Gangs, school violence, lack of funding, and uninspired teaching and administrative staff are all factors that can be associated with failing schools. While money isn’t everything, it sure helps. Having enough funding, and in certain situations, a bit extra can go a long way to tackling the other problems. Boston Public Schools are working to achieve more equality for their schools by changing the way the budget is allocated each year.

Boston Schools are looking into a budget allocation process used by other large urban districts called “weighted student funding”, or WSF. A task force staffed by Boston Schools employees has been formed to look into the plan and determine if it’s something that will help Boston Schools achieve a more equitable distribution of funds. Currently, schools in Boston are not all receiving the funding required to successfully implement the programs they offer.

For example, Traditional Boston Schools have, in the past, been allocated positions, not funds, based on the different types of programs they offer, as well as the number of kids in each program. Pilot Boston Schools, offer higher-cost special and bilingual (not to be confused with English as a 2nd Language students) education programs.

Special Boston Schools, such as the Mann School for the Deaf, are funded based on its students’ special disabilities.

Alternative Boston Schools are funded on an individual basis, with no consistent

requirements across the board. In addition, 10 designated Superintendent’s Schools have

been recently chosen. These Boston Schools have demonstrated consistently low performance. For the ’07-’08 school year, each of these schools will get $1.2 million in extra funds.

In order for Boston Schools to receive a more equitable distribution of funds they would develop “weights” so that the allocations match the needs of the students while still adhering to the priorities of the Boston Schools district. Determining these weights will involve extensive participation from the community. The purpose of this is to institute a formula to evenly determine which schools need what in terms of cash. For example, regular education students are given a weight of 1, students who are leaning to speak English a 1.7, and a moderate special-needs student a 1.6. The whole thing would then be added up, and guidelines for funding would be determined. While this sounds like the same horse with a different color, it can affect more equitable funding for all Boston Schools.

It is a significant fact that SAARC is one of such actions where politically, the two-pronged atmosphere between India and some of its neighbouring countries deteriorated during 1974-76. Consequent upon such criteria, these two neighbouring countries started gazing for regional and international loom to force India so as to take out adjustment from it on their particular two-pronged issues. The first move of Bangladesh in order to raise the river-water sharing issue at the UN in 1976, Nepal’s suggestion to acquire it standard as a zone of peace and Pakistan’s active peacekeeping at the United Nations to search out South Asia acknowledged as a nuclear-weapon free zone possibly will be evoked at this juncture. Soviet forces interference in Afghanistan in 1979 had conveyed about a serious flagging in the South Asian safekeeping state of affairs and fashioned urgency for getting together in the region. Although it is factual that the peripheral pressures to form a South Asian regional system of government were not as great as it was in the case of the European Community, they were not absolutely missing or insignificant. Internal or external what ever was the cause the level of urgency for regional co-operation was not bedded on equal concepts in the midst of the South Asian states.

During May 1980, Bangladesh had controversial proposition for a South Asian regional system of government after argument with some small South Asian states. India and Pakistan, the two life-size powers in South Asia, articulated strong uncertainties. This tentativeness reveals the survival of many suspicious questions among the South Asian states. India was highly apprehensive of the application and outlook it as a new-fangled device to institutionalise the neighbours ‘ganging up’ in opposition to India to mine dispensation on issues heart-rending each of them independently. Pakistan trepidation that any South Asian forum would sooner or later India’s welfare and legitimises its regional ascendancy in South Asia. Also, in accordance with conceptual view of Pakistani authorities, in South Asia economic and political conditions for institutionalising regional co-operation were missing. Both India and Pakistan accepted the proposal for regional co-operation only ‘in principle’. They could accept a regional forum only when it did not seek to undermine their respective interests. Accordingly, it was suggested that unanimity in taking decisions and avoidance of two-pronged and controversial issues should comprise the basic standard of the anticipated forum ahead.

In keeping with those diverse attitudes, the seven South Asian states (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) officially were underway in respect of their co-operation from their first apex supposed on 8th December 1985 in Dhaka. They were well conversant that heterogeneous issues might encumber their co-operation, but for accomplishing their relevant goals they thought within themselves to work jointly. Their longing for financial liberation, facilitated them to start off pondering and rethinking their available resources in question.

Even though the seven South Asian states as regards their integration, the prospect of SAARC as an effective body for regional integration continues to be reflected with cynicism. When countries in other regions were trying to minimise their differences, it is disconcerting to see that this region remains trapped in conflict of war, sapping its energy and resources that could be diverted to launching an unpleasant on poverty. In this post-cold war period, and at a time when we are at the threshold of a new century, South Asia should not be out of peace, harmony and development even for a single day. Analysis of differences among the SAARC states and symptomatic of solution is thus a very imperative and well-timed issue.

In relation to forming a forum of SAARC, required guidelines focussing was planned to be placed on the heterogeneity among the countries of South Asians regions which state its effect on the regional integration process in South Asia. There are of course some strong commonalties among the South Asian states, for example, their colonial past, a broadly common attitude towards Western countries, common needs development, common needs to alleviate poverty, some similarity in culture, etc. These similarities could be helpful for the states to minimise their differences. And one most positive aspect is that the member states of SAARC are hopeful about their success. In the paper I will also try to show that, if heterogeneity is greater in South Asia, the regional incorporation will be less effectual. In case those differences can be minimised, greater integration will be possible. Before tentative the specific case of SAARC as a regional amalgamation process, some discussion about the meaning of region and regional integration is necessary.

Regional addition has become a very common way of co-operation among states in present day worldwide relationships. Normally a ‘region’ is an area where some geographically adjacent states join together to achieve their common objectives. As I mentioned earlier, in the present time more or less every nation-state, strong or weak, is a member of a regional system. But there are some states which exist on the borderline between two regions. That is one of the reasons for those states not joining in any regional co-operation arrangements. Although geographical considerations are an important factor for the formation of a region, other factors-for example, social, economic, political, historical, and organisational – are also important. So we can say that a region consists of two or more proximate states and interacting states which have some common ethnic, linguistic, cultural, social, and/or historical bonds, and whose sense of identity is sometimes increased by the actions and attitudes towards those of states external to the region.

The component states of SAARC are physically nearby with each other. These states have somewhat in widespread. For illustration, they have some frequent communal and chronological bonds. These states have common colonial past. Those states (for example Nepal) who were not under colonial rule have also been influenced by that rule owing to geographical proximity with India. There is some cultural commonality among the SAARC states. But where the region ends-for example, on the eastern side, erstwhile Burma, now Myanmar is neither a member of SAARC nor yet of ASEAN. On the western side Afghanistan neither belongs to the Middle East nor to the South Asian group. These states exist on the borderline between two regional systems. Ernst Haas distinct assimilation as a propensity towards the voluntary creation of generously proportioned political units, each of which self-consciously shun the use of force in the relations between the participating units and groups Leon N. Lindberg defines integration as the process whereby states miss out on the desire and ability to conduct foreign and key domestic policies independently of each other, seeking instead to make joint decisions or to delegate the decision making process to new central organs. He also defines integration as the process whereby political actors in several distinct settings are convinced to transfer their opportunity and political performance to a new midpoint. Lindberg provides such explanation in his work on the European neighbourhood. But he dispensed to give an all-inclusive classification about regional integration processes.

Regional Co-operation means the responsibility of answerability for originating regional policies, developing rules and regulations, and for applying these policies to all markets at a regional level, overriding national control. Integration thus requires members of a grouping to cede sovereignty over particular economic functions and activities as well as policies and instruments to an authority or institution which exercises its power at a regional level. Integration thus means formulating and applying policies- for example, regarding trade, exchange, labour, fiscal and monetary policies- at the regional level. Integration may also imply the development of a common currency and a single central bank or monetary authority which regulates the monetary and indirectly the fiscal parameters within which national governments function. While being entirely proficient, integration implies the free movement of all factors of production and technology across boundaries within the region. In its ultimate form of political union, it would require a regional legislature.

There are different schools of thought regarding the methods and approaches to integration. The Federalist school of thought sees integration in legal and institutional terms. For federalists integration is an end-product rather than a process. It stands for a political union among previously sovereign and independent states. Federalists recommend the adoption of their approach on both a regional and a global scale. They consider the anarchic nation-state system to be primarily responsible for war. The functionalist knows that nation-state system is changeable and is the cause of violence divisions, which undermine the real needs and interests of humankind. They tried to give importance on specific tasks of economic and welfare co-operation. This would avoid divisive political debate, but at the same time create a community of interest which would ultimately render national frontiers meaningless. According to the functionalist observation, technical group effort in one sector generates a felt need for functional collaboration in other sectors.

The common route to regional integration is through progressive liberalisation of trade relationships between members of a regional community, which could progress through various stages:

A Preferential Trade Area with lower tariffs; then a Free Trade Area with no tariffs;

A Custom Union with common external tariff useful for external trade;

A Common Market with free progress of all factors of production and constancy in internal exchange rate with full convertibility;

An Economic Union with common currency and a unified monetary policy and a Political Union with unified judicial and legislative process of members’ states.

Alternatively, the term regional co-operation is a slack make-up of integration. It indicates an enthusiasm on the part of countries to work together in attaining regional economic security on the postulation that, in the long run, this self-control end result in enhancing national economic interests and welfare even if national interests might need to be subordinated in the short run.

In light of the above squabble, it is evident that the position of SAARC as a regional co-operation is based on feasible foundation in quest of peace and prosperity of these regions. In December 2008 SAARC will be 20 years old and as such if we take stock of regional co-operation from commencement to present time, we will see that, since inception, even though the organization has been focussed on core issues but from the very beginning core areas were excluded from SAARC agenda, and that position persists to this day. Thus after its hopeful launch, SAARC performances have vegetated and have botched to promote any noteworthy co-operation in the core political and economic areas. On the other hand, in other areas SAARC has recognized number of institutions. For example, in 1988 the SAARC Agricultural Information Centre was established in Dhaka. The Technical Committee on Education (established in 1989) and the Technical Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture (established in 1983) were merged into a single Technical Committee on Education and Culture. SAARC has also conventional the Technical Committee on Environment. The SAARC Meteorological Research Centre has previously been recognized for chipping in information data in this respect. The first meeting of the Technical Committee on Health and Population activities was held on 1984. Important activities undertaken by this committee include the setting up of the SAARC Tuberculosis Centre in Kathmandu in 1992. The SAARC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (SDOMD) has been established in Colombo to analyse and disseminate information on drug offences, and efforts have been directed for conclusion of regional drug convention and harmonisation and consolidation of national drug laws. The Technical Committee on Rural Development identified priority areas for implementing its programmes on poverty alleviation, employment generation, women development, environment and technology transfer. There are technical committees for Science and Technology; Tourism; Transport and Women Development etc. Core political and economic areas remain absent from their co-operation process. SAARC states have not assigned any responsibility to SAARC to develop rules and regulation, which they can apply for all. They did not ceded part of their sovereignty to their regional body. The SAARC states are working together to achieve their regional interest on the assumption that, in the long run, this will result in achieving harmony and welfare in the region. In this respect we can term SAARC as a mere regional organisation for co-operation .SAARC has a number of developments in its progression of incorporation. For example, the South Asian states signed the SAPTA (South Asian Preferential Trading Arrangement) on 11 April 1993 in Dhaka during their seventh summit. SAPTA is working towards removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers. In May 1997 at the ninth SAARC Summit, member states agreed steadily to relax trade barriers until a Free Trade Area (FTA) is established by the year 2001. So the eventual goal of the South Asian states is to establish South Asian Free Trade Area. Though the official name of organisation is South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation, but we can consider it as a South Asian integration process. If South Asian states can minimise the possibility of war among themselves, then the word ‘integration’ will be more appropriate for SAARC.

In view of the above discussion it is obvious that the fundamental demarcation in respect of religious way of life sometime creates serious irritant in South Asia. In terms of number of followers, Hinduism has the leading number of followers, with Islam and Buddhism being the two other major faiths. Although a strong secular movement was launched by the Indian and numerous other South Asian governments, it failed to minimise cultural gaps among the various religions. Most prominent clashes between religious groups look like to involve Hindus and Muslims, or one Muslim faction against another, or Sikhs and Hindus, or Buddhists and Hindus. Relations between the two most powerful states of South Asia, India and Pakistan, have been greatly convoluted by religious factors.

One student drops out every 26 seconds in America, and for African-Americans the number is one million dropouts a year. (Source: American Alliance)

In fact, Harvard found in a study that black students fall behind by the time they are three years old. Three quarters of one million New York students are a minority, and 70 percent are impoverished. Schools are fighting to change this, proving that smaller schools, mentoring and focusing on a student’s individual needs is what is beating the odds.

Teachers and parents know that education is more than just classrooms and books. What is finally encouraging, is that the government is finally proposing new bills to help deflect problems like this and increase a student’s chances to learn.

Perhaps you have wondered if more kids attended school, maybe there would be less crime? The relationship between school attendance and crime goes back more than 200 years.

Crime has been around for thousands of years, long before the school attendance statutes. References to youth gangs are recorded in the Bible along with education, achievement and learning.

On August 1, 2008 Senator Kennedy introduced the Time for Innovation Matters in Education (TIME) Act, which appears to be an important next step for the movement on expanded learning time.

Co-sponsored by Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the Act is intended to provide federal funding that supports states expanding their school days. This reform initiative is modeled after the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time Initiative, and would enable low-performing, high-poverty schools to implement a longer school days or school years, by the year 2010.

If the TIME Act is enacted, $350 million will be allocated next year and up to $500 million in 2014.

Senator Kennedy emphasizes the need to help American schools to remain competitive, and to ensure that each student gets a 21st century education. Kennedy and his co-sponsors believe in expanded learning time as a promising reform strategy.

The industry itself intrigues many people due to lack of understanding etc (also myself at times) and indeed once when chatting to a friend they stated that they have always viewed Investigators as “James Bonds”.

However, privatization has now progressed in recent years and the specialization of quality private investigators are now very sought after!

With the ever growing need for the facts / truth and general peace of mind, a investigation company can expect a steady flow of service requests dealing with issues such as: cheating partners / associates, missing people, counter surveillance (bug-sweep), claims (insurance / finance) & similar.

Private Investigator companies are now heavily recognised for their expertise and indeed many investigators come from backgrounds such as police, military, government and similar agencies etc and therefore are highly trained, focused and each with a range of tools and resources at there fingertips.

Indeed professional private investigators are experts in their fields and these days relied upon by a range of sectors / communities throughout the world.

The private investigation industry is now a every day need / resource and in many cases commended for the services and evidence etc that they provide.

Many private investigators have recently been aiding local authorities / government agencies in other sophisticated matters / areas such as terrorism, immigration matters, gang issues, anti social behaviour, drug smuggling issues, child abuse issues, domestic violence issues and other similar areas.

http://www.dcinvestigators.co.uk 

http://www.dcinvestigators.co.uk/general.html

http://www.dcinvestigators.co.uk/services.html

It is very sad that a nation which contributed to the civilization so much in philosophy, mathematics, geography, literature and more, its ‘contributions’ in last decades are hijacking airplanes, hijacking and murder of hostages, suicide-murderers and the sophisticated term of ‘creating an image of victory’. Actually it is not a new ‘invention’. In the 67 war there was a phone conversation between King Hussein and the Egyptian president Nasser, in which they tried… not to ‘create an image of victory’, but at least to accuse the Americans in their defeat… However, the true push and promotion to the term, was given in the 73 war. Therefore it is necessary to analyze this war, as well as the 2006 Lebanon war and the present operation in Gaza, according to that term.

There is no doubt that Egypt and Syria, opened the 73 war with a brilliant act of crossing east-ward the Suetz canal, which gave them many achievements in the first days of the war. Especially the pictures which had a strong psychological impact: Israeli soldiers, raising their hands and going to captivity. However, after few days the situation was changed, most of their achievements were blown by the wind. Israeli forces crossed the Suetz canal, deep into Egyptian territory and the Egyptian forces on the east bank of the canal were almost surrounded. In the north front, the position of the Syrians was even more critical (therefore they are not celebrating the 6th of October). While most of his troops were ready to surrender,  President Saadat urgently was bagging for ceasefire, which was finally imposed on Israel by the superpowers, when in the background was a threat from Soviet Union to use nuclear bomb against Israel. It was a terrible war, when our leadership was not prepared to it, in which we have many dead and wounded and a committee was nominated to investigate the events connected with the war. Nobody in Israel was thinking of a ‘victory’, the pain was too much deep. In this point of view we have a completely different mentality than the Arabs: for us, such a terrible war, with so many casualties and so many failures, its results could never be defined as ‘victory’. However, for the Arabs, although their casualties were several times more than ours (so and now), every result, which is less than a complete defeat and total humiliation, is called ‘victory’. Though, all military experts all over the world, agreed that it was ‘a brilliant Israeli victory’. The Egyptian troops east of Suetz has no significance because they were surrounded. Even more, the disengagement agreement, in which Israeli forces retreated 20 km east to the canal, was to a comfortable defense line with strategic superiority over Egypt, which many Israeli commanders wanted to do so long before the war. The Egyptian forces retreated back to the west bank, to their original positions before the war, and it was resulted in an empty strip between both armies. Therefore, there were no reasonable argument for the Arabs to declare – ‘victory’, but truth and facts are not relevant in such an atmosphere, and the Arab world was in euphoria. A typical feature of the artificial euphoria was, when the late mayor of Nazareth – the biggest Arab city in Israel, called his daughter “El Ubur”, which means ‘The Crossing’ (of Suetz of course). The question is whose ‘crossing’? because Israeli forces also crossed the canal… This was the birth of the term “creating an image of victory’.

The Lebanon war in 2006 was again problematic for Israel. Too many failures of the leadership, many casualties, and again an investigation committee. But, from the other side, thousand dead people and wounded, terrible destruction and Hizballa was forced to retreat 15 km north from his positions on the border with Israel. This was the result of the terrible military adventure of Nassralla. However, just as Neron Ceasar, 2000 years ago, watching on  Rome, burned according to his instructions,  just to have an inspiration to compose a poem… So Nassralla ‘Ceasar’, by watching on the ruins and the dead people, the result of his acts,  he declared… ‘victory’ and immediately escaped to his shelter… in which he is staying up to date. He was not even able to help the Hamas in Gaza, though the pressures coming from Syria and Iran. It was not a total defeated of Hizballa and actually they renewed their arsenal of arms, but all the mentioned events shows that it was far away from ‘victory’. But again, what is the importance of the truth for a nation which invented such a brilliant term of ‘creating an image of victory’…

Before the end of the operation in Gaza, the Hamas was busy by preparing the day after… No! not how to treat the wounded, not to find dead people under the ruins, not about rehabilitation of houses and infrastructures, no! they were busy by… “Creating an image of victory”. However, what if the ‘creation’ will not have much reliability? Than the Hamas uses another useful term (typical to mafia organizations): “right to the last word”, which means: “we are the last one to shoot”. But this is not just a theoretical problem, since somebody, against the wish of the terrified civilians, decide to shoot ‘a little beat more’… some more missiles, more casualties… So, on that ‘production line’, more people are sacrificed because the goal – ‘creating an image of victory’ – is “justifying the means”. An Israeli speaker, said that terrorists, before they want to respect a cease-fire, they need to show manhood by some shootings… The question is, here about Gaza or other events:  what is this culture of “honor”?, for what? Except the excitement from the false “honor”, which is based on lies, what is its contribution? for whom? However, it is not only “honor”, it is more dangerous, because there are the “producers” of those fishy “products”, which know the truth, but there are the people, the consumers of those “products”, which believe that the ‘image’ is the reality. This is the way in which terrible illusions are created, and people are inspired by false hope, and in this case that the ‘elimination of Israel’ is at your fingertips, since ‘we are marching from victory to victory’… But the ‘producers’ of such false terms want more, they want to deflect away the anger of the people, from themselves to the ‘enemy’. If their people would understand the truth behind the ‘image’, this could turn them against the gangs, which are motivated by madness and hate. Therefore, the term ‘creating an image of victory’, is shameful term, expresses a sick thirst for war and blood.

The above term has a twin: “resistance”, or “makauma” in Arabic. Even an opportunist such as Michele Aun from Lebanon, which sacrificed his brothers to Syria and Hizballa, also use this term. For what? What kind of  “resistance” is necessary for Lebanon? The Arabs stole this term form the struggle of French “rezistance” against the Nazi’s, a cynical use, desecrating the memory of anti-Nazi fighters, though the Arab world supported the other side. This term, if there was any justification to use it in the past, when most of the Israel’s rejected the right of the Palestinians to independence, lost its original relevance – “resistance against occupation”. It is because today everybody knows, that the end of the ‘occupation’  would be when our neighbors will awake from the illusion of ‘eliminating’ Israel, and will sign with Israel peace agreement. However, steel there are many which are using this term, therefore it is necessary to find why. In Lebanon the term is used frequently, but if you ask for explanation the answer is: “the Israeli occupation of Shaba ranch”… It is amazing how 7 square km’s, which were occupied in 67 from Syria (not Lebanon), becomes the “reason” of hysterical rhetoric’s, existence of a militia, which is larger than the legal army, with an arsenal of thousands long-range missiles, covering all the area of Israel. But it is not amazing that most of the people in Lebanon and other Arab countries believe in the story of Shaba ranch, though it is so clear that this is only a slight excuse to continue the struggle against Israel, in service of Iran and Syria. Everybody in those countries knows, that at the same moment when Hizballa would be disarmed, the Shaba ranch would become part of Lebanon (starting a conflict between Lebanon and Syria…). So, in Lebanon, in Gaza and over all Arab world, the use of the term “makauma” is not reliable and it has another meaning which is used efficiently by the ‘inventors’ of that term. Here again, as in the case of ‘creating an image of victory’, the illusion is playing important role. If there are peace negotiations, than what is the necessity for the “makauma”? more victims, more blood-shed? Therefore, it is clear that the interpretation of the ‘inventors’ of that term, is a resistance to any compromise, to any peace and clinging to the illusion of eliminating Israel. But, since most of the Arabs, deep in their hurts, do not believe in the reality of the dream, than the “makauma” is changed from a method to achieve any goal, to the goal itself, which is just blood-shed.

In order to enslave the minds and soul of the people to the false terms of “victory” and “resistance”, the terror leaders are using a method well known: brain washing, preaching hate, in crazy and ecstatic public meetings. By looking at such meetings and demonstrations in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and even in Europe, everybody can see on the arena hysterical speakers thirsty for blood, raising hands and threading, preaching death and destruction with faces full of hate. Bellow is the hysterical and enflamed mass, burning flags, raising hands and shouting in uniform rhythm: “death to Israel”, “death to US” etc. It is famous that enflamed rhetoric’s, which has a terrible feedback, is an ‘art’ in the Arab world, but when and where have we seen lastly such pictures? So, the truth must to be said: Exactly the same were the public meetings of the Nazi’s in Germany, with the hysterical speeches of Hitler and Gebels and the hysterical response of the people. Therefore, when the Arabs try to compare between that past and now days, by describing themselves as the “good”, it is necessary beside the historical events, which are in contradiction to their propaganda, to show also the hysterical events of today.

So was invented the deformed term “creation an image of victory” and so was desecrated the memory of anti-Nazi fighters, by using in deformed way, the true term of “resistance”. Those two terms, the ‘contribution’ of Arab world to the civilization, are enflaming the people in the Arab world, producing dangerous illusions, hate, violence and wars, but also granting to the ‘inventors’ political profits. As long as the Arab nations are captured within those false terms, their ability to do compromises and peace, is very limited.

If you watched the film “Gran Torino” you will be aware of how “different” Clint Eastwood’s neighbor felt; the young lad whose cousins had formed a small “gangster” band whilst he preferred to help at home and to try to follow a more law-abiding existence. This movie highlighted so many people who felt different.

Clint Eastwood played Walt, who had trouble fitting in after returning from the war. He played the part of someone suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. The sister of the lad next door was different too as she was more fearless than one might expect, more “ballsy”. She was part of the Asian community which had moved into the neighborhood, with Walt being one of the few westerners left – this made him different on another count.

The Gangster group had found their own way of dealing with their differences. They had turned to violence as a way of scaring off others and standing out, as a way of being noticed and building their own self-confidence. But they wanted their cousin to join them, they tried their best to force him into a life of crime, and he only just managed to escape this fate. The situation showed that the lads in this gang, although wanting to be different they also wanted others to be different like them – as a reverse method of fitting in.

If you have a high level of self confidence you are generally happy wherever you are, whatever the company is, so long as it is safe, that is. If you have lower levels of self-confidence, then different types of behavior can be observed. Some people purposely try to be different as a means of getting attention. I have a friend whose mantra in life is “I don’t do authority”. She will do the exact opposite of what she thinks people expect or want. She stands out in this way; she gets attention in this way. And as has been demonstrated in numerous research studies, negative attention is better than no attention.

Another friend of mine suggested the other day that if she was me she would be playing up my “Englishness” when in America so as to be different and get noticed. My own instinctive tendency has always been a combination of blending in and just being me, as opposed to intentionally high-lighting my differences. “Different horses for different courses” as the saying goes.

There are many different ways in which one can act so as to feel more comfortable and more confident. But there is one sure thing in life and this is that we do need attention; this is one of the “givens” in human existence. In fact we CANNOT SURVIVE without human interaction. This was proven many years ago in a very unfortunate study involving several new born babies – those who were denied human interaction either grew at a lesser rate than those who were given love and affection, or even died.

We tend to fall upon our methods of gaining attention and confidence by accident. We do something and it gets attention and so we do it again, and more often than not the foundations of behavioral tendencies are set for life. Few of us know of different ways in which we can change how we feel, ways in which we can feel more secure and confident, and perhaps then find more appropriate ways in which to behave.

If you would like to feel more confident and to gain human attention in a different way I would recommend hypnosis downloads as a wonderful way of helping yourself. Hypnosis is a state of mind which is natural and normal and everyone can do it. In hypnosis your brainwaves change from the beta waves of waking conscious to the alpha-theta of relaxation and sleep. At night when you dream you go into an REM state and this is essential to your well-being. It is the instinctive way in which your brain resolves unconscious conflicts. In hypnosis you also access this REM state, the normal state of dreaming, and so you can resolve internal conflicts quickly and easily.

In hypnosis you have access to your subconscious mind, the part of your mind where instinctive thought patterns, habits and behaviors are stored. Simply by listening to a hypnosis download you can access your subconscious mind and change your instinctive thoughts and behaviors. Suggestions can be made whilst you are in hypnosis to allow you to act in new and empowering ways. With hypnosis you can build your confidence and pave the way to feeling comfortable in every situation which you may encounter.

Hypnosis is a state of relaxation and allows you to take a step back and see things from a different angle. You will be able to see things more clearly and find new ways in which to feel good, simply by listening to hypnosis downloads.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis downloads for hypnosis confidence, self-improvement and success.

Both countries are fake; they are the result of colonial expansion. Sudan emerged as AngloEgyptian Sudan, and then through what is called ‘decolonization’  which is the latter phase of the colonization appeared as a supposedly independent country, whereas Abyssinia expanded over no less than 12 African, Kushitic or Nilo Saharan nations, invading their lands, killing their kings and leaders, expropriating the indigenous peoples from their lands, and performing genocide for at least 10 different cases over the past century.

As the excellent news about President Al Bashir facing ICC arrest warrant spread throughout the entire world, we have to establish the parallels that exist between the two Eastern African colonial relics, Sudan and Abyssinia fallaciously re baptized Ethiopia, and the two ominous, tyrannical rulers, Omar Al Bashir and Meles Zenawi.

Both countries are fake; they are the result of colonial expansion. Sudan emerged as AngloEgyptian Sudan, and then through what is called ‘decolonization’  which is the latter phase of the colonization appeared as a supposedly independent country, whereas Abyssinia expanded over no less than 12 African, Kushitic or Nilo Saharan nations, invading their lands, killing their kings and leaders, expropriating the indigenous peoples from their lands, and performing genocide for at least 10 different cases over the past century.

Both countries represent excruciating tyrannies based on fake ideologies, Sudan being supposedly an  Arabic  country, and Abyssinia turning  through usurpation of a historical name that never belonged to it  to be ‘Ethiopia.

Both ideologies consist in provocative alteration and violation of the historical reality and both ideologies are absolutely of racist character, which means the imposing parts, the Arabic speaking group in Central Sudan  which is purely Kushitic  Meroitic in its origin and the Amhara and Tigray Monophysitic Abyssinians in Abyssinia should only for the reason of diffusing these two ideologies Pan-Arabism and ‘Ethiopianism be considered as threats against the Mankind  no less than Hitler and the Nazi regime of Germany.

Due to the racist nature of the state ideologies in Sudan and Abyssinia, genocides could easily take place. The Furi Nation of Darfur are Muslims but this did not save them from the Pan Arabist pestilence of Khartoum. The partly Christened Oromos and Anuak have been repeatedly butchered by the supposedly Christian in fact heretic Monophysitic and pseudoChristian Abyssinians.

The recent cases of genocide in Darfur and Ogaden are of similar nature, reason, implication and repercussions. The same appalling crimes have been carried out in both cases. The recent HRW Report on Ogaden provides sufficient reasons in order to internationally treat Zenawi in absolutely the same way as Al Bashir of Sudan. To offer relief to the tyrannized nations of the Furis and the Ogadenis and be fair in both cases, an ICC arrest warrant against the  Ethiopian president gangster Zenawi must be delivered to him within short notice.

In the case of Ogaden, the propinquity of Somalia and the risk of an Islamist avalanche should be given additional consideration.

To underscore the chaotic and inhuman situation that currently prevails in Ogaden, in the light of ICC arrest warrant issued against Al Bashir, I republish

1  an report US confirms ICC arrest warrant against Sudanese president from the Sudan Tribune,

2  an O.N.L.F Statement On Ethiopian Obstruction of MSF Aid Operations,

3  news published in the world press about Medecins Sans Frontieres pulling out of Ogaden due to the dictatorial and inhuman practices of the gang Zenawi Medical aid group pulls out of Ethiopias Fik region after government harassment,

4  an O.N.L.F Statement: On the Illegal Killings of Prisoners in the Jigjiga Prison, Ogaden,

5 a Radio Freedom audio website on ONLF recent victories over the criminal Amhara and Tigray thugs sent to Ogaden as national army Ethiopia Ogaden rebels claim killing 33 government soldiers in latest fightingand

6 an illuminating feature written by Jamal Osman on Ethiopias Hidden Horrors.

1. US confirms ICC arrest warrant against Sudanese president

July 11, 2008 Washington The US State Department confirmed Friday that prosecutors from the International Criminal Court were to seek an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al Beshir for genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

I understand that there is some notice that the prosecutor intends to go before a panel of judges to present information and request for a warrant  department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

He was asked to confirm reports that ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo will seek the arrest warrant Monday in the first ever bid before The Hague-based tribunal to charge a sitting head of state with war crimes.

My understanding of the procedures is that the panel of judges will take the request and advisement and make some decision in some period of time. I can not tell you how long it would be Some UN officials feared the move to haul up Beshir could complicate the peace process in Darfur and trigger a military response by Sudanese forces or their proxies against UN and African Union peacekeepers.

McCormack warned Sudan against taking any such action.

I would simply say that it is our view that all parties, including Sudan, need to abide by their international obligations.

In the case of Sudan, this means their international obligations  deployment of peacekeepers and, of course, we deplore any violence that takes place, whoever is responsible for that.

The Ethiopian regime continues to pursue a policy of collective punishment against the civilian population of Ogaden. The latest manifestation of this policy is the blatant interference in the work of the Swiss branch of Medecins sans Frontieres Doctors Without Borders  in the Fik area of Ogaden.

Ethiopian armed forces have deliberately prevented the delivery of humanitarian aid by MSF solely for political reasons affecting thousands of innocent men, women and children. This interference has resulting in the halting of MSF operations in that area altogether.

Deliberate starvation, denial of medical aid, extrajudicial killings and arrests and the torching of village huts have all now become commonplace in Ogaden. Despite this, the international community, particularly donor nations, continue to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to a regime that enjoys no legitimacy and has even less regard for human life.

The world community should be under no illusion that left to its own devices this regime will continue to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ogaden.

Re-thinking Door Supervision – Eulogy to Kaleem

In the early hours of the morning of Sunday 29th March 2009, 21-year-old Mohamed Kaleem Rafeek affectionately known to friends as ‘Kaleem’ was brutally murdered in what Police described as a frenzied stabbing in Rusholme Manchester. Indications are that he may have refused entry to an individual or group at the establishment that he was working that night. 

Kaleem’s death yet again outlines the dangers that door supervisors are facing whilst working on the door. Despite the introduction of the licensing regulation, the public perception of door supervisors still remains that of thugs and brutes. We have to ask ourselves a number of questions: why does the public hold this perception of door supervisors and what can be done to change this perception of our industry?

What is the role of a door supervisor? A door supervisor is responsible for ensuring compliance with the four licensing objectives:

the prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; the prevention of public nuisance; and the protection of children from harm

In addition to these legal statutes, we are also tasked with implementing Health and Safety regulations of preventing overcrowding and ensuring fire exits are free of obstructions. Bearing these points in mind and our importance in providing the city with a safe nighttime culture, why does the public still perceive us as thugs & brutes? 

The man in the mirror

Before the introduction of the Private Security Industry Act 2001, pubs/clubs were indeed serviced by dubious characters who believed that aggression and brute force was part and parcel of their job description. The introduction of the SIA license has in general been a positive step in removing these rogue elements from our industry but it has also denied us the experience and leadership of ‘good’ professional door supervisors with unspent criminal convictions. Therefore, instead of professionalizing the industry as was the primary objective of the licensing acts, pubs/clubs are now policed by young and inexperienced door supervisors, whose main qualification is their lack of a criminal record. The emphasis on a clean criminal record as the main criteria for obtaining a license has diverted attention from the other personal attributes that are essential to ensuring door safety. The majority of door supervisors through no fault of their own have no understanding of the licensing acts and their legal duties to the general public. Training providers are continually providing mediocre training that in my opinion, as a security professional, is not fit for purpose.

Unlike many reputable security companies that have in place internal training mechanism, the majority of door supervision companies have no accredited training programs in place that ensures new recruits receive adequate training before being deployed. As long as someone has a license they are recruited and deployed, sometimes even without site specific training. Consequently, many door supervisors are not fully aware of the law, the licensing objectives, Health and Safety regulations, which ID card is acceptable or whether or not someone is allowed to take water or sealed drinks off  the premises.

On the 4th of April, many door supervisors withheld their services to attend a candle light vigil in a mark of respect for Kaleem. Understandably many of us within the industry are angry at the lack of respect that we receive from the Police, pub/club owners and public. We are an essential element in every cities nighttime culture and without our services the numerous pubs and clubs that we supervise could not operate safely. However, should we be looking externally for respect and recognition without demanding it from ourselves first. Let’s be honest, this can be a dangerous industry in which we work especially when companies employ inexperienced staff without providing any additional in-house training. It’s the bosses who negotiate ridiculous rates with the pub/club owners which they then justify by paying below the industry standard to these inexperienced door supervisors that are undermining the sustainability of reputable door supervision companies. We as door supervisors should be calling first and foremost for internal reform. We need to prevail upon our bosses to ensure that we are properly trained before being deployed, paid an industry standard wage for our services and not put in harm’s way  through the under manning of sites to lower costs.   

Made in China

A year ago whilst I was supervising a venue in Fallowfield Manchester, an apparently underage youngster, about the age of fifteen, showed up with a lady who I later discovered was his mother. When he approached the door I requested a form of ID to establish his date of birth. He informed me that he did not have one, I said I was not going to grant him entry until I had seen some form of valid ID card to verify his age, as I suspected that he was underage .He stated that he was 18 to which I stated that I still wanted to see his ID card to verify his age.  His mother became upset, she fled past me to the manager who requested that I let the boy in even though he could see himself that the boy was under age. Before starting work at the pub, we conducted a risk assessment. During the risk assessment, we asked the owner the capacity of the venue, he told us seventy-five. Based upon that information, we quoted him for two door supervisors. However, during the night we noticed that he had opened a lower level which he had not shown us when we conducted the risk assessment. When I went down to the lower level, I noticed there was no fire exit. I informed him that because there was no fire exit downstairs it was too risky to let people down there if there was an incident, it could be fatal. He ignored my advice and continued to allow people down into the basement. We had over three hundred people crammed into a venue that was only licensed for seventy-five. Furthermore, we were gravely outnumbered by the pressing crowd making it impossible for us to be able to effectively deal with any issue that might have arisen. At the end of that night, we decided we were no longer prepared to work under such conditions. He later found another company.

The story recounted above is the typical relationship between door supervisors and many pub/club owners or managers. In their attempt to save money, many managers demonstrate rampant disregard for the law and safety of both the door supervisors and their customers. Furthermore, pub/club owners, while expecting expert services from the door supervisors, are prepared to pay as little as possible for their services. While this might serve them well in the short-term, it always turns out to be false economy. Door supervisors are representatives of their business, we are always the first point of contact to the public therefore if a customer’s experience at the entrance isn’t positive and welcoming, pubs/clubs will lose patronage. As the adage goes “you get what you pay for”.

Police Security relationship

The private security industry has grown in status and numbers undertaking many duties that were once carried out by the Police. Private security officers ferry millions of pounds from banks to cash machine and businesses all around the country daily. We also transport prisoners, manage detention centres, protect businesses and even invent security devices that are used by the Police. Yet the relationship between the Police and private security industry can best be characterized as that between Henry the 8th and his wives.  Private security officers outnumber Police almost 3-1 and we are on the frontline of fighting crime just the same as the Police.

Each year more cash-in-transit officers then Police are attacked and door supervisors deal with more drunken people than the Police. Privet security officers play very crucial rolls in protecting businesses around the country. There are many businesses that will literally shut down if they did not have security officers.  Despite these facts research reveals that the Police perceive private security officers as unprofessional and unequal partners in crime prevention. In some states in the United States, private security officers carry arms, handcuffs and are allowed to make arrest and search. This is because US Police understands the important role private security officers play in crime prevention. Europe especially UK is yet to realize the value of private security officers to law and order. Except a pub/club owners had a friends in the local Police station or a door company is ran by an ex-Police officer, the possibility of receiving Police cooperation on many issues is almost nil. The Police will only show up after an incident has become combustible. Nine out of ten of the times, serious incidents at night clubs could be stopped at the entrance easily with the help of Police. A typical example of this is gang-related violence at many night clubs that could be reduced if the Police work hand in hand with the door staff at those clubs.

Conclusion

At around 3 am on Saturday 29th March, Kaleem died from multiple stab wounds inflicted on him for doing his job. He was a student and a young ambitious man who never had the chance to achieve his full potential. His death was a tragedy that should never have happened. I cannot imagine the pain his parent will be going through. We should use his death as a catalyst that will sway us into action to ensure that it never happens again. What is required is a complete overall of the entire security industry. The current SIA framework, while laudable still leaves a lot to be desired. There is a design fault that goes to the very heart of the system and until we redesign the current framework, there is no telling that this might happen again. Every profession has certain amount of standardized measures, assessment, performance and qualification framework to be considered a professional body. Three days training and a badge around our neck does not make door supervisors professionals.  

Security companies have to ensure that before they deploy door supervisors we are properly trained. We need to know the law, the licensing objectives and customer service skills. On numerous occasions the door supervisors themselves are responsible for the escalation of conflict at their place of work. We need the skills to defuse volatile situations that we are dealing with on a daily basis. If door supervisors want respect we should first give respect. The SIA needs to share some responsibility for this short-fall in the quality of training. It created the rules without building the requisite infrastructure with which  to support its main aims. We have many door supervisors whose’ first language is not English. One wonders how they were able to pass the assessment for the license if they were unable to speak or read English to a standard that allows them to carry out their duties. Communication is essential in our industry, talking and listening are the two most important tools that we have at our disposal. Employing door supervisors without these skills makes a complete mockery of the basic tenet of the licensing acts. The SIA needs to monitor the training regimes to ensure compliance with its stated objectives. It should be made mandatory that all door supervision companies have an in-house training programme that will guarantee continuous training and development   Pub/club owners must realize that door supervisors represent their business. We add value to their business, therefore, if they require the best out of us, they will have to start treating us in a professional manner, we are not cheap goods made in China. We have to be properly deployed, too often managers and pub/club owners request inadequate manning levels just to minimize their costs This not only limits the ability of the door supervisors to perform their duties effectively,  it also places us at serious risk. Finally, the Police need to understand that door supervisors play an important part in upholding the licensing objectives. We are the ones who usually have to handle the difficult situations before they are called in, which is normally as a last resort. The SIA must play their role by highlighting to the police and general public the value of all private security personnel in assisting the Police in crime prevention. Surely more cooperation would be beneficial to both parties.

If we are to prevent another tragedy like that of Kaleem, we will need to take steps to overhaul the training and license system so that never again will any parent have to live with the pain of their 21 years old son losing his life needlessly. If we do, we would have paid a great tribute to Kaleem and given his parents the encouragement that their son did not die in vain.   

To that end, dealing with anxiety is best done BEFORE the breakdown. For people who are already in the heavier stages of anxiety, it’s best to seek professional counseling. However, for most of us, it’s not too late to do something personally to relieve our stressors before they get more serious. Here are ten tips to take that can help you in that direction.

1) Concentrate on the Solution, Not the Problem – Most people’s anxieties come from thinking so much about what’s going wrong that they lose track of what they can do to set it right. Focusing on trying to find a positive solution to a problem is not only more productive, it also helps you to keep your mind off the potential “bad things” that can happen and stress you out.

2) Focus on Logic – anxiety or stress is a product mainly of our emotions. Whenever any stressful situation crops up, our first natural responses are with emotion, wether it be elation, laughter, worry, or pain. When troubles arise, deal with the problem logically instead of emotionally. This allows your solutions to be both more effective and unaffected by personal biases, as well as avoiding anxiety.

3) Find a Hobby – this is a simple thing to implement. Hobbies may, to some people, seem to be a waste of time and resources. However, hobbies, wether in the form of music, exercise, reading a book, or whatever, allow us to relax and take our minds off the “daily grind” that can contribute so much to our anxieties. Nothing is too “silly” to be a hobby, as long as you actually like doing it.

4) Improve Your Sense of Humor – it’s actually a truism that laughter is one of the best medicines in the world. Taking things TOO seriously causes a lot of anxiety. Fussing over any and everything is a surefire way to getting wrinkles before you’re old (which add their own worries and anxiety). Learn to laugh at the world, the things around you, and even (perhaps most importantly) yourself and your worries. If you can find something funny in even the dumbest things that happen to you, your anxieties will collectively pack up and leave for an extended vacation.

5) Baby Steps – when handling situations, remember to take things one step at a time. Trying to plan everything far in advance makes you lose track of the present, and you wind up worrying over things that haven’t even happened yet. There’s nothing wrong with having contingencies for almost every possibility, but it’s best to focus on the here and now. Looking too far ahead down a road tends to make you miss the banana peel at your foot…

6) Murphy’s Law Has a Point – okay, so maybe the saying “what can go wrong will go wrong” isn’t something designed to make you relax. However, this can be modified in a certain fashion. Things DO happen from time to time that we would rather didn’t. You have two choices: agonize over them (and give yourself anxiety, heartburn, and hemmoroids) or just do something about it. Work on and plan for the things you know you can do something about, and just shrug off and deal with the things you can’t.

7) Half Full or Half Empty? It’s BOTH! – most people say “think positive” to deal with anxiety. This isn’t always possible. Blind optimism that things WILL work out will cause tons of anxiety when they eventually DON’T. On the other hand, cynicism and a certainty that things will go boom in your face isn’t a healthy way to think either. Hope for the best but don’t expect it, and plan for the worst without letting worries over it bog you down.

Hamsters are Your Friends – okay, I’m half-joking. Actually, it’s true that people who keep pets, especially warm, fuzzy, loveable ones, tend to get their stress knocked out by the antics of their little buddies. If you’re not an animal lover though, feel free to reject this option.

9) Avoid Music and Movies that Kick Your Butt – there are certain times life has a soundtrack. When we’ve just been ditched, it’s almost a dead certainty that the radio will play something sappy and viciously appropriate. However, we don’t have to go out of our way to amplify this cosmic phenomenon. If your anxieties are caused by worries over street violence and the safety of your children, for example, don’t watch a movie about gang wars, or you’ll wind up locking your kids away in the basement till they’re 20-something. They won’t like that unless you include an ample supply of beer, potato chips, video games, and porn. Not a good idea.

10) Avoid Paranoid People – birds of a feather, and all that… you know the saying. Well, if you have anxieties about certain things, don’t hang around with people stuck in the same rut who spend all their time whining about it. Find people who have gone through the things that bother you but have come through it with their skins intact. You’ll learn useful things, AND you will know that no matter how bad things get there’s always an end in sight.

We hope these stress reduction tips will provide some useful tools and tips to reduce anxiety to a manageable level.

If you find yourself a Target of one of the high school bullies you have to realize a couple of key points

Firstly most Bullies whether at school, or outside of school target kids they think won’t fight back and they, the bully don’t have much chance of getting hurt themselves. In fact this is one of the key points of any bully they themselves are cowardly which is why they pick on people they deem “an easy target”

So if you find yourself being a victim to a school bully you have a couple of choices that you can make to stop this happening. Lets look at some of your choices now:

1) Tell a Teacher. While this may seem like good advice very often there is not much a teacher can do to protect you – indeed most schools now have a policy where all a teacher can do is tell the bully to stop hitting you and they themselves are not allowed to touch the bully. Great help that is to you when the bully is pounding on your head! I am sure too, that some teachers will even lose respect for you for not being able to stick up for yourself as well – which isn’t exactly much help

2) Another option is to tell you parents. Most parents (Bless them!) will then have the natural instinct to protect you and rush to contact the bullies parents who will probably deny there child would ever do such a thing or think its funny. Besides once the bully tells everyone at school then you will be labeled a snitch and that just makes even less kids at school have respect for you!

So what can you do? One of the best things you can do in my opinion is to purchase a Boxing Punching bag – these days they are very affordable and you don’t need much room to hang one in your garage or basement.

The great thing about owning your own Boxing Bag is that not only does it improve your punching power but it also improves your overall strength. Even after a couple of weeks working on your punches you will notice your arms, shoulders, back and chest muscles start to  build and toughen up.

Another benefit to a Punching bag is it helps your co-ordination with your footwork (as the bag swings back and forth) and your over all endurance. When I first started to hit a punching bag I was out of breath in minutes – I certainly don’t have those problems anymore!

Finally owning a punching bag will bring you plenty of self confidence, knowing that you can hit hard and fast and lets not forget building a muscular hard body helps your esteem too!  You will find that most school bullies will now steer clear of you even without you even having to lay a finger on them!