Regional Integration Essay Example for Free

Regional Integration Essay The Pacific Forum region seeks a region of peace, harmony security, and economic prosperity. The diversity of its peoples seek value, honor in their cultures. The Pacific Region’s objectives include obtaining respect for its governance, sustainable management of its resources and its democratic values. The partnerships with their neighbors, to improve communications and secure a sustainable economy for all are the primary objectives for its members. Established in Bangkok, Thailand on August 8, 1967 the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) was founded by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. ASEAN is now comprised of 10 members including Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (ASEAN, 2013). An important and landmark agreement that ASEAN entered into was the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement. The region in which the ASEAN- China Free Trade Agreement will reach is about 1. 9 billion people. This agreement will surely test not only the members of ASEAN, but China as well. The region in which the ASEAN- China Free Trade Agreement will reach is about 1. 9 billion people. This agreement will surely test not only the members of ASEAN, but China as well (ASEAN, 2013). Positive Influence of the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement January 10, 2010 marked a ten year negotiation with China, when the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area Agreement became effective. Tariff reductions between China and six ASEAN members Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, will experience more than a 90 percent of products with a drop to near zero in both parties’ tariffs. The agreement was established with the idea that ASEAN countries’ natural resources and China’s large market would both benefit (Shamsi, 2010). Countries like Cambodia and Laos will benefit from the ASEAN-China agreement with zero tariffs on over 7000 goods from China, which will benefit these under developed countries tremendously. Less developed countries especially those with no stock market system will welcome this agreement and benefit greatly (Shamsi, 2010). The ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement is China’s first free trade agreement and the first negotiated agreement ASEAN has been involved in with another country. The importance of this agreement will be seen when ASEAN nations being to use China’s currency Yuan. This can drive China’s Yuan to become a major global trading currency. This agreement is important in the movement for the regional economic environment (Shamsi, 2010). Negative Impact of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement The economic head of ASEAN is Indonesia. The idea of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement is not beneficial to ASEAN countries and should be re-considered. Indonesia has pointed out that the economy of China has recently increased and become powerful in global terms. The exemption from custom duties for Chinese goods ill challenges the local business survival with an influx of less expensive Chinese goods (Shamsi, 2010). Bankruptcy is a real possibility for industrial areas in the small and medium sized zones according to the chairman of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association. The automotive industry in Malaysia is also wary of this agreement in that the impact on local auto industries could be hit hard. The view from many ASEAN members is that the agreement much more benefits China than the ASEAN countries. China in size alone has a large market for domestic consumption and ability to export on a grander scale than that of ASEAN countries (Shamsi, 2010). The overall feelings in most ASEAN countries are that of mixes feelings, but mostly worry concerning the agreement. The population of China with 1. 3 billion people compared to the 600 million combined of ASEAN region is notable differences in terms of markets. The concept that took ten years to come to light, seems that with the changes seen in the economy of China, that the agreement still has the same fruitful benefits initially anticipated (Shamsi, 2010).

Teacher Leadership as a Change Agent Essay -- york barr,education syst

Teachers have always played one of the most important roles in schools and in the educational histories of most students. One of the greatest challenges facing education systems is implementing the changes that would increase student learning. In this paper, I seek to investigate the traditional views of school reform by redefining the roles teachers can play in school change and thus, increasing student’s learnings outcome. How do we make change happen in education? Considering current framework in light of the ever-changing context of schooling, appear to view classroom-based teachers as having little to no authority, as being incapable of initiating school wide change according to their will. Mostly, teacher has been considered in two roles. The first role of the teacher as a receiver and implementer of the strategies & practices formulated by others, i.e. national policy efforts or principal change initiatives. The second role of the teacher as a leader of official reform initiatives, such as those found in policies created by school district and school level principal. Moreover, both roles of the teacher also place more value on the school’s context rather than on the teacher’s potential to make change independently. Under these prevailing roles of teachers, it is very hard for teachers to initiative for school improvement without the help of traditional school leaders. The time has co me to enforce new role of the teachers that is more consistent with the 21st century’s learning framework and can provide better service to the students, where Teachers are more active than recipients and more central to school improvement than taking the lead on implementing externally-driven reforms. Thus, by studying the two dominant roles ... ... 1993.Change Forces: Probing the depths of educational reform .London: Falmer Press Fullan, M. 2011.The new meaning of educational change. (4th ed.).New York: Teachers College Press. Harris, A .2002.Building the capacity for school improvement. Hargreaves, A. 2007. Five flaws of staff development and the future beyond. Journal of Staff Development 28: 37-38. Jilek, J., Loadman, W., &Derby, L. 1998.ohio’s P-12 systematic educational reform: Implications for the preparation of teachers and administrator. Murphy, J. 2005. Continuing teacher leadership and school improvement .Thousand Oaks, CA: Crownie Press Rogers, E.M. 2003.Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press. York-Barr, J. & K. Duke (2004) what do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of educational research 74(3), 255-316.

Memory of the Holocaust in Maus

Memory of the Holocaust in Maus It is considered a sacred Jewish practice for kids to listen to and conserve their parents’ stories because it is a way to understand and relate to their history. But what happens when most of your family and relatives are suddenly marked for death? What happens when they are confronted with the horrific reality of the massive structured and organized extermination of countless numbers of Jews known as the Holocaust?For the second generation survivors, how can one even find any means to relate to their parent’s miraculous experience of surviving in a place that could be called hell on earth? Art Spiegelman’s Maus: A Survivor’s Tale confronts this issue, by revealing the psychological and physical damage which one Holocaust survivor, Vladek went through as he fought his way to live and to tell his story to his son. Vladek’s experience in Auschwitz renders him almost as a ghost, devoid of any emotion which puts a strain on his relationship with his son, Art, who in turn is living his parents’ shadows of their survival.In Maus, the narrative of the tragedy and tribulation the Holocaust survivors experienced reveals how memories can have a negative and damaging impact on the present for the survivors and later generations, suggesting that it is best to avoid the recollection of the traumatic past. Vladek Spiegelman appears a brave, valiant figure in his account of the time he endured in Auschwitz. From his interpretation, the reader gets this perception of him as an indestructible hero, similar to the Superman.We see him as a clever, bright, and determined man as he negotiates and barters his way in the camp to win a better chance of surviving. Although he constantly asserts it was due to good fortune, the majority of it came through his personal undertaking. However, in contrast to the fearless Vladek we are told about, the aged one who shares his memories is only a white ghost. The severe p hysical torture he has undergone has weakened his body and mind to the point where he becomes a neurotic who’s obsessed with the littlest details, such as counting pills and money.When Art asks him if everything is okay as he’s sorting his nails, Vladek replies â€Å"Nu? with my life now, you know It can’t be everything okay. † (I. 5. 98) All the massive strength he used to endure the pain has turned him into an paranoid and temperamental old man. His strange obsession to keep everything fine stems from the constant need to continue fighting for his life after the events of Auschwitz. It reveals how difficult it is for a survivor to let go and move on from the past since his obsessive sorting of his things in a way represents his sorting of his painful memories.As Vladek narrates his story to Art, he always stressed the importance of surviving, such as the time where he persuades a depressed Anja to not commit suicide once she learns the death of their so n, Richieu. Vladek tells her â€Å"No, darling! To die, it’s easy†¦ But you have to struggle for life! † (I. 5. 122). This hopeful young Vladek seems false since the reader and Art never get to know what his feelings were at that time. Vladek’s difficulty with communicating his emotions to his son demonstrate the damaging psychological effect that Auschwitz has left on him.Therefore it is best to only tell the facts since doing so brings back all the sorrow and grief. Maus is told from two first person narrative and so as an audience, we are allowed to see both Vladek and Art’s personal viewpoint. Spiegleman does this for the audience to form a rather deep connection with both characters. Arts’ relationship with his father, Vladek is volatile and there is a rift between the Holocaust survivor and his son. Vladek’s narration of his story is not in chronological order at all because he jumps from place to place and even forgets to mention other possibilities with what might occur in Auschwitz.Vladek’s memory fits in James Young definition of â€Å"deep† memory in â€Å"The Holocaust as Vicarious Past. † In it, Young describes it â€Å"as that which remains essentially inarticulable and unrepresentable, that which continues to exist as unresolved trauma just beyond the reach of meaning† (667). It is memory that can not be recalled at will, and for some people such as Vladek who suffered a traumatic event like Auschwitz, can’t be integrated into a storyline. His recollection of his experience in the camps is unreliable at most times so Art has the responsibility of keeping it true according to historical sources.The reader also sees Arts’ failed attempt to put it in a logical order in order to create some meaning out of it. Art’s recording of his father’s history and drawings of the events assists him in connecting to Vladek’s mind and behavior, but only t o an extent. At the end of the story, Vladek’s fading from consciousness is a type of closure and is â€Å"deep† memory in the sense that it does not offer reconciliation of the narrative. Instead, the narrative turns into anti-redemptive and more wounds open up as after Art’s father mistakes him for his first dead son.Art Spiegelman is the second generation of the Holocaust survivor and tries to represent this event by recording his father’s history. In Maus, he is seen as the observer and is sort of removed from his parent’s history. Since he is unable to access their experience or identify with them, he lives under their shadow and also his unborn brother, Richieu. Vladek transfers his survivor’s guilt onto his son and places desires on Art that he would never can achieve. Therefore Art will always feel remorse over his failure and a certain responsibility to please his dad.As a result, Art resorts to his therapist, Pavel, who also is a s urvivor of the Holocaust, as a father figure. â€Å"Somehow my arguments with my father have lost a little of their urgency†¦ and Auschwitz just seems too scary to think about†¦ so I just lie there†¦ No matter what I accomplish, it doesn’t seem like much compared to surviving Auschwitz† (II. 2. 44). Art was the son who survived but because he wasn’t an actual witness, he can’t empathize with his parents’ scars.All he can do is only acknowledge and attempt to understand it, but at times he also resents managing with their trauma. This is shown when he accuses his mother of her suicide and not letting him take the blame for their grief and heartache. Art can’t stand his dad’s overwhelming grief and in turn writes another comic, â€Å"Prisoner on Hell Planet† to express his frustration and shame. Vladek soon discovers this comic and all the emotions and grief comes back as he relives the traumatic memories of the Ho locaust.This demonstrates how influential the Holocaust survivor’s history is on the second generation, leading to a mixture of compassion and resentment regarding their relationship with the event. Art’s vexation over his inability to relate personally to his parent’s tragedy and his tenacious attempt to record his father’s past reveals the personal difficulties and stress one goes through to represent accurately the painful memories of the Holocaust. Continuing the conversation with the therapist, Pavel tells Art â€Å"Anyway, the victims who died can never tell their side of the story, so maybe it’s etter not to have any more stories. † Art replies â€Å"Uh-huh. Samuel Beckett once said: â€Å"Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness† (II. 2. 45). This is an example of Peter Weiss’ My Place, where he discusses fearful anticipation of the attempt to form an authentic connection with the suffering th e victims experienced during the Holocaust. Weiss talks about how being in Auschwitz and touching the rooms to try to reconnect his body to the space, including the concrete blocks, the Black Wall, the washroom, etc.Weiss comments â€Å"Thoughts, none. No impressions, except that I am alone here, that it is cold†¦ † (22). Despite reading about this place in books before, there is a lack of knowledge of what actually occurred since being there almost destroys all his preconceived notion of the event. Weiss’ visit to the camps to try to place himself in the minds of both the victims and perpetrators only leaves him with an overwhelming feeling of survivor’s guilt. Everything he learned about this place, he can’t learn more even when he’s here.The more he tries to confront the reality of Auschwitz by walking around from place to place, the more disconnected he feels. Likewise, the more Art tries to describe and narrate his dad’s story to e xpress this catastrophic event, the less the words mean because it is insufficient to address it this way. Weiss learns this lesson when he mentions that â€Å"yet after a while everything is silent and unmoving even here. A living man has come and what happened here hides itself from him† (28). He realizes that â€Å"he is only standing in a vanished world.Here there is nothing more for him to do†¦ Then he knows that it has not ended yet† (28). There is a questioning on the entire relationship between father and son, revealing the complexities attached with the lessons one learns and tries to understand involving a survivor’s memory of the Holocaust. The kids of Holocaust survivors can’t truly relate to the horrors their parents were subjected to. The past can’t be retrieved because of Pierre Nora’s identification of the third type of memory in the modern era, â€Å"distance-memory,† which are distorted versions of the past memo ry.It is â€Å"no longer a retrospective continuity but the illumination of discontinuity† (16). It is a past that that’s a world apart from us due to the â€Å"births† of new ideas and events rather than speaking of â€Å"origins. † There’s a discontinuity with distance memory because what happened was lost in remnants of the person’s mind. It changes every time they try to recollect it. All one can do is be a witness to their testimony and the answer lies in the attempt to learn from it.

75 Vocabulary Words for Talking About Sports in Italian

When you think about sports and Italy in the same sentence, the infamous calcio is the first to come to mind. And if you have spent any length of time following Italian soccer and Italys obsession with its teams, names like Juventus and gli Azzurri will come to mind. But beyond calcio, Italians practice and are interested in many other sports, and if you want to be able to talk in Italian about the sports that you practice or practiced and love—or, while you are there, you are interested in picking up a hoops game or taking a yoga class—here are 75 useful phrases about lo sport. Lo Sport: Fare and Giocare Sports in Italian (plural gli sport, pronounced with a rolling r) are expressed with two verbs you should know: fare—to do—and giocare—to play. You use giocare for most team sports and you use fare for most other athletic activity, though there are some exceptions. Fare and Giocare Fare Giocare fare sport: to pratice a sport giocare a uno sport: to play a sport fare ginnastica: to do aerobics giocare a calcio: to play soccer fare yoga: to practice yoga giocare a tennis: to play tennis fare palestra: to do weight-lifting giocare a golf: to play golf fare ciclismo: to do cycling giocare a pallacanestro: to play basketball fare nuoto: to swim giocare a pallavolo: to play volleyball fare canottaggio: to do canoeing giocare a rugby: to play rugby Other sports that use fare are fare danza (to dance/study dance), fare motociclismo (motorcycling), fare equitazione or andare a cavallo (horseback riding), fare surfing, and fare pesca sportiva (sports fishing). Others use the plain verb—for example, arrampicare (to climb). All of it amounts to fare sport. When you are speaking of being someone who practices these sports, these are the words you use: Gli Atleti: The Athletes un calciatore/una calciatrice a soccer player un/una alpinista a climber un/una ciclista a cyclist un/una tennista a tennis player un sollevatore pesi/una sollevatrice a weight lifter un ballerino/una ballerina a dancer un nuotatore/una nuotatrice a swimmer un pugile a boxer un/una surfista a surfer un/un'atleta an athlete By the way, if you are a professional you are un/una professionista; if you are a champion you are un campione or una campionessa; if you are an amateur, you are un/una dilettante. Quando ero piccola facevo danza, poi ho cominciato a giocare a tennis. When I was little I took dance, then I began to play tennis.Io gioco a pallavolo due volte a settimana. I play volleyball twice a week.Mio fratello à ¨ il campione regionale di ciclismo. My brother is the regional cycling champion.Sono stato un calciatore tutta la vita; adesso faccio equitazione. I played soccer all my life; now I do horseback riding.Mia figlia à ¨ una seria alpinista. My daughter is a serious climber.Faccio boxing, ma cosà ¬, per divertimento; sono un dilettante. I do boxing but for fun. I am an amateur. I Giochi di Squadra: Team Sports Of course, il calcio—soccer—is at the top of the list. Even if you’re not a big sports fan, attending a calcio game in Italy is a cultural must, so when you do that, here are a handful of words that may be useful to you. La Terminologia del Calcio: Soccer Terminology la porta the gol segnare to score a goal gol! score! la partita the game il portiere the goalie i giocatori the players l'arbitro the referee i tifosi the fans Dove posso vedere la partita? Where can I see the game?Chi à ¨ larbitro? Who is the ref?Chi gioca oggi? Who is playing today?Amo giocare a calcio. Ci sono partite tra amici qui? I love to play soccer: Are there any matches among friends here?Posso giocare? May I play?Possono i miei figli giocare a calcio con gli altri bambini? May my children play soccer with the other children? If you love soccer and you happen to be spending June in Florence, you should read up on calcio storico, or historical football, that dates back to the 16th century, and go see the game. For more detailed soccer vocabulary, check out this article. Il Ciclismo: Cycling Cycling is a huge sport in Italy, cultivated and followed through the generations. The Giro d’Italia (also simply called Il Giro) is an annual bike race that takes the top professional cyclists in the world all throughout Italy over three weeks. It starts in early May and is one of professional cyclings three grand tours, alongside the Tour de France and Spains Vuelta a Espana. Beloved Italian cycling champions such as Gino Bartali have indelibly colored national sporting lore. Of course, Italy has become a major cycling destination, and magnificent biking tours can be taken all over the country. If you are interested in cycling, know at least these few words: Andare in bicicletta: To ride a bike la bicicletta (la bici) bike la bicicletta da corsa racing bike il ciclismo su strada road cycling il ciclismo su pista track cycling mountain biking mountain biking la sella bike seat la gomma tire la ruota wheel il freno brake il telaio frame il cambio gears il casco helmet la borraccia water bottle Useful Sentences Dove posso affittare una bici? Where can I rent a bike?Che tipo di bicicletta mi suggerisce? What type of bike do you recommend for me?Voglio iniziare a fare ciclismo, ma ho bisogno della bici giusta. I want to start cycling, but I need the right bike.Preferisco una mountain bike. Dove posso andare a fare un po di mountain biking? I prefer a mountain bike. Where can I go mountain biking? A che ora à ¨ il Giro dItalia? Posso guardarlo al bar? At what time is the Giro dItalia? Can I watch it at the bar? Swimming and Skiing If you like swimming (nuotare/il nuoto) and skiing (sciare/lo sci), both are pretty big sports in Italy and you can find plenty of places both to watch and practice. Of course, you know that Italy has some of the best skiing in Europe, with famed spots such as Cortina dAmpezzo, Madonna di Campiglia, and Cervinia. Il Nuoto: Key Swimming Vocabulary il costume da bagno swimsuit gli occhialini goggles l'asciugamano towel la piscina pool il bagnino lifeguard Useful Sentences Cà ¨ una piscina da queste parti? Is there a pool around here?È una piscina riscaldata? È gratis o a pagamento? Is it a heated pool? Is it free or with a fee?Cà ¨ un istruttore di nuoto per mia figlia? Is there a swimming instructor for my daughter?Non so nuotare! I dont know how to swim.Possiamo affittare degli asciugamani? Can we rent some towels?Possiamo guardare i campionati di nuoto alla televisione? Can we watch the swimming championships on TV? Lo Sci: Key Skiing Vocabulary gli sci skis le bacchette rods gli scarponi da sci ski boots la tuta da sci ski suit la pista da sci ski trail la discesa descent la montagna mountain la sciovia ski lift l'impianto sciistico ski station lo sci alpino alpine skiing il salto ski jumping la discesa libera downhill skiing Useful Sentences Vorrei la pista da sci pià ¹ facile. I would like the easiest ski trail.Voglio fare la pista da pià ¹ difficile. I want to do the hardest ski trail.Vai a sciare sulle Dolomiti quest’anno? Sà ¬, infatti ho comprato un nuovo paio di sci. Are you going skiing in the Dolomites this year? I’m going, in fact, I bought a new pair of skis.Mi piace sciare, ma a dire il vero, preferisco fare snowboarding. I like to ski, but to tell you the truth, I prefer to snowboard.Possiamo affittare gli sci? Quanto costano? Can we rent the skis? How much do they cost?La neve non à ¨ granchà © questanno. The snow is not great this year.Dovà ¨ la sciovia pià ¹ vicina? Where is the nearest ski lift?Chi à ¨ il campione Italiano nella discesa libera? Who is the downhill skiing Italian champion?A che ora cà ¨ lo slalom alla tele? At what time is the slalom on TV? Italian Baseball and Others Baseball isn’t hugely popular in Italy, but it is present—with roots dating back to World War II—and there are leagues and a championship. There is an Italian baseball and softball federation, with a growing number of baseball and softball fields. Volleyball (pallavolo) is very well established, and there is also great interest in basketball (pallacanestro, often called simply basket)—also cultivated since World War II, brought by the U.S. military—with teams and facilities in many cities and one of the best national teams in Europe. Interested in watching a game or picking up a game? Ask someone local: Cà ¨ una squadra di basket qui? Is there a basketball team here?Cà ¨ una squadra di baseball qui? Is there a baseball team here? Si puà ² vedere una partita? Can we see a game?Ci sono partite di basket tra amici? Posso giocare? Are they pickup games among friends? Can I play?Dovà ¨ il campo da basket? Dovà ¨ il palazzatto dello sport? Mi puà ² dare le indicazioni, per favore? Where is the basketball court? Where is the arena? Can you please give me directions? LAtletica e La Corsa: Athletics and Running in Italy Athletics—latletica—is the term used to describe the ancient sports of the famed Greek athletes. It includes such things as cross-country speedwalking (la marcia), cross-country running (la corsa campestre), and marathons (le maratone). Faccio due maratone allanno. I run two marathons a year.Amo la marcia perchà © mi fa meno male alle ginocchia. I love speed-walking because it hurts my knees less. Beyond the strict terminology of Greek athletics, the runners among you will care to know about correre (to run), fare il footing (to run), and camminare (to walk). Io cammino dieci chilometri al giorno. I walk 10 miles a day.Andiamo a correre! Lets go running! If you want to go running in Italy, you might find these useful: Dove posso andare a correre qui? Where can I go running here?Cà ¨ una pista da corsa qui? Is there a running track here?Cerco una strada senza molto traffico. I am looking for a road without much traffic.Ho bisogno di strisce catarifrangenti per correre di sera. I need reflective straps for running in the evening. Beware: Italian drivers are not as vigilant or accommodating to runners as others might be. Fare Ginnastica: Gymnastics as Exercise For those of you not involved in organized sports theres the whole broad world of la ginnastica, which in English translates to the technical world of so-called gymnastics, but that in Italian is thought of as exercise in general. Basically, it substitutes for fare sport. This includes things such as fare ginnastica (to do something like aerobics, or aerobica), andare in palestra (going to the gym), praticare yoga (to practice yoga), and fare lo stretching (to stretch). These sentences might be useful if you are trying to keep up with your exercise regimen in Italy: Cà ¨ uno studio di yoga qui vicino? Is there a yoga studio nearby?Mio marito vuole andare in palestra. Cà ¨ una palestra nel nostro hotel? My husband wants to go to a gym. Is there one in our hotel?Io faccio molta ginnastica per stare in forma. E tu? I exercise a lot to stay in shape. And you?Dove posso trovare un negozio di articoli sportivi? Where can I find a sports goods store?Ho bisogno delle scarpe da corsa nuove. I need new running shoes.Posso affittare un tappetino da yoga? Can I rent a yoga mat? Of course, if you like watching the Olympics or maybe are a gymnast yourself, there is la ginnastica aerobica (aerobic gymnastics), la ginnastica ritmica (rhythmic gymnastics), la ginnastica artistica (artistic gymnastics), and la ginnastica acrobatica (acrobatic gymnastics). Hai visto la ginnastica delle Olimpiadi ieri? Gabby Douglas era fantastica!  Did you see the gymnastics events of the Olympics yesterday? Gabby Douglas was amazing! Buon divertimento!