (2008) articulates that marketing campaigns rarely have immediate results but once the objectives have been achieved, the results are worthwhile. As part of our strategy to create equilibrium with our inventory levels, the customer order backlog was reduced by increasing EBBD ordering pattern. After the few weeks of the campaign, we expected more

Provision of Non Audit Services by the Auditor to the Audit Client Is Essay

Provision of Non Audit Services by the Auditor to the Audit Client Is a Threat to Auditors' Independence - Essay Example Introduction The value of an audited financial statement depends on the auditor’s independence. Accounting scandals such as Enron of the United States as well as HIH Insurance of Australia have created doubts regarding auditor’s independence and the value of their audit. The familiarity that is developed from the long audit tenure and the economic dependence arising from the non audit services and social bond developed between the auditor and the auditor’s client through long-term association have raised questions regarding auditor independence (Carson & Simnett, 2006). Non Audit Services (NAS) are also identified as ‘management advisory services’. Regulators believe that non audit services provided to audit clients is a serious threat to the auditors’ independence. Regulators believe that conflicts of interest occur and fee dependence has a damaging affect on auditor independence. Audit firms often defend themselves by saying that fee depende nce does not influence them and audit and non audit services are performed independently by separate staff (Houghton & Ikin, 2001). It is also opined that non auditing services help in reduction of total costs, improve technical competence and intensify competition. The audit firms, the audit clients and regulatory bodies can bring about efficient services mix through market interaction (Arrunada, 1999). 2. Literature Review 2.1 Non Audit Services of Auditors The services that external auditors provide to their clients can be categorised into consulting, tax and audit. Consulting and tax are often referred as non audit services. Section 201 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act lays down the services which the external audit firm should not perform. They cannot perform bookkeeping services related to financial statements and accounting records. They cannot design or implement financial information systems. They cannot perform valuation or appraisal services, actuarial services, management funct ions, legal services, litigation or administration related expert services. The auditor is also prohibited from providing marketing and planning related non audit services to the audit client and tax services to the management team or the family members of the team (Burke & et. al., 2008). 2.2 Threat to Auditor’s Independence It is believed that NAS services of auditors change their role from that of an outsider who can take a transparent view to that of an insider who actively participates in the decision making and acts as an advisor. The economic bond that is created between the audit client and the auditor through their contract hampers the auditor’s independence. In order to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the independence of auditors, it is essential to examine the marginal fee dependence that results from the NAS services in addition to the total fee dependence. It has been stated that auditors should factually as well as in terms of appearance, be indepen dent. NAS has an impact on the perception regarding the independence of auditors and it creates doubt regarding the authenticity of the auditor’s information (Francis, 2006). Legislations have banned the provision of several NAS by auditors for preserving the auditor’s independence. Regulators believed that auditors could go to the extent of sacrificing their independence in order to retain clients who pay large non audit fees (Defond & et. al., 2002) The various threats

Company Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Company Law - Coursework Example Sale of DVD players can be impacted due to recycling old DVD players and hence investing in both the companies results in conflicts of interest. According to section 175, it is the duty of a director to avoid a situation in which his direct or indirect interest conflicts with the interest of the company in which he is already a director. It is not an infringement if the situation is not likely to give rise to conflict of interest or if the investment is already authorised by the board. In the new Act, shareholders’ approval of the conflict of interest is required either by resolution or by Articles. 2,3. In Boardman v Phipps4. the defendant had acquired special knowledge by virtue of being his solicitor and abused it for his personal benefit along with another. Held that as a fiduciary, he should have avoided conflict of interest. In Peso Silver Mines Ltd. v. Cropper,5 a leading Canadian case law involved conflict of interest arising out of fiduciary duty, the defendant took a dvantage of a rejected business opportunity by the plaintiff and utilised it for his personal benefit along with others. ... he resigned from the plaintiff company and secured the contract meant for plaintiff company in the name of his newly formed company.8 Another relevant case is Bhullar v Bhullar 9 wherein the principle of directors avoiding conflict of interest has been upheld. It was held that failure to pass information to the company about a business opportunity and utilising it for personal benefit amounted to breach of duty against conflict of interest. This put to rest the decision in London and Mashonaland Exploration Co v New Mashonaland Exploration Co10 that â€Å"directors did not have a duty not to place themselves in a position of conflict†11. In Plus Group Ltd v Pyke12, it was held that it was not a breach of fiduciary duty to work for a competing company as he had been effectively excluded from the company of which he continued to be a director. 13 A codification of common law, section 175 can apply to multiple directorships apart from exploitation of property, information or busi ness opportunity a director is able to access by virtue of his position. The director’s duty to inform conflict of interest cases even if the company or the directors are not interested in them. This statutory duty is not breached if already authorized by the company in the prescribed manner. Originally shareholder could only authorize such a conflict of interest. Now under the statute, in the case of a private limited company, it can be authorized by other directors who have no conflict of interest in the particular matter, provided the company’s articles also permit. In the case of a public limited company the non-conflicted directors can authorise provided the articles specifically permit it. If all the directors are conflicted, then shareholders’ approval will be required. This duty came

Ethical Healthcare Issues Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Healthcare Issues Paper - Essay Example These factors always yield ethical issues that question the ethical nature of the allocation method (Reiser, 2006). For instance, people are allocated organs just because they are wealthy and can pay for them. A medically needy person living far away from the donor may fail to receive the organ, which is given to a less needy person near the donor. Such ethical concerns clearly posit that there lacks an ethical approach for allocating transplant as some people are unfairly treated during the allocation process. In this regard, this paper evaluates the transplant allocation process using the four major ethical principles, including the principle of non- maleficence, justice, autonomy and beneficence. This determines the possibility of a more ethical way to allocate transplants. Autonomy The autonomy principle is highly employed in the healthcare sector. However, when it comes to determining the criteria for the transplant allocation process, it has minimal use. In fact, Reiser (2006) highlights that to be fair and effective, the allocation process should not be guided by the autonomy principle. Autonomy means deliberate self-determination or self-rule. The autonomy principle allows a person to make the decisions that one perceives to be morally right without third party interference. Although it is the basis of individual moral values, the principle cannot be employed in the allocation process. This is because in some cases, those allocating transplants may develop sympathy-driven emotional bonds with transplant recipients, such as those who have waited for long and the very young persons, including babies. If the principle of autonomy is applied by those allocating the organs, they are likely to act based on emotional pressure. Essentially, the allocators are more likely to allocate organs based on emotional bonds development rather than on any specific criteria or fairness. Hence, fairness or justice overrules autonomy in the allocation process to limit ethica l issues in the allocation process. Beneficence Beneficence directs that the allocators do not harm, promote the recipients welfare and do good. Nevertheless, how is this possible in allocating transplants, which are scarce resource?. Ideally, as Jensen (2011) indicates, it is difficult to avoid doing harm, doing good and promoting the welfare of the recipients when allocating transplants. Notably, allocating a kidney to a child based on age or other factors over an older woman who has stayed long in the waiting list or any other factor involves doing good to one patient and harming the other. It may be argued that focusing on the medically needy is doing good, avoiding harm and promoting the welfare of the recipients. However, other factors, such as the probability of success and being on the waiting list for too long still show that the allocation process may not avoid doing harm or promote recipients welfare. Ideally, it may become evident that a needy person with low or almost z ero success chances has been allocated a transplant over a less needy person who with high success rates. In this case, when the transplant fails, it will do no good. In fact, it may cause harm because the ‘less needy’ person may suffer unnecessarily because the transplant could have been successful on him or her. Categorically, although it is crucial to uphold the principle of beneficence in healthcare, it cannot help formulate an allocation process

COM 200 Communication building a Relationship Essay Example for Free

COM 200 Communication building a Relationship Essay Communication is going to be the cornerstone of any relationship; trust is going to be the heart of what makes any relationship beat and overwhelming love will be how any relationship will last. Taking the opportunity to learn more in depth about your interpersonal relationship with yourself and your partner can strengthen a relationship; therefore, taking such opportunities should be looked upon as a rehabilitation tool or a hinder on what you need to possibly improve to make a relationship work. One feature that interferes with communication with anyone whom you want to have a conversation with is barriers. Barriers are typically the reason that communication falters between individuals; therefore, it’s important to have an understanding of the conversation and be a listener. A recent article from the website skillsyouneed.com.uk mentions â€Å"Barriers may lead to your message becoming distorted and you therefore risk wasting both time and/or money by causing confusion and misunderstanding.† Overcoming barriers involves effective communication, especially when barriers hinder conveying a clear and concise message. Being aware of language barriers, physical outside sources like noise to nonverbal communication can and will effect a conversation. Have you ever tried to hold a conversation with a friend or family member while in a crowded restaurant, that not only had screaming or crying children but adults yelling at a television that was mounted and playing a sports show such as an NFL game will in this establishment? Under those circumstances, it’s rather amazing that a conversation can be heard, let alone understood. Many people may rely on nonverbal communication during times like those via using mediated communication such as text messaging between one another. A downfall during media communication is that your true emotions cannot be correctly stated when they are read, but so many individuals rely on mediated communication devices instead of face-to-face time. Increase of media communication has benefitted the majority of society to keep in touch with their family members, â€Å"A majority of those surveyed (83%) considers going online to be a â€Å"helpful† form of communication among family members† (Connecting Generations (2012)). Another negative about media communication is how people portray themselves through such social networks like facebook, myspace to name a few. Unfortunately, our world is not a safe place, and thanks to pedophiles, neither are social networks. Even having the knowledge of barriers that are being conducted during your conversation does not mean the receiver acknowledges the sender’s message and is willing to participate with the conversation. Some individuals just have the lack of interest in the topic at hand and decide not to maintain communication between others. You need to make sure that each person has a desire to have a rappaport and animated feelings about the conversation or you could end up with receiving a lot of â€Å"Umm†, â€Å"Yea† or a head nod. The impact that our nonverbal communication can provide a conversation and enlighten someone to what is actually going through the other person’s mind can drive a conversation instead of just relying on the power of words. It can be the simplest nonverbal communication as holding hands will driving down the road, leaving a simple gesture as a flower or having someone just smile that can impact how your day may go or end. â€Å"The best communicators are sensitive to the power of the emotions and thoughts communicated nonverbally. Nonverbal communication is the single most powerful form of communication,† stated Susan Heathfield (2013). You don’t have to say any words for what you feel you need to gesture, it’ not always necessary too. Without realization of what you are doing with your body language, facial expressions or hand gestures, you are providing the other person your true thoughts and feeling without having to say a single word. It’s about being able to read an individual with your eyes instead of listening to how they are speaking to you. One of the most important emotions someone can provide you is the sense of touch: on the cheek to trace a tear, a hug for comfort or a kiss on your lips just because they were overwhelmed with the fact that they miss you. One experience I have found with nonverbal communication is the rolling of eyes during a conversation. It shows the lack of interest, platen disrespect to the person talking and how uneducated someone is in common courtesy. I have been experiencing this particular nonverbal disrespect in my line of work for years and I have noticed how my own children have started to pick it up with some of their peers. Needless to say, we have talked about it and we are trying to improve. Unless you learn how to curb your nonverbal communication, you are capable of being read like an open book; however, there are those that flaunt nonverbal communication which is read incorrectly leading to perception, which can hinder a relationship. Perception is one of the biggest evils when it comes to any type of relationship, friend or romantic, because it’s showing a lack of trust, which is the heart of any relationship. Without perception, I believe people wouldn’t have a way to gossip or speculate about what they don’t have a clue about. The only people that truly know what is going on is those directly involved in the situation at hand; therefore, perception is what others think and want others to believe about said relationship based of their gossipy words. Words have the magical capability to create and affect attitude, behavior or perception of an individual that is being looked at from the outside; therefore, communication and the builtment of trust before judgment would accommodate any relationship. Attitude in a relationship can hinder it, even if said attitude is not specifically coming from your intimate partner. Your attitude from work can continue until you are home, during a nice dinner with your significant other and cause a conflict that wasn’t present before. I recommend establishing a rule that allows each individual to vent about their day for a maximum of ten minutes, and then they can’t mention it anymore and must enjoy their family time. We realized this works great for all family members since it’s a controlled release of all of our emotions that is not directed to anyone specific. Nan Russell wrote in his article for JobsBankUSA, â€Å"Communication that builds trust is a dialogue, with a fountain built from integrity, forthrightness and honesty.† Without those three, you can’t build trust which results in the lack of communication and therefore, no relationship. Possessing integrity and never waiving from it shows that you have principles and you will do what is right at all times. If you waive from it, your forthrightness should be direct about what you did wrong, regardless of how petty it may seem to you, because it may mean everything to the other individual. Honesty is going to be what holds your relationship together; lies are never welcomed in any type of relationship. But you need to realize outside judgment may weight heavier with your significant other or your closest friends. Outside judgment of an individual can drastically affect their attitude, behavior and how they are perceived, not just from others, but how they see themselves; therefore, they seek communication with someone they trust. Nothing hurts more than unkind words, regardless if the person knows you personally or not. People don’t realize that some take what they hear about themselves literally, and some have taken to the bullying they have endured over the years by, unfortunately, taking their lives. Projecting a better attitude than what those people are saying shows that you are the bigger person and that you feel that regardless of what any one individual may say about you, you have your own best interest at heart, and perception doesn’t mean anything to you. Finding that someone that you can trust full heartedly is a task in itself. You let all your guard down when you are fully comfortable with an individual, hoping they are not judgmental about what they hear about your past and when you find the one that doesn’t perceive you how others may do, then you can realize that they won’t ask you to place your integrity into jeopardy and take your friends at face value, instead of placing them on the back burner. Lack of trust and communication can destroy friendships, families, marriages, jobs and romantic relationships; the things that people find to be the most important in their lives. Without trust in a friend, you will feel like they are just associates. Without trust in family, you will feel like an outsider when visiting for a family get-together. Lack of trust and communication in a marriage may result in a divorce. Lack of trust and communication in the job force could lead to unemployment or a death of a co-worker. Lack of communication in a romantic relationship could mean the end before it even began. Without knowing who you are as an individual, it may affect any type of relationship you have the desire for. With the understanding of your self-concept, you are able to appreciate yourself, how your partner sees you and vice versa; however, the opinion of how others see you may affect how you see yourself. There is nothing more appreciative then someone who is confident with who they are, as long as it does not come across as cocky. When an individual realizes who they are in this life, or who they want to be, it can be the driving force of their happiness, and happiness can be contagious. According to a quote in our textbook written by Sole (2011), â€Å"Your self-concept is learned, it is organized, it is dynamic and it is changeable (Purky, 1988).† Self-concept has been part of us since we were born; we were taught to respect ourselves and respect those that are older. It’s organized due to the understanding of how we approach who we want to be. Dynamic for the impact of how our own self-concept can change other’s opinions of themselves and of us and changeable because we simply don’t know what tomorrow will bring to our lives or take away. The environment that you decide to place yourself in is going to affect you as an individual. It will help mold you into the person you feel you are, build your self-esteem and self-image; you are interchangeable to provide adaption. Wherever and however you grew up in society does not mean you have to be the same later in life. Placing yourself in an environment that makes you happy, regardless if it’s your home or occupation, is going to affect who you are going turn out to be. It will assist you in some way of how you mold your life, but it’s up to you in how you end up getting molded. Having a high self-esteem can be the driving force of how you want the world to see you, and as a couple, having self-esteem as a unit is going to be how other couples want to be you. Self-image is the appreciation of yourself, how you carry your knowledge, confidence and maturity. Self-image is the impact of how others may see you, want to be you or feel threaten by you. Having a self-image that is threatening towards others can be the cause of many individuals not having the desire to converse with you, let alone be friends with you. The abilities we have to change assist us with any environmental adaption we may come across in our lifetime. We never know what type of situations we may be in five minutes from bow, but our self-esteem and self-image could mean the difference of how the circumstances may play out. Regardless, it’s how you want to see yourself and how you project yourself to the world. Even with the input of your partner, your family and friends, you are the one responsible for you; therefore, you need to figure out what makes you happy, take their opinions with a grain of salt and that you will change only when you feel it fits the situation. Making changes to your appearance, the way you talk or how you spend your time or money to impress someone isn’t going to win them over; therefore, you are making yourself miserable in the process when you can’t be your true self. When someone can’t accept you for who you are, what you do or how you act as a human being, that relationship may need reevaluated. When a family member or friend can’t understand why you behave the way you do, or come across as outspoken and confident, sit down and explain to them why you feel that certain way about the topic. Losing a family member or a dear friend over a few choice words or lack of understanding can be heart wrenching, so keep all forms of communication open without losing yourself in the mix of it all. Self-disclosure of each individual in a relationship, especially with your significant other, will help you reinforce what you thought about who you are as a couple and as yourself. Self-disclosure about what happened to you in your past that made you who you are today can be the most significant information to your partner, and have a better outcome then what you expected. How you want to purse a college degree, where you want to visit in the world or how many kids you want (adopted, fostered or natural) is some of the insight people are looking for when they decide to enter into a relationship. Holding back about how you may feel about situations that arise can be the uttermost biggest mistake when looking at any relationship you are trying to have in your life. Research study in 2010 by BMC Medical Research methodology found that â€Å"readiness for self-disclosure† was associated with higher relationship quality. Being able to disclose yourself by sharing your fears, doubts, private thoughts and how you perceive yourself can and will impact your relationship to the fullest extent. Who wouldn’t want someone to cling to when you come upon a fear? Nothing is better than having the comfort of someone’s arms around you when you need it most. To provide you words of encouragement when you start doubting yourself? Simply words can make the biggest impact when you feel that regardless of what you do, you are going to fail. Share your private thoughts with and knowing that they won’t be divulged regardless of the circumstances? Having that person you can tell any secret to, and know that it won’t be told, even under the worst circumstances, is one reason people have best friends from such a young age. Without self-disclosure, no one really knows who they are keeping company with or who they are. It’s the difference between a fake individual and a real friend. Without divulging information and hiding how you feel about any situation with your partner can be seen as breaking the trust in which your relationship was built, showing no care of how the other may feel and showing the lack of communication that could be built. Who would want to be with someone who simply broke your trust on a daily basis or showed the lack of caring about what you were discussing? I have found myself in these circumstances throughout my life. I have had a family member break my trust, communicated the most horrible words that could be spoken to a child and since have not communicated any words with that individual in over eighteen years. I have had the best partner in the world, who did everything in his power to bring a smile to my face, showed when I least expected it and showered me with hugs and kisses. He took his time to leave me notes on my door, made dinner arrangements at the weirdest locations and made the most beautiful impact in my life that I have actually compared others to him upon his death. I have raised a child that doesn’t communicate at all with his father, who doesn’t take the time to call his son or write a letter. Instead my child has the pleasure of communicating with his dad’s ex-girlfriend, has extended family that is not blood reach out to him and has realized at a tender age of eleven that not everyone is who they say they are or will be. He is lucky to have numerous people in his life that want to be a part of it. I have learned to remove myself from environments that impact my moods and attitude, learned to step back and appreciate my friends (regardless how few) and my family and come to realize that if a person doesn’t like me for being me, they don’t deserve to be part of my life or my children’s lives. May people have asked me why I have disconnected myself from so many, besides those that I work with, and I have come to explain to them that there is enough stress, unwanted drama in this world that I don’t want it in mine, and if they can respect that, they are more than welcome to remain in my life. I am trying to show my children that communication is a two way street, just like respect, and that both is needed to make our world a better place. There is no need to speak negatively about anyone they don’t know or towards one another, that action does speak louder than words at times and that regardless of any situation that they may come upon, I will be there. Enlightenment of any aspect of a relationship, regardless of if it’s with yourself or your significant other, can benefit either party with the knowledge that they may have been seeking or possibly feared. It’s about having the confidence of communication and understanding between two individuals that influences the lasting years between couples. â€Å"Love is to trust, hope and endure whatever may come (Bible).† References: Bible Heathfiled, Susan M. (2013). Listen with Your Eyes. Tips for Understanding Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved from: http://humanresources.about.com/od/interpersonalcommunicatio1/a/nonverbal_com.htm Russell, Nan (2006). Six Tips for Trust-Enhancing Communication. Retrieved from: http://www.jobbankusa.com/CareerArticles/Executive/ca111506b.html Schoenberg, Nara (2011, Jan). Can We Talk? Researcher Talks about the Role of Communication in Happy Marriages. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/docview/840600645/fulltext/13CBA1F7DFE34D3C383/1?accountid=32521 Skillsyouneed.com.uk. Barriers to Effective Communication. Retrieved from: http://www.skillsyouneed.co.uk/IPS/Barriers_Communication.html Sole, K. (2011). Making Connections: Understanding Interpersonal Communications. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Should Capital Punishment to Be Abolished or Not Essay Example for Free

Should Capital Punishment to Be Abolished or Not Essay An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind. Mahatma Gandhi. This is a famous quote that many people cite when they pitch for the abolishment of capital punishment (death penalty) from the judicial process. The lengthy list of the terms which are not quite acceptable in a democracy begins with terms like capital punishment and death penalty. That, however, doesnt mean that this form of punishment is not acceptable in a democracy. In fact, two of the largest democracies in the world India and the United States of America, both have the provision for capital punishment as a part of their legal system. Indeed, the decision that capital punishment may be the appropriate sanction in extreme cases is an expression of the communitys belief that certain crimes are themselves so grievous an affront to humanity that the only adequate response may be the penalty of death. Capital punishment is a barbarous survival from a less enlightened and refined age; it is incongruous and incompatible with our present standard of civilization and humanity. It has been abolished by many states and countries, and we must look forward to the day when the other governments will follow suit Capital punishment, also known as Death penalty, is essentially the execution of an individual as punishment for offense by a state. The crimes which can lead to capital punishment are called capital crimes or capital offenses. Earlier, the killing of criminals and political opponents was prevalent in almost every civilization. With the time, nearly all European and several Pacific Area states (counting Australia, New Zealand and Timor Leste), and Canada have abolished death penalty. The majority of states in Latin America have absolutely abolished capital punishment, however, a few countries, like Brazil, use death penalty only in special situations, for example, treachery committed during wartime. There are still quite a few states and countries that retain the use of capital punishment, including the United States (the federal government and 36 of its states), Guatemala, majority of the Caribbean, Japan, India, and Africa (Botswana and Zambia). In almost all retentionist countries, capital punishment is granted as a penalty for planned murder, espionage, treachery, or as part of military justice. Recently, the case of Mohammad Afzal, a terrorist who was found guilty of instigating the attack on the Indian Parliament House, has cropped up the controversy regarding the Indian law of capital punishment. Right to Life Capital Punishment in India In India, capital punishment is granted for different crimes, counting murder, initiating a child’s suicide, instigating war against the government, acts of terrorism, or a second evidence for drug trafficking. Death penalty is officially permitted though it is to be used in the ‘rarest of rare’ cases as per the judgement of Supreme Court of India. Amongst the retentionist countries around the world, India has the lowest execution rate with just 55 people executed since independence in 1947. Since the condition of the ‘rarest of rare’ is not exactly defined, sometimes even less horrific murders have been awarded capital punishment owing to poor justification by lawyers. Since 1992, there are about 40 mercy petitions pending before the president. The proposals for abolition of death sentence for petty offences was brought about but there was a lot of hue and cry from lawyers , judges and parliamentarians and the so called protectors of social order. Six times the House of Commons passed the bill and six times the House of Lords rejected the same. With the passage of time, the voice for abolition of death penalty grew stronger over the world especially in Britain. However, in spite of opposition, the bill was passed and the number of cases in which capital punishment was awarded was reduced year after year and death penalty was reserved for offences like murder and treason. Currently, in the world 133 countries have abolished capital punishment dejure or defacto. 64 countries have retained it. Bangladesh is one of them. (source: Amnesty International Website) In UK , death penalty was abolished in 1965 except for offences of treason and certain forms of piracy and offences committed by members of the Armed Forces during wartime. In India , the recent trend is clearly towards the abolition of death sentence. Before the amendment of Criminal Procedure Code in 1955, it was obligatory for a court to give reasons for not awarding death sentence in case of murder. Under the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, the court has to record reasons for awarding death sentence. A compassionate alternative of life imprisonment is gaining judicial ground in India . In a leading case of Bachan Sing v. State of Punjab(1980) 2 SCC 684,the Supreme Court held by a majority of four to one that the provisions of death sentence as an alternative punishment for murder in section 302 of Penal Code was not unreasonable and was in the public interest. The dissenting view of Justice Bhagwati was that instead of death sentence, the sentence of life imprisonment should be imposed. He put emphasis on barbarity and cruelty involved in death sentence. It is irrevocable and cannot be recalled. It extinguishes the flame of life for ever. It is destructive of the right to life which is the most precious right of all, a right without which enjoyment of no other right is possible. Justice Bhagwati rejects the view that death penalty acts as a deterrent against potential murderers. According to him, this view is a myth which has been carefully nurtured by a society which is actuated not so much by logic or reason as by a sense of retribution. Conclusion It has been pledged in the preamble of the republics constitution that equality and justice will be secured for all citizens. The liberation heroes had dedicated their lives with a view to establishing a welfare state in which fundamental human rights and freedoms and respect for the dignity and worth of the human person shall be guaranteed. Protection against cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment is a fundamental right under art. 35 (4) of the constitution. So time has come to reconsider death sentence as a means of punishment. The worlds trend is precisely towards the correction of the offenders in lieu of inflicting cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Bangladesh as a democratic country cannot lag behind. The state is undergoing cumulative increase of crimes owing to a great deal of factors such as lack of good governance, absence of rule of law, corruption, patronisation of terrorists, wide gap between the haves and have-nots, confrontational politics and so on. Instead of giving emphasis on removing these factors, we are wrongly attempting to check crimes by inflicting exemplary punishment. What is a rarest of rare case? In the Bachan Singh judgment of 1980, the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty should be used only in the rarest of rare cases. More than a quarter of a century later, it is clear that through the failure of the courts and the State authorities to apply consistently the procedures laid down by law and by that judgment, the Courts strictures remain unfulfilled. In a judgment delivered in December 2006, a Supreme Court bench admitted the Courts failure to evolve a sentencing policy in capital cases (Aloke Nath Dutta and ors. . State of West Bengal (MANU/SC/8774/2006)). The bench examined judgments over the past two decades in which the Supreme Court adjudicated upon whether a case was one of the rarest of the rare or not and concluded: What would constitute a rarest of rare case must be determined in the fact situation obtaining in each case [sic]. We have also noticed hereinbefore that different criteria have been adopted by different benches of th is Court, although the offences are similar in nature. Because the case involved offences under the same provision, the same by itself may not be a ground to lay down any uniform criteria for awarding a death penalty or a lesser penalty as several factors therefore are required to be taken into consideration. The frustration of the Court was evident when it stated: No sentencing policy in clear cut terms has been evolved by the Supreme Court. What should we do? In that particular ruling, the Court commuted the appellants death sentence. On the same day, however, another bench of the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence imposed on an appellant who had convicted of murdering his wife and four children (Bablu @ Mubarik Hussain v. State of Rajasthan (AIR 2007 SC 697)). After referring to the importance of reformation and rehabilitation of offenders as among the foremost objectives of the administration of criminal justice in the country, the judgment merely referred to the appellants declaration of the murders as evidence of his lack of remorse. There was no discussion of the specific situation of the appellant, the motive for the killings or the possibility of reform in his case. Death Penalty Statistics A look at the death penalty statistics of the world reveals that around 90 percent of the countries have already abolished the death penalty. These countries include Portugal, Venezuela, France, Canada, etc. This, however, hasnt turned out to be as fruitful as expected, because some of the major countries in the world, including China, India and the United States, still ontinue the use of death penalty execution as a part of their legal system. Statistics also reveal that approximately 80 percent of the death penalty executions the world over, come from the Asian countries, with China at the forefront with the highest execution rate in the world. In fact, the number of executions in China alone in 2008 was double the number of executions in the rest of the world combined for that year. CONSTITUTIONALITY OF DEATH PENALTY IN INDIA Imposing of death sentence is one thing that always gets more attention to be discussed, including from the view of constitutional validity in each countries. A serious discussion regarding to death sentence in Indonesia, whether it should be continued or abolished, has come up before the Court after some applicant applied a petition to Indonesian Constitutional Court in order to challenge the constitutionality of death penalty in Drugs and Narcotic Act against the provision of Rights to Life on Indonesian Constitution, 1945. This article is the first chapter of several other chapters with the topic of â€Å"death penalty† which will be flattened on the following days. *** The provision of death penalty as an alternative punishment for murder under s. 302, IPC[1] was challenged as constitutionally invalid being violate of Arts. 14,[2] 19[3] and 21[4] of the Constitution in a series of cases. It was contended in Jagmohan Singh v. State of U. P. [5] that the constitutional validity of death sentence has to be tested with reference to Arts. 14 and 19 besides Art. 1 of the Constitution as the right to life is fundamental to the enjoyment of all these freedoms as contained in Art. 19 of the Constitution. It was further contended that the Code of Criminal Procedure prescribed the procedure of finding guilt of an accused but regarding the sentence to be awarded under s. 302, IPC the unguided and uncontrolled discretion has been left to the Judge to decide the sentence to be awarded. The Supreme Court held that the death sentence as an alternative punishment under s. 302, IPC s not unreasonable and it is in the public interest and the procedural safeguard provided to the accused under the Code of Criminal Procedure is not unreasonable leaving the discretion with the judge to sentence an accused, convicted for murder either to death or life imprisonment Death sentence as an alternative punishment for life was held valid. Though the court did not accept the contention that the validity of the sentence to death has to be tested in the light of Arts. 14 and 10 of the Constitution. But in Rajendra Prasad v. State of U. P. 6] the court accepted the proposition that the validity of the death sentence can be tested with reference to Arts. 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court suggested that in exceptional circumstances death sentence should be imposed only when public interest, social defence and public order would warrant. Such extreme penalty should be imposed in extreme cir cumstances. The court in Barchan Singh v. State of Punjab[7] upheld that constitutional validity of death sentence. The court reasoned that penal law does not attract Art. 19(1) of the Constitution. If the impact of the law on nay of the rights under Art. 19(1) is merely incidental, indirect, remote or collateral, Art. 19 would not be available for testing its validity. Accordingly, the court held that s. 302, IPC for its validity would not require to qualify the test of Art. 19. The procedure provided in the Code of Criminal Procedure for imposing capital punishment for murder cannot be said to be unfair, unreasonable and unjust. But Justice Bhagwati in his dissenting judgment held that s. 302, IPC and s. 354(3), Cr PC violation of Arts. 4 and 21 as these provisions confers unguided power on the court which irrational and arbitrary. Thus, death sentence should be imposed in the rarest of the rare case. The Supreme Court in Machhi Sing v State of Punjab[8] laid down the broad outlines of the circumstances when death sentence should be imposed. It should be considered whether there is something uncommon about the crime and the compelling circumstances for imposing death sentence after giving maximum weight age of the mitigating circumstances which is favour of the accused. Jumman Kahn was facing the gallows on being sentenced to death for having brutally raped and strangulated to death a six year old girl named Sakina. The convict challenged the death sentence and its constitutionality. [9] It was argued that death penalty is not only outmoded, unreasonable, cruel and unusual punishment but also defies the dignity of the individual and the issue needs reconsideration which stands like sentinel over human misery, degradation and oppression. The Supreme Court while endorsing its earlier view as to the constitutionality of death sentence held that the failure to impose death sentence is such grave cases here it is a crime against the society, particularly in case of murders with extreme brutality will bring to naught the sentence of death penalty provided by s. 302 of IPC. The only punishment which the convict deserves for having committed the reprehensible and gruesome murder of the innocent child to satisfy his lust is nothing but death as a measure of social necessity and also a means of deterring other potential offenders. The Supreme Court in earlier case Banchan Singh v. State Punjab[10] upheld the constitutional validity of imposition of death sentence as an alternative to life imprisonment and it was further that it is not violate of Arts. 14 and 21 of the Constitution. Chief Justice Chandrachud expressing the view of the three Judges of the Supreme Court in Sher Singh v State of Punjab[11] held that death sentence is constitutionally valid and permissible within the constrains of the rule in Bachan Singh (supra). This has to be accepted as the law of the land. The decisions rendered by this court after full debate has to be accepted without mental reservation until they are set aside. The challenge touching the constitutionality of the death sentence also surfaced in Triveniben v State of Gujarat[12] and in Allauddin’s case[13] and the Supreme Court asserted affirmatively that the Constitution does not prohibit the death penalty. It is in the rare cases, the legislature in its wisdom, considered it necessary impose the extreme punishment of death to deter others and to protect the society. The choice of sentence is left with the rider that the judge may visit the convict with extreme punishment provided there exist special reasons for doing so.

Risk Assessment Strategy of Eco Town

Risk Assessment Strategy of Eco Town Contents (Jump to) 1. Introduction 2. Stakeholders Objectives and Concerns Primary Stakeholders Secondary Stakeholders 3. Critical Success Factors 4. Risk Assessment Strategy Defining the Boundary for Assessment Assessment Approach Stakeholders Involved Risk Identification and Classification Rules Classification of Risks Rating of Risk Events 5. Risk Mitigation Plans 6. Conclusion References Appendices 1. Introduction This report aims at developing a risk assessment strategy for NW Bicester Eco Town. Potential risks and necessary control measures will be analysed for a practical outcome. The risk assessment will also be done for the newly acquired land parcel that is adjacent to first phase which is the The Exemplar phase of the project. Figure 1 shows the proposed site for the project. Figure 1 Masterplan and Exemplar Phase of Bicester Eco-Town All the stakeholders of the project and their concerns are identified to do a thorough risk assessment. These concerns are further analysed and prioritised to figure out critical success factors of the project. Based on the number of risks identified, scope and boundaries are established to streamline the risks. Further to this, risks are ranked based on the level of severity using qualitative and quantitative aspects. 2. Objectives and Concerns of Stakeholders Eco-Town project has various stakeholders given the context of the scale, nature and typology of the project. Table 1 lists the primary stakeholders and their concerns. Table 2 lists the secondary stakeholders and their concerns No. Primary Stakeholders Concerns 1 Cherwell District Council (Local Planning Authority) Make Bicester a vibrant, great place to live, work and bring up a family in an eco-friendly way. Re-position Bicester as a place where new communities are built to high environmental standards where people can enjoy sustainable lifestyles. Achieve zero-carbon development and more sustainable living using the best new design and construction. (Eco Bicester) (Cherwell District Council) 2 A2Dominion (Lead Developer) To develop and materialise UKs first eco-town with sustainable homes, jobs and green neighbourhoods. Table 1 Primary Stakeholders No. Secondary Stakeholders Concerns 1 P3 Eco Group Established to bring together a strong consortium of investors, partners and professionals to promote and spearhead the NW Bicester eco development. Help Eco-town development to grow as an extension of Bicester to benefit the community. Main goal is to minimise environmental impact and maximise efficiency while striving to provide housing that is affordable, comfortable, sustainable and of the highest possible quality. Reduce energy demands and improve feasibility for sustainable technology by research and development (R D). 2 Bicester Vision (BV) An independent public/ private partnership committed to bring together all stakeholders in town to ensure that the most is made of the exciting future for the town. To engage with people of Bicester and the wider Bicester to ensure that it continues to be a great place to live and work in. 3 CABE Design Consultants Design council to assist in Bicester design and sustainable development in achieving the vision and execution of project, hence setting a benchmark for eco-friendly living. 4 Bio-Regional (BioR) A social enterprise that helps establish sustainable business and works with other stakeholders like A2Dominion, CDC etc., to demonstrate that a sustainable future is attractive and affordable. 5 Grassroots Bicester (GRB) A community action group set up to create a greener Bicester. Works closely with oxford, Bicester Vision and Eco Bicester team from Cherwell district council to help deliver the Eco Bicester vision across the whole town. 6 Farrell Partners (ARCH) To develop an affordable and sustainable residential complex with highest possible quality and delivered in close partnership with the local communities. 7 Thames Water Utilities (TWU) Water resource management towards sustainability 8 Central Government (CG) To utilise public fund judiciously Provide good affordable homes for people Speed of housing delivery Create sustainable communities and address climate changes. 11 Current Residents (CLR) Create jobs to local people. To educated the community to tackle disturbance/ discomfort caused due to construction activities like noise pollution, vehicular movements etc., 12 Home Community Agency (HCA) To ensure funding for the development of affordable housing for a successful development of the community. Table 2 Secondary Stakeholders 3. Critical Success Factors The critical success factors are derived from the vision stated in Masterplan Vision for the Exemplar phase of the entire development are as follows: Provide affordable, attractive and sustainable housing 393 residences designed by specialist design team by achieving good aesthetics within 60 acres of land use and a provision for 30% affordable housing, 40% of the total land to be used as green belt. Ensure every building achieves zero-carbon emission. Reduce carbon footprint by 30% by reducing waste sent to landfill. Efficient time, cost and quality management of construction Use passive energy generating technologies and achiever zero carbon efficiency. Manage project efficiently within the budget and proposed completion time of phase 1 by circa 2018. Reduce Carbon footprint by adopting sustainable means of transportation and energy Promote lean construction management which substantially reduces the carbon footprint caused by construction activities. Opt for public modes of transportation. Encourage the community to cycle. Reduce the usage of personal automotive vehicles. Introduce advanced construction technology like photo-voltaic panels, passive heating methods etc., to reduce utility bills. Environmental Biodiversity Ensure that 40% of the total development area is used as green belt/ green space. Contribute to existing biodiversity by introducing waterbodies, vegetation etc., Community and Neighbourhood Services Conduct events to enhance community spirit. Provide institutional facilities like schools and community facilities like local store, sports complex etc., within the proximity of the development. Create New Employment Opportunities The Exemplar phase aims at creating employment opportunities during construction phase and create long-term job opportunities. Managed Risk Act as early as possible and provide visibility of a task 4. Risk Assessment Strategy The following section provides a structured and coherent approach to identify, assess and manage risk. Defining the Boundary for Assessment Defining boundaries in the project helps in streamlining the risk assessment process. It is understood that risks that occur beyond the scope of the project are not under the control of Project Manager. The risk assessment is being done for the newly acquired land parcel adjacent to the boundary of the exemplar phase (See Figure 2) and the register will examine potential risks, causes, risk mitigation actions and the stakeholders responsible. Figure 2 Site Boundary in the Process of Acquisition Assessment Approach Potential risks have been identified based on the available literature on Bicester Eco-town and by brainstorming over various driving factors, likelihood of their occurrence and impact, evaluating and prioritizing risks for further action and then by developing a mitigation plan to tackle the risks without affecting the project. Figure 3 outlines the fundamental risk management process steps. Figure 3 Fundamental Risk Management Steps (Garvey, 2008) Step 1. Risk Identification Risk identification is the critical first step of the risk management process. Its objective is the early and continuous identification of risks, including those within and external to the project. Step 2. Risk Impact and Consequence Assessment In this step, assessment is made of the impact each risk event could have on the project. This typically includes how the event could impact cost, schedule or any other technical performance. Additional criteria such as political or economic consequences would also require consideration. Step 3. Risk Prioritisation In this step, overall set of identified risks, their impact and their probability of occurrence are processed to derive the most critical to least critical rank-order of all the risks. One of the main reasons for prioritizing risks is to form a basis for allocation critical resources. Step 4. Risk Mitigating Planning This step involves the development of mitigation plans to eliminate, reduce or manage risk. Once a plan is incorporated, it is monitored to assess its efficacy with an intention to revise its course-of-action if necessary. The other steps involved in developing effective risk management strategy to establish a good approach to assessment and select the suitable risk management tool. In-order to do this the, various phases of the project are divided per RIBA Plan of works (RIBA,2013) and the stages are mentioned below. Planning Design Construction Handover and Close Out Risk Identification and Classification Rules Methodical Approach to identify risks are as follows, Clear classification of aims and objectives of the project. Develop a very good criterion for risk assessment. Identify risks for both aims and objectives that are derived from risk assessment criteria. Use both Qualitative and Quantitative measures to assess risks and rank them per their severity of impact on the project. Group Meetings that involve all the stakeholders and brainstorming of potential risks. Generate minutes of meetings (MOM) to document discussions and the responsible parties for the identified risks. Classification of Risks The identified risks are classified into various categories and are measured per the level of impact. The factors contributing to the measure of impact are mentioned below, Cost Time Reputation Quality Impact on Stakeholders Environmental Impact Legal Impact Health and Safety Concerns Legal Implications Each of the above-mentioned factors are ranked between 1-5, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest in terms of impact and is detailed in Table 3. Table 3 Measure of Consequences of the identified Risks Rating of Risk Events The scoring of risks was calculated in such a way that the highest possible risk rating for any of the categories was taken into cautious consideration. The score ranging between 1 and 125, were used to generated 4 coloured rating. Here red, yellow, amber and green colours are used. The colour is assigned to a risk depending on its severity. Red stands for immediate action risk, Amber for medium risk, yellow for minor attention requiring risk and green for low/ Acceptable risk. The table 4 below illustrates the scores of this coloured rating. Table 4 Risk Rating Matrix 5. Risk Mitigation Plans After identifying the risks that are very likely to occur based on the risk rating matrix, some of the risks are prioritised and a mitigation plan is proposed in the following passages below. Risk 1: Rejection/ Delay of planning permission Management Action Planned: Proposed development plans should comply with building regulations, standards and specifications. Consistent liaison with the government should be done. Action Owner: A2Dominion, Architects and CABE Cause: Development standards do not meet specified building regulations. Community objection due to improper information by the project owner. Impact: Project delays and cost implications. Risk 2: Community Objection Management Action Planned: Liaise with the council members and clarify the value for public money of the development. Action Owner: A2Dominion Cause: Local communities showing concerns towards the effects on environment and showing reluctance to adapt to change. Lack of information or negative publicity that might lead to rejection of the development by the community. Impact: Delays and increased cost, bad reputation of the project and negative impact on stakeholders who represent public. Risk 3: Financial Funding Delays Management Action Planned: Ensure funding from all the investors during the exemplar phase Action Owner: A2Dominion and CDC Cause: Unfamiliarity of the project to the investors compared to other developments might fail to attract the investors. Impact: Project Failure, delays and reduction in quality if executed with insufficient funds. Risk 4: Change in Scope of Design Management Action Planned: Establish a clearly defined design brief that comprise of well-defined scope, responsibilities and communication channels of each stakeholder. Action Owner: A2Dominion and ARCH Cause: Disagreements between the design consultants and the client might lead to conflicts within the project. Proposed design might result in increased costs due to failure in meeting the design brief. Impact: Project delays and increased cost. Risk 5: New Technologies Management Action Planned: Liaise with the contractors at the early stage of project in-order to evaluate their competency. Action Owner: P3Eco Cause: Lack of experience and improper knowledge of new sustainable technologies that might affect building performance. Impact: Compromise in quality and project reputation The remaining risks, their causes, impact and management action are covered in the Appendices. 6. Conclusion After a, thorough assessment of risk on NW Bicester Eco-Town project, it is understood that the project is of a very complex nature and requires close monitoring of several areas for the successful completion of the exemplar phase. It is evident from the risk register that most of the responsibility should be taken by the developer (A2Dominion) who can further transfer risk to relevant stakeholders. Eco-Town being UKs first project of its kind, achieving success in this project is of utmost importance in-order to set a benchmark for future developments that will be sustainable and environment friendly thereby benefitting the future generations. References A2Dominion., https://www.a2dominion.co.uk [Accessed on 21/12//2016] Bicester Vision., What is Bicester Vision, http://www.bicestervision.co.uk/ [Accessed on 21/12/2016] Cherwell District Council., Eco Bicester, http://www.cherwell.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4513 [Accessed on 21/12/2016] Design Council., Case Study North West Bicester Eco-Town, http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/resources/case-study/north-west-bicester-eco-town [Accessed on 21/12//2016 Eco Bicester., North West Bicester, http://www.ecobicester.org.uk/cms/node/3#.WFkL0PmLRPZ [Accessed on 21/12/2016] Garvey P (2008) Analytical Methods for Risk Management: A Systems Engineering Perspective (1st Ed.). London, New York: Chapman-Hall/ CRC North West Bicester., Partners, http://nwbicester.co.uk/the-first-phase/introducing-exemplar/partners/ [Accessed on 21/12/2016] North West Bicester., The first Phase Exemplar, http://nwbicester.co.uk/masterplan/ [Accessed on 21/12/2016] P3Eco., Home http://www.p3group.co.uk/ [Accessed on 21/12/2016] RIBA, (2013), RIBA Plan of Work 2013 Overview, https://www.ribaplanofwork.com/PlanOfWork.aspx [Accessed on 21/12/2016] Appendices Table 5: Risk Register Planning Stage Table 6: Risk Register Design Stage Table 7: Risk Register Construction Stage Table 8: Risk Register Construction Stage Table 9: Risk Register Handover and Close Out Stage