Some Interesting videos

The other side - an oppressor vision

A film seen in the class showned by our teacher, «the last king of scotland».

«The Last King of Scotland» is a 2006 British drama film based on Giles Foden's novel of the same name, adapted by screenwriters Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock, and directed by Kevin Macdonald.

«The Last King of Scotland» tells the fictional story of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young Scottish doctor who travels to Uganda and becomes the personal physician to the dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). The film is based on factual events of Amin's rule and the title comes from a reporter in a press conference who wishes to verify whether Amin declared himself the King of Scotland. Amin was known to invent and adopt fancy imperial titles for himself.

But like every history, there is two sides of the history. The one that  we'll justify is the oppressor named Amin.

There are much perspectives to justify this behave of Amin. 

Firstly, there is the psychological, he as a child after his father's death, he were abused by the English army. So, he took his goals to the extreme, because he was mentally affected. His behaviour were caused by his sickness.

Then, the patriotic, he actually made the Uganda nation develop, he actually changed the face of Uganda (about what other people think about it) and the 300 million who were killed while he ruled the country, they tryed to betray their country because they didn't wanted Uganda to grow. And also because other countries were doing it as well.


In third, the well-hearted mind, Amin's intention were good, but his advisores's aid inffluenced him baddly and he just tried to have a strong fist because that's what you need in Africa. And the 300 million deaths were just for protection of the other population.


And to finalize the economist, Amin biggest aim was just to make fortune in Uganda, to the economy growth. 


To conclued, in general, while Amin's dictatorship, Uganda's economy grow, but it wasn't well distributed, and that was what caused the misery of the rural areas and the eccentricity on the Uganda's downtown.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_King_of_Scotland_(film)#Historical_accuracy

The Declaration of the human rights - work discrimination

Article XXIII

1.Every person has the right to work, to free choice of employment, tojust and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

3. Everyone who works has the right to a fair and satisfactory,which guarantees, as well as his family an existence worthy ofhuman dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, other means of social protection.

4. Everyone has the right to organize labor unions and to join to protect their interests.

It is illegal to discriminate against anyone of the grounds of their race. This includes their colour, nationality or ethnic origin. Unfortunately, it still happens but you need to stand up for your rights and not let any employer get away with it. There are different types of discrimination but they are all wrong and all punishable by law.

Direct Discrimination

Direct discrimination is when an employer blatantly treats people differently because of their race. This can include advertising jobs that are only for people of a certain race or paying one race more than others for doing the same job. This is not allowed and needs to be stopped as soon as it becomes an issue.

Indirect Discrimination

This type of discrimination is not quite so blunt but it includes rules or practices that put you at a disadvantage in the workplace because of your race. So it may be that your employer institutes a new dress code, for no particular reason such as health and safety, which discriminates against people from certain ethnic backgrounds. They may try to talk their way out of it and say it isn’t racist but if it puts you at a disadvantage because of your ethnicity, then it is.

Harassment

Often, there is no one incident that stands out as being racist but the way that you are treated by your boss or colleagues is unfair. This can be in the form of racist jokes or underhand jibes, or being given the menial jobs to do when you are more qualified. Even if your boss doesn’t join in, if they overlook the
behaviorthen they are just as guilty. If you make a complaint about the way you are being treated and it only makes it worse then you are being victimizedand you need to seek further help.

Positive Action

There are some instances when people are targeted for jobs on the grounds of their race and when this seen as acceptable. These cases are when a particular racial group is severely under-represented in a certain career field or role. Then employers can provide special training and encourage people from particular ethnic groups to apply for certain roles.

Getting Help

If you feel that you are being discriminated against at
workor when seeking employment then you have every right to take action against it. Racial discrimination is illegal and you shouldn’t stand for it. Start by approaching your boss about the subject with clear examples of what has happened and ask to see their equal opportunities policy. If they are unhelpful, or the cause of the problem, then you will need to seek help elsewhere. Talk to your trade union if you have one or go to your local racial equality council who can help you take the case to an employment tribunal.

Racism in the workplace is illegal and should not be tolerated. Whether it is direct, such as advertising a job for a certain race, indirect by implementing rules that out you at a disadvantage, or in the form of harassment – speak out. Approach your boss about the problem. If they are unhelpful or
victimizeyou for raising the issue then consider taking them to an employment tribunal.

This kind of racism just doesn’t help the economics’ growth. Discrimination is one of the reasons of the stagnation of the economy. 

Due to discrimination in employment, workers who are really good at what they do, don't get jobs because of their skin tone, sex, religion and even sexual orientation.

When people actually realize a wide range of things about for example, factors of production, not to hire this person, it will bring repercussions throughout the economy, because that person could bring new approaches to markets.

Economy behind 'the street'

    In the 60s, the United States observed the rise and increase of the number of black people who went becaming increasingly coming to this country. This increase in immigration has resulted in increased marginalization in both robberies and assaults in even due to the crisis that occurredin the 50s.

    The 1964-1991 ever more was marked by several economic recessions, which is interspersed with some periods of high economic growth. The country also suffers competition from other countries such as Japan or the European Union countries - both in the international and the domestic market itself.
     Due to the marginalization of the black people they could not get a job increased unemployment and increase in the informal economy activities undertaken by the population of the ghetto that was not accounted by The National Accounts.
     When there is this kind of revolt, the economy suffers major negative repercussions, causin ganger and rising information (hyperinflation). Thus, the economy is deteriorating more and more.

    Due to the marginalization of black people they could not get a job such that it resulted in increased unemployment and increase in the informal economy activities undertaken by the population of the ghetto that was not accounted for in the National Accounts.

  When there is this kind of revolt, the economy suffers major negative repercussions, causinganger and rising inflation (hyperinflation). Thus, the economy is deteriorating more each time.

"The street" by Romare Howard Bearden

 

   At this week post, we chose to write about the "collage" called "The Street" created by Romare Howard Bearden.

   Romare Howard Bearden (September 2, 1921- March 12 1988) was a social worker with the New York City Department of Social Services from the mid-1930s through 1960s working on his art at night and on weekends. Bearden art was inspired by his lifetime throughout the United States and Europe.

   In this "collage" he used newspaper and magazine photographs that he enlarged from their original color into huge black-and-white photographs in order to provide the artist's desired effect of urgency.His subjects included life in Harlem, memories of the rural South, and jazz musicians.

   The early 1960s brought a period of transition for Bearden. In 1963 a group of African American artists began meeting in his Harlem studio. Calling themselves the Spiral Group, they sought to define their roles as black artists within the context of the growing civil rights movement.
   His "collage", exhibited in 1964, caused a wave of controversy and excitement but the shock provoqued by this "collage" in first hand turned into solid success.

   The social turbulence and civil rights movement of the 1960s seemed to have served as a catalyst for beardens art, enabling him to find his truest subjects and the means to render them.

The finale presentations !

  At this week classes we finished the presentations of the project works regarding 4 subjects: Hip-Hop music ( by Alexandra and Ricardo), Gospel culture (by Jorge and Yuan), the diferent dialects in England (by Cristiana and Margarida) and the difference between queen's english in the films "Elizabeth the Golden age" and the film " the queen " and also in the series "Little Britain" (by Bruno and Raul) and the Indian-English (by Kcenia).

  Our favorite presentation of the week was the one regarding the Different dialects in England presented by Cristiana and Margarida because in a first aproach this subject could be a little boring but they managed to make it interesting and they had a very dynamic presentation.

  It was also a very interesting work due to the variety of different English that perhaps  language more much difficult to define.
  Like they showed us, in England we can find more than 45 different dialects and one example is the language spoken  in the East End of England: Cockney and this was the language that captured our attention because i is spoken by the English working class and because it was the language spoken by Eliza Doolittle in the film "My Fair Lady", like is showned in the next video.

Although it wasn´t the best presentation we also enjoyed the videos shown by Bruno and Raul regarding the TV series "Little Britain" and we will put here the one we enjoyed the most.

Our favorite presentation !

  This week at English class we saw the presentation of some projects and the one we enjoyed the most was the one from Hugo Santos, João Santos, Nuno Simões and Hugo Cardoso during which they talked about the evolution of the English languages and the different parts in the world they are used.

The part of the work that we enjoyed the most was the part concerning the flag and the explanaition of the symbols in side it and the person that we thought that had the best performance was Nuno because he looked very comfortable with the subject and he spoke very well and with a good presence.

Like we saw in their apresentation English have a lot of influence in the world and it is present in every continent and 1\7 Asia population speaks English fluently.

So we can conclude that English is one of the most important languages in the world and that without English people in the different continents couldn´t understand each other.

Graphic about Ethiopian Economy

  Like we can see in this graphic Ethiopia economy had grown a lot since 2001, from approximately 8% in 2001 to 12% in 2009 (projection).

U.S. economy back in Recession

  Here we have a video concerning a prediction about the recession that will occur if the US don´t take mesures.

USA production

 

  In this graphic we can see that mainly the US produce natural gas (68% of the production) and nuclear resources (20% of the production).

  Agriculture is a major industry in the United States and the country is a net exporter of food. With vast tracts of temperate arable land, technologically advanced agribusiness, and agricultural subsidies, the United States controls almost half of world grain exports.

  Products include wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish.

  When it comes to the sectors of the USA we can say that the one whith more importance is wholesale trade (22%) and whith less importance is educational services (0.3%).

  Now talking about international trades, the USA is the largest trading nation. Since it is the world's leading importer, there are many U.S. dollars in circulation all around the planet. The dollar is also used as the standard unit of currency in international markets for commodities such as gold and petroleum. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_United_States

US influence on the economy worlwide

  By the time of the WWII, the US had turned into a superpower economy. Not only had it endured two world wars and a global depression in the first half of the 20th century, but it had surmounted challenges ranging from a 40-year Cold War with the Soviet Union to extended bouts of sharp inflation, high unemployment, and enormous government budget deficits in the second half of the century. By the time US started rising it had two other contenders: French and German. The US finally enjoyed a period of economic calm in the 1990s: prices were stable, unemployment dropped to its lowest level in almost 30 years, the government posted a budget surplus, and the stock market experienced an unprecedented boom.

  As a result, the English language has been increasingly widespread. Thus it is known for its influence worldwide, the fluent knowledge of this language is an open doors, especially economically speaking.

  With that, the United States have overcome their former British colony when it comes to exportation, obtaining a higher economic development after World War II.

Concluding, the widespread of English were caused by the rise of the US economy after World War II.

http://economics.about.com/od/continuityandchange/a/american_econ.htm

                                               

Ethiopia's Economy

Some magazines regarding economy predicted Ethiopia’s economy to grow by more than 7% and that it will be the 4^th country with the fastest economic grown.

This year in Ethiopia the new government started reforming the economy doing privatizations of state enterprises and rationalisation of government regulation. Although these reforms started, the state still has a major power in the economy and so far these reforms attracted new kinds of investment.

The Ethiopian economy is based on agriculture, which contributes 42% to GDP and more than 80% of exports, and employs 80% of the population. Ethiopia's agriculture is plagued by periodic drought, soil degradation caused by inappropriate agricultural practices and overgrazing, deforestation, high population density, undeveloped water resources, and poor transport infrastructure, making it difficult and expensive to get goods to market. Yet agriculture is the country's most promising resource. Potential exists for self-sufficiency in grains and for export development in livestock, flowers, grains, oilseeds, sugar, vegetables, and fruits..

The fact that most of the Ethiopian population speaks English is a booster of the economy because it contributes to a better contact with the outside world and it propels the knowledge of the people about other countries. This fact is important for people because it opens many doors in relation to other countries that without the knowledge of English would not be possible and, therefore, the population of Ethiopia will go to other countries to study or work and have a better future as well as their children.

Here are some information about Ethiopia's economy, defence and international relations;ant

ECONOMY:
Currency: birr.
GDP: U.S. $ 6.5 billion (1998).
Agricultural GDP: 50% (1998).
Industry GDP: 7% (1998).
GDP services: 43% (1998).
GDP growth: 4.8% per year (1990-1998).
Income per capita: $ 100 (1998).
Labor force: 26 million (1998).
Agriculture: coffee, sugar, cereals.
Livestock: cattle, sheep, goats, poultry.
Fishing: 10 400 t (1997).
Mining: gold, kaolin, soda ash, stones and precious metals.
Industry: beverages, textiles, tobacco, non-metallic mineral products.
Exports: U.S. $ 540 million (1998).
Imports: $ 1.4 billion (1998).
Business partners: Saudi Arabia, Germany, USA, Italy, Japan, India, UK, Djibouti.

DEFENSE:
Effective total: 120 000 (1998).
Expenses: $ 372 million (1998).

FOREIGN RELATIONS:
Organizations: World Bank, IMF, UN, OAU.

http://www.portalbrasil.com

http://nazret.com/blog/index.php/2008/12/26/ethiopia_4th_fastest_growing_economy_in_

http://sodere.com/profiles/blogs/ethiopia-economy-projected-to

http://www.ezega.com/news/newsdetails.aspx?page=news&newsid=1160

Ethiopia: English influence

The English language has a great influence on the Ethiopian economy. In this country most of the population speak English as a second language and see it as an opportunity to know the world. This is explained by the fact that Ethiopia is facing the replacement of Amharic, their native language, into English. English is nowadays transforming into a global language by the influence of the USA. This way, Ethiopia will be able to easily contact the outside world, making it easier to develop the country.

Here is some information about ethopia population and ethiopia politics:

 POPULATION:
 Total: 62.6 million (2000),

Density: 55.39 inhabitants/km2.
 Urban population: 17% (1998).
Rural population: 83% (1998).
Population growth rate: 2.5% per year (1995-2000).
Fertility: 6.3 children per woman (1995-2000).
Life expectancy M / F: 42/44 years (1995-2000).
Infant mortality: 116 per thousand births (1995-2000).
Illiteracy: 61.3% (2000).
HDI (0-1): 0.309 (1998).

POLITICS:
Form of government: Parliamentary Republic.
Administrative divisions: 9 states and two metropolitan areas (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa).
Main political parties: Front coalition Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic (EPRDF) (Amhara National Democratic Movement, andm, People's Democratic Organization Oromo, ODPO; People's Liberation Front of the Tigris, TPLF) Organisation of People of All Amhara (Aapo ).
Legislative branch: bicameral - the Federation Council, with 117 members chosen by state legislatures; Council of People's Representatives with 548 members elected by direct vote.
Constitution in force: 1995.

http://www.portalbrasil.net/africa_etiopia.htm

The Evolution of English III

William, "the conqueror"

  William I (c.1028 – 1087), also known as William the Conqueror, was the first Norman King of England from 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from1035 until his death, under the name of William II. Before his conquest of England, he was known as William the Bastard because of the illegitimacy of his birth.

  To press his claim to the English crown, William invaded England in 1066, leading an army of Normans, Bretons, Flemings, and Frenchmen which led into victory over the English forces of King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, and suppressed subsequent English revolts in what has become known as the Norman Conquest.

  William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating king Harold II of England. 

  The first years of William's reign were spent crushing resistance and securing his borders, which he did with ruthless efficiency.

  William's reign was mostly constituted by battles to improve Norman territory. Population of England, Wales and Scotland were forced to obey to a new type of regency and to go through a lot of changes.

  Specifically in England, the population struggled a lot and resist the new laws that were imposed. 

  Theseis changes caused the retraction of economy on that age. Production failed, human resources fails and also the education fails. In these years, England economy was on the verge of  underdevelopment. From a powerful economy, England became over Norman Islands.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_conquest_of_England

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/william_i_king.shtml