Gold is a precious meta Essay Example for Free

Gold is a precious meta Essay Gold is a precious metal and its price since its discovery is usually determined by the open market. However, a bench mark figure is set daily through a procedure referred to as gold fixing and this benchmark figure controls the gold industry thus the prices of gold. This gold fixing procedure was introduced in 1919 and it originated from London where it is still practiced even today. Gold is usually measured using grams and also by troy weights like all other metals considered precious. In the past, gold was being used as currency and this only ended with introduction of paper money. In 1968, the economic conditions which were prevailing led to the formation of a two-tier pricing scheme. Under this format, a standardized currency based on the gold value at that time was allowed to settle all international accounts while gold trade at the private market was being controlled by the market forces. This arrangement however ended in 1975 and gold started operating in a free market. This caused the price of gold to fluctuate with the price rising to $850 per ounce of gold in 1980 to as low as $252 in 1999. The historic prices of gold have been known to fluctuate greatly although a benchmark figure is set to ensure that the price do not exceed the upper and lower limits. Before the collapse of the gold standard in the 1970s, the price of gold was highly influence by the United States dollar since the dollar was pegged on the gold (GOLDPRICE. ORG, Para 1-5). This research paper will evaluate the impacts that the current recession may have on the prices of gold, the differences between government and gold investment, the causes of gold fluctuations as well as the effects that gold fluctuations may have on the present value of money. Impact of recession on gold prices One of the questions which are being frequently asked today is what would happen to the prices of gold as a result of the recession or depression being experienced in United States. A research conducted by the world gold council aimed at comparing gold performance during the recessionary periods. However, it has been established that gold prices are not affected by the global recession. During recessionary periods, the must be losers and winners based on the terms used in evaluating asset performance. Fixed income assets like gold tend to win during such periods while cyclical stocks lose. An analysis on correlation and regression carried out during a recessionary period in the United States showed that there is no possible relationship between the growths of the country’s GDP and the gold price changes. As such, a recession does not impact negatively to the prices of gold. This underpins the role of gold as a diversifying asset especially in times of recession and also outlines the forces that control gold prices. The recession unlike it was widely believed has had positive impact for gold prices despite the decline in the dollar strength (Connell, Para 2-4). Due to the recessionary period being experienced in most parts of the world, more people have turned to gold investment thus making the present value of money to decrease. An increase in gold trading would lead to an increase in the gold prices thus purchasing the same value of gold for more money. This would mean that the value of money would have gone down. On the other hand, a decrease in the volume of gold would lead to and increase in the present value of money (Potter, Para 4-5). Gold investment versus government investment There is a heated debate on what form of investment is more viable and beneficial between gold investment and investing in government securities or bonds. Both of these two investment options have their advantages and disadvantages. Gold investment is recognized as one of the best investment since it offers solid investment. As noted above, gold prices are not adversely affected by the recessionary periods meaning gold can still maintain value of investment even when there are economic crisis in a country. The fact that gold prices are not negatively influenced by recession makes gold investment more attractive than investing in government bonds especially in times of economic crisis (Willink, Para 2). However, gold investment is a risky investment especially for a person who is not an expert in the gold field. Also, some forms of gold can be confiscated by the government in times of war leading to big losses. Government bonds on the other hand amounts to lending to the government which is usually done at a fixed rate of interest. The bonds are considered to be risk free and also repayment is guaranteed. This form of an investment does not yield higher returns to the investor making it less desirable. Due to the improvement of technology and globalization, investing in gold is becoming risky as they are chances of being cheated. Gold is also very costly and the returns may not be good especially due to the form of market in which gold operates. As such, investing in government bonds would be more effective since the risk involved is minimal and returns are guaranteed (Willink, Para 3-6). Causes of gold price fluctuations Gold prices are regulated by the market forces and as such they are subjected to the law of demand and supply which explains the gold prices fluctuations. During inflationary periods, people buy more gold for investment since it is not affected by inflations. This leads to an increase in gold demand thus the prices. On the other hand, people sell their gold investment during the boom period making the price of gold to decrease. Demand and supply forces are major contributors to the fluctuation of gold price. Another possible cause of gold price fluctuation is the exploration cost of gold and also the cost involved in developing gold to make the needed products such as jewelry. When exploration and manufacturing cost increase, the price of gold and gold products also increase and vice versa. Fluctuations in the paper currency may also affect or lead to price fluctuation of gold. When paper money loses value or individuals lose faith in a country’s currency, the demand for gold increases leading to price surge (Jackson, Para 1-4). Conclusion Gold trading is one of the oldest forms of trade in the world. In the ancient times, gold was being used as a means of exchange and was used as a standard that was being used in the international markets. During the gold standard, the dollar was pegged on gold and was used to ensure equitability and measurability. However, after the collapse of the gold standard, gold prices were left to be determined by the free market which has led to the fluctuations being experienced in the gold market. Unlike in the past, more people are turning to gold investment mainly due to its resistance to global market fluctuations and economic crisis. However, gold investment is one of the most risky and also lucrative investments as it may lead to huge losses or huge profits. Investing in this market also requires experts due to the complexity and instability of this market. Reference: Connell, Rhona: What does a US recession imply for the gold price? (2008). Retrieved on 16th March 2009 from, http://www. ibtimes. com/articles/20080604/what-does-a-us-recession-imply-for. htm. GOLDPRICE. ORG: Gold Price History. Retrieved on 16th March 2009 from, http://www. goldprice. org/gold-price-history. html. Jackson, Dave: Why Gold Prices Fluctuate. Retrieved on 16th March 2009 from, http://ezinearticles. com/? Why-Gold-Prices-Fluctuateid=720555. Potter, Christopher K. : Gold Money. (2007). Retrieved on 16th March 2009 from, http://news. goldseek. com/GoldSeek/1194370818. php Willink, Andrew: Alternative Investment Round-up. (2008). Retrieved on 16th March 2009 from, http://www. ratecity. com. au/savings-accounts/info/alternative-investment-round-up/.

Jane Eyre :: essays research papers

Ten-year-old orphan Jane Eyre lives unhappily with her wealthy, cruel cousins and aunt at Gateshead. Her only salvation from her daily humiliations, such as being locked up in a "red-room" (where she thinks she sees her beloved uncle's ghost), is the kindly servant, Bessie. Jane is spared further mistreatment from the Reed family when she is sent off to school at Lowood, but there, under the hypocritical Evangelicalism of the headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst, she suffers further privations in the austere environment. She befriends Helen Burns, who upholds a doctrine of Christian forgiveness and tolerance, and is taken under the wing of the superintendent, Miss Temple. An outbreak of typhus alerts benefactors to the school's terrible conditions, Mr. Brocklehurst is replaced, and Jane excels as a student for six years and as a teacher for two. Jane finds employment as a governess at the estate of Thornfield for a little girl, Adà ¨le. After much waiting, Jane finally meets her employer, Edward Rochester, a brooding, detached man who seems to have a dark past. Other oddities around Thornfield include the occasional demonic laugh Jane hears emanating from the third-story attic. Rochester always attributes it to Grace Poole, the seamstress who works up there, but Jane is never fully convinced, and the fire she has to put out one night in Rochester's bedroom plants further doubts. Meanwhile, Jane develops an attraction for Rochester, not based on looks (both are considered plain) but on their intellectual communion. However, the higher social standing of the beautiful Miss Ingram seemingly vaults her above Jane. Though Rochester flirts with the idea of marrying Miss Ingram, he is aware of her financial ambitions for marriage. An old acquaintance of Rochester's, Richard Mason, visits Thornfield and is severely injured from an attack†¹apparently from Grace†¹in the middle of the night in the attic. Jane, baffled by the circumstances, tends to him, and Rochester confesses to her that he made an error in the past that he hopes to overturn by marrying Miss Ingram. He says that he has another governess position for Jane lined up elsewhere. Jane returns to Gateshead for a while to see the dying Mrs. Reed. When she returns to Thornfield, Rochester says he knows Miss Ingram is after him only for his money, and he asks Jane to marry him. Jane accepts, but a month later, Mason and a solicitor, Mr. Briggs, interrupt the ceremony by revealing that Rochester already has a wife: Bertha Mason, Mason's sister, a lunatic who is kept in the attic in Thornfield.

Clarkson Lumber Case Essay

Clarkson Lumber Company is a classic example of a privately held company that has experienced a rapid growth in sales and has reached a point where it is facing a shortage of cash to sustain the expected growth in sales in the following years. The owner, Keith Clarkson, bought out his partner’s interest in the company in 1994 for $200,000. His partner, Henry Holtz, took a note for the $200,000 with an interest rate of 11% and was repayable in the semi-annual installments of $50,000 beginning June 30, 1995. The note was taken to give Mr.  Clarkson time to arrange for the necessary financing. Mr. Clarkson seems to be running the company well, evident by the constant growth in sales year after year. However, the company is running low on cash on hand, and needs some form of financing to reach the expected sales of 5. 5 Million in 1996. Moreover, the borrowing limit set by the Suburban Bank has been reached, prompting the bank to ask Mr. Clarkson to guarantee the loan personally. Mr. Clarkson has been in communication with another bank, Northrup Bank, which might be willing to extend a line of credit of up to $750,000. Analysis There are several reasons for Mr. Clarkson’s need to rely on borrowing despite good profits. Although the profits are good, they are not good enough in our view. The Net Profit Margin has been close to 2% since 1993 (Exhibit D). The cost of goods relative to the sales is high and is keeping the profit margin low. In other words, the costs have increased at a faster rate than sales. The Cost of Goods Sold is consistently around 75% of sales. Secondly, the Return on Assets is roughly 5% in 1995 (Exhibit D). This ratio is kept low due to a high total assets figure. Total assets are also inflated due to the liabilities taken in the form of trade credits by Mr. Clarkson The company is keeping a high volume of inventory in stock as shown by its Inventory Turnover ratio average of 6%. The Average Collection Period has jumped from 38 days to 48 days since 1993 (Exhibit B). Thus, the limited amount of cash inflow is largely tied in inventory, and payments on loans. Mr. Clarkson has been unable to take full advantage of the trade discounts (2% if paid with in 10 days) during the last two years ‘due to a shortage of funds arising from his purchase of Mr. Holtz’s (his partner) interest in the business and the additional investments in working capital associated with the company’s increasing sales volume’ (Case, Pg 2). And even though Mr. Clarkson has been able to use the credit from Suburban Bank of up to $400,000 to finance the increase in sales, the ceiling has also forced the company to use cash to fund itself and pay off loans. The current and quick ratios both support this fact (see Exhibit D). Based on the pro forma sheets there is an additional $251,000 needed to attain the goal of $5. 5 million in sales. Also, since part of the agreement is to break off from Suburban National Bank, the line of credit has to cover the 399,000 covered by the loan. With about $650,000 line of credit used, the remaining $100,000 of the new loan could be used to pay off Mr. Holtz and enable Mr. Clarkson to take advantage of the trade discounts by paying his suppliers back in 10 days; thus achieving the sales target with lower cost. Recommendations We recommend Mr. Clarkson to seriously consider taking the new line of credit. The line of credit will enable the company to take advantage of the trade discounts and pay off previous debt. Lowering the costs should be a high priority and it might be worth while to consider holding less inventory (if it does not affect the service and quality clients expect). Mr. Clarkson should identify and prioritize the high profit margin products/services the company offers and focus on those. The company would also do well to try to reduce the Average Collection Period to with in 30 days. As far as Northrup Bank is concerned, we recommend that the bank extend the line of credit but makes sure that the company does not reach the ceiling again. A high proportion of the credit line would be used in the beginning but that is due to the line of credit covering the previous loan, Mr. Holtz interest and some immediate financing for inventory purchases. In the foreseeable future though, once the company sheds the loans it carried and get more streamlined, it will start increasing its cash gradually. Mr. Clarkson’s business references are excellent and the company has always paid its bills on time. Therefore, the company is not a risk and the line of credit should be approved.

Women in the Soviet Union

Women in the Soviet Dictatorship How were the lives of Soviet women affected by the policies of the Stalin era? Document 1 Source: Izvestiia, â€Å"Old Way of Life,† March 8, 1930. Document 2 Source: Pravda, â€Å"On the Path to a Great Emancipation,† March 8, 1929. Today is international communist women’s day, the international day for working women. Today is a holiday in honor of one-half of the international proletarian army and in honor of the women workers of the socialist Soviet Union.In our country, governed by the power of the proletariat, the day of the woman worker has been consciously designated as a political and cultural â€Å"great day. † And outside the Soviet borders, in places where capitalist bondage has not been overthrown, we are certain that conscientious, advanced women workers will today demonstrate their dedication to the cause of the international revolution and their indestructible solidarity with the working women and men of the Soviet Union. Our woman worker in the past . . during the barbaric, savage, and blood stained tsarist regime. The heavy and hopeless fate of the woman worker—as mother, wife, and girl. All of the striving of the woman worker toward the light, toward freedom, and to a human existence were snuffed out by the criminal arm of the autocracy. The exploitation and debasement were tripled: in politics, in factory labor, and in daily life. Working women in capitalist countries. Capitalist â€Å"democracy† has not and cannot give freedom to working and laboring women.Working women in all bourgeois countries are economically and politically enslaved. Middle class conventionality has a tenacious vice-grip on daily life. Advanced women workers and revolutionary women proletarians are persecuted. The most brutal blows of capitalist â€Å"rationalization,† unemployment, and hunger in the midst of plenty descend upon the female half of the proletariat. Fascism, Catholicism, and reformism with increasingly thoroughness exploit the historical backwardness of women orkers in order to split apart the proletarian ranks and strengthen the position of imperialism. The temples of â€Å"national government†Ã¢â‚¬â€what a thing to talk about! —are protected by stone walls which prevent the participation of working women. Only we in the Soviet Union have at hand all of the preconditions and foundations for the complete emancipation of working women. These preconditions were created and acquired in a severe struggle with enemies, at a time when world history passed over the heights of the great October summit.Only our women have been emancipated in practice, acting as conscious builders of a new society and a new governing commune, and speaking out as active citizens with fully equal rights in the socialist family. For more than eleven years, our woman worker has made her way along the path set by the proletarian dictatorship. Together with all the prol etariat she fought for power in October. Together with her working brothers she passed through the crucible of sacrifice and suffering during the civil war. She stands in the most advanced ranks of our working collective in the present-day glorious and productive period of socialist construction.In the factory workshop and at the controls of the state ships, in the cooperatives and at the shooting range, in the nursery school and at the thundering machinery, everywhere the tractors of our increasingly strong state farms and collective farms are plowing the virgin soil of our Soviet land, in the workers’ faculties and in courses for the red sisterhood where the proletariat struggles relentlessly to master science, and everywhere that life is in full swing and the anthills of labor are humming—in none of these places have the working women of the Soviet Union been forced into last place.Everywhere the vigorous stream of activism of our women workers is flowing. With ever more firm and certain steps they are advancing on the path to complete emancipation under the tested leadership of our Party. Needless to say, without the conscious and active participation of the working woman we will not fulfill the tasks defined by Lenin and by the entire development of the October revolution. We will not achieve the rapid tempo of socialist industrialization if the woman worker turns out to be passive.We will not achieve the complete cultural revolution if the woman worker remains â€Å"on the side,† or is somehow pushed off toward â€Å"the second rate plan. † For the successful completion of all these tasks we must mobilize the entire women’s active. Recruitment of the best women into the Party and the courageous and steadfast advancement into the soviets, management and cooperative duties, and the governing apparatus—these measures will ensure the actual emancipation of women who remain backward in comparison with our general leve ls of economic and cultural development.The maximum activism of all women proletarians and conscientious working peasant women is one of the indispensable guarantees of our further successes and our victorious socialist growth. The greatest possible and most inexhaustible activism, the unceasingly creative work of the woman proletarian on all large and â€Å"small† fronts of our life, their rigid and total solidarity with the Party—these are the obligatory conditions for our creativity.The struggle for a new cultured life—is this possible without the creative initiative of the woman worker? The struggle with alcoholism and disgusting drunken debauchery and the struggle to expel the green hydra from the Soviet home—are these conceivable without the will and determination, without the intensive and constant force of the working woman? Could the struggle with such social ulcers as prostitution proceed successfully without arousing and involving hundreds of t housands of working women?And the struggle to overcome difficulties, the struggle with our many-faceted class enemies, the struggle with anti-Semitism, with the priesthood, and with religious stupefication—are these goals attainable if the campaign against these barbarisms does not include the millions of working women and if they are not advanced into the leading positions? All of these tasks need to be accomplished, and they will be accomplished. The path to the complete emancipation of working women is clear. No force has concealed it.And not only today, on the red holiday of March 8, should we take note of and strongly emphasize the great challenges facing the women’s proletarian movement. These should be remembered constantly, they should become part of our everyday â€Å"routine† of socialism. For surely we are talking about one of the greatest tasks that has been set by history: the complete liberation and emancipation of working women from any kind of ex ploitation, from material need, from lack of culture, and from barbarism. Document 3 Source: Minkin, Z. â€Å"The Bolshevik factory still does not have any women-master workers. Rabochii, July 7, 1931. In the past year, in connection with the overall growth in production, new ranks of women workers have flowed into the â€Å"Bolshevik† factory. At the present time, women make up 26. 2 percent of all workers at the factory. A large share of the newly entered women workers are the wives of workers who had already been working at the plant. As a result, the status of mass cultural and political educational work among these workers has clear significance. At the â€Å"Bolshevik† factory, 79 percent of women workers are shock workers.But the Party stratum among women workers is only 9. 2 percent, whereas it has reached 30 percent among all workers at the factory. This clearly indicates that recruitment among women workers is insufficient. The promotion of women into more q ualified jobs and the training of women to take the place of men’s labor within certain limits has been unsatisfactory within this factory. Many older women workers, who have worked for a long time at the factory, have been assigned to work not requiring qualifications and thus have not progressed any further.For example, at jobs near the presses, near the finishing machines, or involving work as planers, the number of women workers can be counted on a single hand. Yet a large share of women workers are assigned to unskilled labor not requiring any qualifications. It is sufficient to note that not a single woman worker can be found among the staff of master workers, despite the presence of a number of women workers who have already worked many years in factory, have sufficient qualifications, and could be assigned to this work.Because of the shortage of master workers, it happens that when the master worker of a particular section or workshop has to be away for several days, no one is available to take his place. Yet if the desire were there, it would not be difficult to train a couple of women to become master workers. It would also be possible to train a large number of women workers for other kinds of qualified positions. The situation is no better regarding the development of mass work among women workers. It is true that 14 percent of women workers received various kinds of awards for their shock work.A group made up of activist women workers is coming together. But inadequate efforts among women workers has meant that only 2 percent participating in rationalization measures. The percent of women workers in all kinds of public organizations is lower than the percent of men workers. The weakness of work among women workers is explained by the â€Å"absence of personal responsibility† in this area. Women’s organizers change frequently, and as a result this work is quite unsatisfactory. Document 4 Source: Pravda Severa, â€Å"Maria Seme novna Requires Assistance from the Party Collective,† September 9, 1932.In its day to day work with women, the Party constantly implements the instructions of V. I. Lenin â€Å"to bring women into public and productive work and to pull them out of ‘domestic slavery’ by freeing them from subordination to the stupification and humiliation of always and forever being responsible for cooking and taking care of the children. † But officials of the Party collective and of the factory committee and the directors of timber mill No. 23 still have not understood this objective.Pravda Severa has already written more than once about Maria Semenovna Abramova, and has repeatedly demanded that the Party collective of the factory committee and directors of factory No. 23 earnestly take up the tasks of eliminating lines at the stores and improving the work of nursery schools and kindergartens, so that Maria Semenovna [Abramova] and all the other housewives of the factory ma y be liberated from the absurd lines and kitchen fumes which wash away all the strength of women, isolate them from production and cultural activities, and undermine the completion of the production plan.Despite the fact that two months have already passed since Pravda Severa raised these questions, conditions at the factory have not changed at all. As before, Maria Semenovna spends her days standing in line for bread, herrings, and milk, and as before she rushes around the kitchen preparing supper for her kids. She tries with all her might to get away from this â€Å"vicious† circle, but she cannot. She tried to work at the factory, but had to quit work after ten days, because the horrible work of the childcare center left her children going hungry and without supervision.As a result, her youngest son became sick, and this tied the hands of Maria Semenovna. The medical assistance was also quite poor. Neither the Party collective nor the factory committee have lifted a finger to improve any of these awful conditions and they have also made no effort to keep Maria Semenovna at work in the factory. The secretary of the Party collective Lukin says that they have decided to reform their efforts in ZRK and have assigned one person in the supply department to eliminate lines at the stores, but in fact nothing has changed in this area.At the present time, the Party collective does not even have a women’s organizer, which is evidence for judging the efforts of the Party collective to organize women and to draw housewives like Maria Semenovna into the public and political life of the factory. We categorically demand that the Party collective and the factory committee immediately turn their attention to issues of women’s work, to freeing housewives from the tenacious grip of lines, to ensuring the consistent work of nursery schools, and to drawing women into socially productive labor.Document 5 Source: Za kommunisticheskoe prosveshchenie, â€Å"Sch ool No. 130 Follows its own Law,† February 6, 1937. In the Soviet Union, the rights of mothers and children are strictly protected by the law. For example, in addition to a four month maternity leave, every working mother has the right to take breaks during work for nursing until the infant reaches the age of nine months. But it seems that the administration of school 130 in the Soviet district of Moscow considers that this rule does not apply to its school.I have worked as a teacher for nine years, and am in my first year at school 130. Returning from maternity leave, I placed my infant in a nursery school. At first, I was able to nurse him regularly, every three hours. But because I could not nurse my infant during the break between classes (20 minutes), I was always late by 10-15 minutes. These minutes of tardiness were not absences, because I have the right to an additional half-hour besides these 20 minutes for nursing my infant.But the head of instruction and the school director, after repeated warnings, have ordered me to either stop nursing my infant or quit working in the school, because they consider that the class (42 pupils) cannot and should not be left without a teacher for even a minute. I completely agree with the orders of the head of instruction and the school director that pupils should not be left without a leader for even the shortest amount of time. But it does not follow from this that I, as a teacher-mother, am not able to lead the children in lessons. This unequal battle has resulted in the victory of the school administration.Despite the orders of a doctors, I had to stop nursing my infant and switch to artificial food, which quickly had a negative effect on the child’s health. I consider that the approach to me taken by the head of instruction and the school director demonstrates an unwillingness to let a teacher-mother have normal conditions for bringing up a healthy infant. It is possible to find a solution to this sit uation that does not harm the children and does not violate Soviet law by providing a substitute during this break or by drafting a schedule so that the pupils have another teacher after three hours.I love the work of teaching and do not want to give it up because of this temporary condition. In the current situation, I demand only that the administration of school 130 provide a little flexibility and human sympathy, so that I can continue working and bringing up my infant normally. Document 6 Source: Chart of â€Å"Women in the Soviet Labor Force: Total Number and Percent of Workforce. † In Zhenshchina v SSSR (Moscow, 1936). Document 7 Source: Chart of â€Å"Women in the Soviet Union and Capitalist Countries. In Zhenshchina v SSSR (Moscow, 1936). Document 8 Source: Pravda, â€Å"International Communist Woman’s Day,† March 9, 1939. In the Bol’shoi Theater, a celebration of March 8, International Communist Women’s Day, occurred yesterday, organized by the Moscow Committee of the All Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), the Moscow Soviet, and the VTsSPS, in conjunction with party and soviet organizations, Stakhanovites, shock workers, and the Soviet intelligentsia of the city of Moscow.The hall was more than filled to capacity, and burst into warm applause when at the presidium appeared the leaders of Moscow party and soviet organizations and the VTsSPS, and the famous women and heroes of the Soviet Union, the heroines of labor and award-winners whose names are familiar to the entire nation. The meeting opened with a welcoming speech by comrade Popov, the secretary of the Moscow city committee of the VKP(b). Places at the presidium were taken by comrades Shcherbakov, Chernousov, Pronin, Shvernik, Marshal of the Soviet Union Budennyi, Nikolaeva, Marina Raskova, Valentina Grizodubova, Polina Osipenko, Zinaida Troitskaia, T.Fedorova, Evdokiia and Mariia Vinogradova, O. Leonova, and others. Comrade Fedorova proposed to elect an hon ored presidium. The first name nominated was comrade Stalin. Shouts of â€Å"hurrah† and exclamations of â€Å"Long live our own Stalin! † and â€Å"We raise our banner to salute Stalin! † rolled through the hall. Accompanied by stormy applause from all participants in the celebratory meeting, the candidates elected to the honorary presidium included the members of the Politburo of the Communist Party led by comrade Stalin, as well as comrades Dimitrov, Tel’man, and Pasionaria.The secretary of the VTsSPS, comrade Nikolaeva, made a speech about International Communist Woman’s Day: â€Å"We have assembled on the eve of historic events. In two days, the voice of the leader of the people, comrade Stalin, will be heard from the tribunal of the XVIII Congress of our party. Comrade Stalin will describe the results of the gigantic victories won by our country, and will set out the path toward solving the even greater tasks set by the third five year plan. Comrade Nikolaeva talked about the rise of the Soviet woman, about the heroic and energetic path taken by women of our country, and about the concern for women shown by the Soviet government and party of Lenin-Stalin. In her speech, comrade Nikolaeva referred to clear evidence that the Soviet woman had secured an honored place on all fronts of socialist development and in all areas of the political and public life of our country. The deputies to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR include 189 women, and the deputies to the Supreme Soviets of the union republics include 848 women.What a clear example of the growth of the political activism and the political maturity of the Soviet woman! Comrade Nikolaeva spoke about the heroism of the Soviet woman and the unforgettable flight taken by V. Grizodubova, P. Osipenko, and M. Raskova. The heroines were located right there, on the presidium, and the hall greeted them with warm applause. Comrade Nikolaeva described how Soviet women had mastered technology and knowledge and had become powerful economic leaders.She cited the example of Zinaida Troitskaia, who successfully mastered the complex craft of driving a locomotive engine, became an engineer, and now is the director of the Moscow regional railway. Zinaida Troitskaia was also located right there on the presidium, and her success was recognized with warm applause. Speakers also talked about the tremendous assistance that had been provided to the woman in our country by the Soviet government and the party of Lenin-Stalin, about the many millions of benefits given to mothers with many children, and about the steady growth in he number of nurseries and kindergartens. Expressing the thoughts and feelings of the entire hall, speakers referred to the warm sympathy felt by Soviet women for the women of China and Spain, who were heroically fighting for the honor and independence of their homelands against fascist invaders. After her speech, Hero of the Soviet Union Marina Rasko va proposed to send a letter of greeting to comrade Stalin on behalf of the assembly. With a warm ovation, the hall approved this heartfelt greeting.

8 Requisitos Esenciales del Matrimonio para Inmigración

8 Requisitos Esenciales del Matrimonio para Inmigracià ³n Es bien sabido que tanto los ciudadanos americanos como los residentes permanentes legales pueden pedir para sus esposos una tarjeta de residencia, tambià ©n conocida como la green card. Y esto aplica tanto a los matrimonios entre una mujer y un varà ³n como a los de dos personas del mismo sexo. Adems, el matrimonio  una de las formas ms rpidas de obtener la residencia, si bien es ms rpido en el caso de peticiones cursadas por ciudadanos que las solicitadas por residentes. Pero para que esta tramitacià ³n migratoria llegue a buen puerto, Inmigracià ³n establece que necesario  que el matrimonio cumpla con una seria de caracterà ­sticas. En este artà ­culo se explican cules son los requisitos que debe cumplir el matrimonio para inmigracià ³n y tambià ©n cules pueden ser los problemas que dan lugar a la negacià ³n de la green card. Y es que el matrimonio por sà ­ solo no garantiza la obtencià ³n de la residencia. Para empezar, cuatro requisitos que aplican a todos los matrimonios, sin importar el lugar de celebracià ³n. A continuacià ³n se explican otros cuatro requisitios que deben cumplir cuando el matrimonio tiene lugar en Estados Unidos o uno de sus territorios, como por ejemplo, Puerto Rico. 4 requisitos delmatrimonio para Inmigracià ³n sin importar lugar de celebracià ³n Para que las autoridades migratorias aprueben una tarjeta de residencia por matrimonio, à ©ste debe cumplir los siguientes ​cuatro  requisitos: En primer lugar, legalidad. El matrimonio tiene que  tener validez en el lugar de su celebracià ³n, adems, tiene que poder obtenerse un documento oficial en el que consta su celebracià ³n.  Son vlidos tanto los religiosos como los civiles y cualquier otra fà ³rmula que sea aceptada como vlida en la localidad en la el casorio tuvo lugar.​ En segundo lugar, debe ser de buena fe. Lo que tambià ©n se conoce con el nombre de bona fide. Esto es, que se trata de un matrimonio de verdad, no uno que se ha celebrado con el objetivo de que uno de los contrayentes pueda sacar los papeles para la residencia permanente.  Los matrimonios falsos son perseguidos por el Servicio de Ciudadanà ­a e Inmigracià ³n (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s).  Los castigos pueden ser severos.   En tercer lugar, es necesaria la presencia en la boda. Ambas partes conyugales deben estar presentes. Es decir, como regla general no se admiten los matrimonios por poder. Si este es tu caso, debers probar que despuà ©s del casorio ha habido una consumacià ³n de la relacià ³n (ha habido sexo entre los esposos). En cuarto lugar, se exige solterà ­a. Hay que ser soltero o divorciado o ser viudo o haber obtenido la anulacià ³n de un matrimonio anterior. No se admite ni la bigamia ni la poligamia. 4 requisitos adicionales si el matrimonio se celebra en Estados Unidos Las bodas y sus requisitos son un asunto regulado por cada estado. Esto quiere decir que tienes que cumplir con las leyes del lugar en el que celebra.  Debes tener en cuenta estos 4 requisitos: 1. Residencia. En algunos estados debers residir en el estado por un nà ºmero de dà ­as para poder casarte. En otros no. Esto quiere decir que puedes casarte legalmente en algunos estados en los que no vives, pero en otros no ser posible. Lo importante es que una vez que se celebra el matrimonio en EEUU respetando las leyes estatales del lugar ser reconocido por todos los estados y, lo ms importante para inmigracià ³n, por el gobierno federal. 2. Edad. Si tienes 18 aà ±os, puedes contraer matrimonio libremente. Si eres ms joven debers verificar las leyes de tu estado. En muchos es posible casarse con 16, pero en otros ser preciso el consentimiento de los padres. Para edades ms jà ³venes siempre se va a necesitar dicho consentimiento e incluso en algunos estados el de un juez. 3. Parentesco. Si te quieres casar con un primo carnal (en primer grado) debers comprobar las leyes locales, ya que aproximadamente la mitad de los estados lo prohà ­be o establece serias limitaciones de edad requiriendo que los novios hayan dejado atrs la edad de procrear. 4. Common law. En algunos estados se considera matrimonio cuando dos personas se ponen de acuerdo en vivir juntas y proclamarse pà ºblicamente como esposos. Esto es posible si vives en Alabama, Carolina del Sur, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Oklahoma, Pensilvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah y el Distrito de Columbia. Si este es tu caso antes de presentar los papeles habla con un abogado de inmigracià ³n o consulta directamente con el USCIS, lo que puedes hacer con el servicio de INFOPASS. Por supuesto que los matrimonios celebrados en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico son reconocidos por las autoridades de inmigracià ³n a todos los efectos migratorios. 6 problemas que pueden surgir en la tramitacià ³n de la residencia por matrimonio A pesar de estar casado legalmente y de  buena fe con un ciudadano estadounidense o un residente permanente legal puede darse el caso de que las autoridades migratorias no aprueben para el cà ³nyuge pedido la green card, o la visa de inmigrante si est en el extranjero. Las razones pueden ser varias, destacando las siguientes: 1. Que la persona que presenta la peticià ³n, es decir, el ciudadano o el residente, haya sido condenado por un delito que impide solicitar los papeles para un familiar segà ºn la ley Adam Walsh.   2. Que la persona que presenta la peticià ³n no tenga los recursos econà ³micos que pide la ley para poder patrocinar a un familiar. Este tema es particularmente problemtico cuando se trata de un ciudadano americano que lleva tiempo viviendo en otro paà ­s y desea regresarse a los Estados Unidos acompaà ±ado de su cà ³nyuge. En todo caso, tener presente que si se carecen de medios econà ³micos la ley permite buscar co-patrocinador para firmar la declaracià ³n de sostenimiento (affidavit of support). 3. Que el matrimonio sea considerado falso por Inmigracià ³n. Tener en cuenta que es posible la denuncia anà ³nima de matrimonios de conveniencia. 4. Que la persona que presenta la peticià ³n decide ponerle fin durante su tramitacià ³n. 5. Que se produce un divorcio. Esto podrà ­a  ser especialmente problemtico en los casos de residencias permanentes concedidas condicionalmente por un periodo de dos aà ±os, pero no es el à ºnico caso. 6. Que la persona extranjera para la que se piden los papeles sea inadmisible. Es decir, que la residencia se deniegue por una de estas 42 causas. En este punto hay que tener en cuenta que el problema surge al final de la tramitacià ³n. Es decir, se obtiene la aprobacià ³n de la primera gestià ³n, que es el formulario I-130, pero al final Inmigracià ³n dice no. En este apartado de considerar al extranjero como inadmisible destacar dos casos, aunque no son los à ºnicos. En primer lugar, si se ha ingresado a los Estados Unidos con visa K-1 de prometido de ciudadano americano, es necesario casarse con la persona que realizà ³ la peticià ³n. No es posible casarse con otra distinta. Esto solo da lugar a problemas y muy serios.   En segundo lugar, el problema que surge cuando el extranjero pedido est ilegalmente en los Estados Unidos. Si se encuentra en la actualidad como indocumentado decir que si se casa con un residente permanente no podr arreglar los papeles por esa causa, porque no puede ajustar su estatus. P​or el contrario, si  se casa con un ciudadano americano hay una gran diferencia entre las personas que ingresaron a los Estados Unidos legalmente y que sà ­ pueden ajustar su estatus y aquellos que cruzaron ilegalmente, que no pueden hacerlo. Las personas en esta à ºltima situacià ³n tienen que salir de los Estados Unidos para ir a travà ©s de un procedimiento consular y ahà ­ probablemente surjan los problemas y tengan que esperar fuera por mucho tiempo.   Otra posible opcià ³n es el Parole in Place, pero en este caso el migrante indocumentado que ingresà ³ ilegalmente tendrà ­a que estar casado con un ciudadano que est en el Ejà ©rcito o es veterano.Por eso consultar con un abogado reputado para ver cules son las opciones. Verificar tambià ©n si es posible calificar para recibir la waiver provisional por dureza extrema, que se recibe antes de salir de los Estados Unidos. Por à ºltimo, los extranjeros que han estado ilegalmente en los Estados Unidos y ahora estn fuera del paà ­s estn sujetos, salvo excepciones, al castigo de los 3 y de los 10 aà ±os  aunque tengan una peticià ³n realizada por un cà ³nyuge. Aunque en algunos casos es posible pedir una waiver, tambià ©n conocido como perdà ³n o permiso, lo cierto es que no aplica a todos y hay que cumplir requisitos muy serios. En otras palabras, hay que tener muy claro en el caso de ser migrante indocumentado cundo se est en una situacià ³n que la ley permite ajustar el estatus por matrimonio y cundo no es posible. Es importante conocer la situacià ³n real, buscar buen consejo legal y evitar ser và ­ctimas de fraude por pate de personas sin escrà ºpulos que prometen arreglar los papeles a cambio de pagar una importante suma de dinero y por ley es imposible que se dà © lo que prometen. Test de respuestas mà ºltiples sobre la green card Este test resuelve importantes dudas e inquietudes comunes sobre la tarjeta de residencia. Se aconseja tomarlo. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

The Mexican-American War

The Mexican-American War From 1846 to 1848, the United States of America and Mexico went to war. There were several reasons why they did so, but the most important ones were the US annexation of Texas and the Americans desire for California and other Mexican territories. The Americans took the offensive, invading Mexico on three fronts: from the north through Texas, from the east through the port of Veracruz and into the west (present-day California and New Mexico). The Americans won every major battle of the war, mostly thanks to superior artillery and officers. In September  1847, American General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City: this was the final straw for the Mexicans, who finally sat down to negotiate. The war was disastrous for Mexico, as it was forced to sign away nearly half of its national territory, including California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of several other current US states. The Western War American President James K. Polk intended to invade and hold the territories he wanted, so he sent General Stephen Kearny west from Fort Leavenworth with 1,700 men to invade and hold New Mexico and California. Kearny captured Santa Fe and then divided his forces, sending a large contingent south under Alexander Doniphan. Doniphan would eventually take the city of Chihuahua. Meanwhile, the war had already begun in California. Captain John C. Frà ©mont had been in the region with 60 men: they organized American settlers in California to revolt against the Mexican authorities there. He had the support of some US navy vessels in the area. The struggle between these men and the Mexicans went back and forth for a few months until Kearny arrived with what was left of his army. Although he was down to fewer than 200 men, Kearny made the difference: by January of 1847 the Mexican northwest was in American hands. General Taylors Invasion American General Zachary Taylor was already in Texas with his army waiting for hostilities to break out. There was already a large Mexican army on the border as well: Taylor routed it twice in early May of 1846 at the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma. During both battles, superior American artillery units proved the difference. The losses forced the Mexicans to retreat to Monterrey: Taylor followed and took the city in September of 1846. Taylor moved to the south and was engaged by a massive Mexican army under the command of General Santa Anna at the Battle of Buena Vista on February 23, 1847: Taylor once again prevailed. The Americans hoped that they had proved their point: Taylors invasion had gone well and California was already securely under control. They sent envoys to Mexico in the hopes of ending the war and gaining the land they desired: Mexico would have none of it. Polk and his advisors decided to send yet another army into Mexico and General Winfield Scott was selected to lead it. General Scotts Invasion The best route to get to Mexico City was to go through the Atlantic port of Veracruz. In March of 1847, Scott began landing his troops near Veracruz. After a short siege, the city surrendered. Scott marched inland, defeating Santa Anna at the Battle of Cerro Gordo on April 17-18 along the way. By August Scott was at the gates of Mexico City itself. He defeated the Mexicans at the Battles of Contreras and Churubusco on August 20, gaining a toehold into the city. The two sides agreed to a brief armistice, during which time Scott hoped the Mexicans would finally negotiate, but Mexico still refused to sign away its territories to the north. In September of 1847, Scott attacked once again, crushing the Mexican fortification at Molino del Rey before assaulting the Chapultepec Fortress, which was also the Mexican Military Academy. Chapultepec guarded the entrance to the city: once it fell the Americans were able to take and hold Mexico City. General Santa Anna, seeing that the city had fallen, retreated with what troops he had left to unsuccessfully try and cut the American supply lines near Puebla. The major combat phase of the war had ended. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Mexican politicians and diplomats were finally forced to negotiate in earnest. For the next few months, they met with American diplomat Nicholas Trist, who had been ordered by Polk to secure all of the Mexican northwest in any peace settlement. In February of 1848, the two sides agreed on the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico was forced to sign over all of California, Utah, and Nevada as well as parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming and Colorado in exchange for $15 million dollars and exoneration of about $3 million more in previous liability. The Rio Grande was established as the border of Texas. People living in these territories, including several tribes of Native Americans, reserved their properties and rights and were to be given US citizenship after a year. Lastly, future disagreements between the US and Mexico would be settled by mediation, not warfare. Legacy of the Mexican-American War Although it is often overlooked in comparison with the American Civil War, which broke out about 12 years later, the Mexican-American War was just as important to American History. The massive territories gained during the war make up a large percentage of present-day United States. As an added bonus, gold was discovered shortly thereafter in California which made the newly acquired lands even more valuable. The Mexican-American War was in many ways a precursor to the Civil War. Most of the important Civil War Generals fought in the Mexican-American War, including Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, George Meade, George McClellan, Stonewall Jackson and many others. The tension between the slave states of the southern USA and the free states of the north was made worse by the addition of so much new territory: this hastened the onset of the Civil War. The Mexican-American War made the reputations of future US Presidents. Ulysses S. Grant, Zachary Taylor, and Franklin Pierce all fought in the war, and James Buchanan was Polks Secretary of State during the war. A Congressman named Abraham Lincoln made a name for himself in Washington by vocally opposing the war. Jefferson Davis, who would become President of the Confederate States of America, also distinguished himself during the war. If the war was a bonanza for the United States of America, it was a disaster for Mexico. If Texas is included, Mexico lost more than half of its national territory to the USA between 1836 and 1848. After the bloody war, Mexico was in ruins physically, economically, politically and socially. Many peasant groups took advantage of the chaos of war to lead uprisings all over the country: the worst was in Yucatan, where hundreds of thousands of people were killed. Although Americans have forgotten about the war, for the most part, many Mexicans are still irate about the theft of so much land and the humiliation of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Even though there is no realistic chance of Mexico ever reclaiming those lands, many Mexicans feel they still belong to them. Because of the war, there was much bad blood between the USA and Mexico for decades: relations did not begin to improve until World War Two, when Mexico decided to join the Allies and make common cause with the USA. Sources: Eisenhower, John S.D. So Far from God: the U.S. War with Mexico, 1846-1848. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1989 Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States.New York: Hill and Wang, 2007. Wheelan, Joseph. Invading Mexico: Americas Continental Dream and the Mexican War, 1846-1848. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2007.

Cultural Diversity - action plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Diversity - action plan - Essay Example The society must, therefore, strive to enhance cultural proficiency through the adoption and implementation of an effective action plan. The creation of cultural awareness, self and societal, is critical for the development of cultural proficiency. People should be enlightened on the need to understand and appreciate their culture, beliefs, and values, knowledge, and interests, from the individual level to the community level (Lindsey, Robins, & Terrell, 2009). Accepting the cultural differences that exist and respecting them is important for the enhancement of cultural proficiency. The society should be educated on the need to appreciate each other despite the cultural differences. The society should also be enlightened on the need to values the different cultural practices, values, and ways of communication, which exist because of diversity (Leavitt, 2010). The promotion of cultural knowledge in institutions can work towards the development of cultural proficiency. Therefore, it is important that institutions like schools work towards the promotion of cultural knowledge, and consequently, cultural proficiency (Lindsey, Robins, & Terrell, 2009). All the members in the society and the authorities that govern the society should join hands in the promotion of cultural proficiency. The participation and cooperation of every individual will be vital in the implementation of the cultural proficiency action plan. The government, local authorities, educational institutions, and all other institutions should ensure the implementation of the action plan for the enhancement of humanity (Leavitt, 2010). While some issues deemed important for the promotion of cultural competence demand for specific resources, others require the commitment of the society only. For instance, the creation of cultural awareness and the institutionalization of cultural