Leader of my life: my mother Essay

An influential leader in my life is my mother because she exemplifies a godly woman in many ways. She is a whole person. She is a cooperative leader in the home. She also understands and accepts her role, despite cultural trends and pressure. She models authentic spirituality. She is the keeper of intimate feelings. She demonstrates and teaches compassion. She desires to complete duties with her heart. Her strong faith in God is contagious in my life. As a whole person, my mother is beautiful, healthy, and wealthy in God. Her beauty radiates from her modest and humble personality and her tastefully modest clothing style. Her desire for nutrition and personal hygiene is key to her amazing health. She knows her wealth comes from God because he blessed her with a strong Christian husband and three daughters. She gives me a beautiful reminder to remember who I am and whose I am. My mother is also a cooperative leader at home. She understands God’s design for marriage. The love and respect she gives to my father is an example of that leadership. She demonstrates cooperation through building a healthy marriage in partnership with my father. Despite trends and pressure from culture, my mother understands and accepts her role as a godly woman. Growing up, my mother taught me the dominant values of Christianity so I can carry those values into my adult life and be a Christian witness to others. She holds to her values at work as an anatomy professor, and sometimes she gets ridiculed for her faith, but she stands strong. My mother models authentic spirituality daily. She understands what is at stake, and I am willing to do anything to stand up for my faith. She invests time to strengthen her walk with Christ, and has instilled that in me as well. Another leadership quality my mother holds is her ability to never share the feelings, fears, and dreams I express to her. She is an excellent listener and provides me with spiritual advice. I like to think that I am a confidant and can be trusted by those who need a listening ear. Throughout my life, my mother has demonstrated and taught compassion. She is the source of my care, protection, nourishment, and sacrifice. Adopted at birth, my mother has sufficiently provided for me out of love. She guards  me with her life to keep me on the right path. She taught me to love healthy and nutritious food so I can do the same for my children. My mother has also made an abundance of sacrifices to make sure I live by God’s design. Finally, my mother desires lasting results with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. She utilizes her wisdom by teaching me the ways of life. She rejoices as I apply her teachings in my life and she understands me. The abundance of knowledge my mother has supplied me with continuously fills my life with rare and beautiful treasures. My mother continually molds me into the person God intends. She shares a special partnership with God that nobody can take away from her. My mother is an influential leader in my life as an example of a godly woman. She is pure and whole in the eyes of God. She demonstrates cooperation by understanding and accepting her roles against cultural trends and pressure. She is a model of authentic spirituality, and provides a listening ear. The compassion she beholds is contagious, and she desires to complete duties with her heart. This is how my mother models leadership.

Competition – What do we mean by the Global Market place?

1. What do we mean by the Global Market place? Global means to introduce the company world wide. To make the company known to the whole world rather than just one country. 2. What is globalisation? Globalisation refers to the way a company sets out to operate in exactly the same way throughout the globe using the same packaging, the same products, the same adverts, etc., in every country in which it operates. 3. What is internationalisation? This refers to the way in which companies expand their operations overseas in order to exploit new markets. 4. To be competitive an organisation needs to make sure that it: * Provide quality products that meet customer requirements. * Values its people- the most important resource of any organisation. * Uses modern technology, including information technology, to its full potential. * Ploughs back funds into new investment, research and product development. * Experiments with new ideas and sets out to lead rather than follow the field. * Makes sure that it has outstanding customer and community relationships as well as respecting the environment. * Takes into consideration the requirements of all its stakeholders.

To Autumn, by John Keats Essay - 887 Words

The poem â€Å"To Autumn† by John Keats was written with a sense of him describing his girl as a person, of whom he loved very dearly. This was the last great ode he was able to write before he died (Prince). This poem was written on crisp, fall day in September (Flesch). After Keats had composed this poem, he wrote a letter to his friend calling his work a genesis (Flesch). Even though this poem was written for Keats lover, it also described how as the seasons are changed to fall, summer still has a small grasp and sharpness to it as the seasons changed (Flesch). John Keats uses what he sees around him on a crisp fall day and compares it to love for someone. During the third stanza, he changes from the silence of autumn to the different†¦show more content†¦As time went on, John started to attract notice about his works, but not everyone thought he was a good writer. John Keats later fell in love with a girl named Fanny, and they became engaged, during this time no o ne saw any output of new writings for a while. Soon after he stopped writing he began writing several odes in hopes to earn money. Some of the poems he wrote during this time were ode to a Grecian urn and Ode to autumn. (Cook). In February of 1820, John began showing signs of tuberculosis which took his life. John Keats died thinking that he was a failure as a writer, but shortly afterwards he died he was sent for the neglected genius. â€Å"To Autumn† or better known â€Å"Ode to Autumn† was considered to have achieved a great degree of imagery sounds, life and nature (Flesch). John Keats achieved this level of complexity for this poem because he was able to be inspired by nature and the different sounds as his inspiration. The poem â€Å"To Autumn† is divided into three separate stanzas that are 11 lines each. The first draft of the poem was written as if it was at first going to have two stanzas instead of the three that we know now (Ridley). In each of these stanzas there are personifications and different meanings used throughout the poem, describing what he sees (Ridley). In the first stanza John Keats uses ABABCDEDCCE rhyming pattern, and in the other two stanzas Keats uses ABABCDECDDE pattern. Keats used poetic dictation to helpShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Autumn By John Keats Essay1264 Words   |  6 PagesTo Autumn by John Keats exemplifies a poem full of imagery that showcases the scenery of a typical Autumn ensemble. The name itself is something worth analyzing. The â€Å"To Autumn† deems autumn as the recipient of the rhetoric. The title is pregnant with personification. It is structured in three eleven-line stanzas that follow the chronological progression of autumn with autum n (personified) performing three distinct occupations at each level/stanza. Personification is habitually present throughoutRead MoreEssay on John Keats To Autumn1696 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Keats To Autumn Life is a beautiful thing that should not be wasted. Life must be lived without warning; it is not to be taken for granted. We will never fully understand life, not even in a million years. The theme of John Keats To Autumn is to enjoy life, even as you grow old and it begins to move away from you. He spreads his message through the time frame, imagery, and diction of the stanzas. To begin with, the time frame of the stanzas begins to prove the theme. By itselfRead More To Autumn by John Keats Essay590 Words   |  3 PagesTo Autumn by John Keats â€Å"To Autumn† is one of the most famous, and perfect odes written by John Keats, and any modern writer. It is quite fitting that his greatest piece was the last one that he ever wrote before he met with his unfortunate end. However, this ode has some significant differences to the other odes that he has written. Firstly, there is no flight from reality, or deviation into imagination or dream, in fact there is no narrative voice at all. Secondly, it has an unprecedentedRead MoreAnalysis Of To Autumn By John Keats1939 Words   |  8 PagesThe years between 1818 and 1821 mark the final stages of John Keats’ life. Those last few years were tumultuous for Keats. Family deaths, poverty, and a doomed romantic interest were things that contributed to his anxieties. However, those years also proved to be some of Keats most inspirational. It was a combination of these inspirations and anxieties that would lead to some of his greatest works. In that short period of time, he produced masterpiece after masterpiece: â€Å"The Eve of Saint Agnes†Read MoreOde to Autumn by John Keats Essay713 Words   |  3 PagesOde to Autumn by John Keats This poem that I am going to be focusing on is titled Ode to Autumn, written by John Keats. This poem shows an aspect of the natural world and I am going to prove in detail how the techniques used by the poet made me think more deeply about the subject. The title of this poem is Ode to Autumn. This is basically what the poem is about. The poem focuses on autumn, one of the four seasons. I am going to be focusing on two techniques usedRead MoreThe Beauty And Richness Of Autumn By John Keats1391 Words   |  6 Pageslife pass them, missing out on the true wonders of the world. In his poem â€Å"To Autumn,† John Keats utilizes imagery to express the importance of indulging in the beauties of nature, while alive, because humans are mortal beings bound by the limits of time. Throughout the beginning of the poem, Keats touches on the beauty and richness of autumn. He accomplishes this by introducing distinct fall imagery. For example, Keats writes in lines 5 and 6, â€Å"To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees; And fillRead MoreOde to a Nightingale and To Autumn by John Keats.1611 Words   |  7 PagesRomanticism is a movement in literature that came as a result of a revolt against the previous period Classicism. John Keats was an English poet who became one of the most important Romantic poets. William Wordsworth, another significant figure during Romanticism, described it as liberalism in literature, meaning the artist was free from restraints and rules, and was encouraged to write about his/her own experiences, rather than being a passive narrator praising an event or person. RomanticismRead More Two Romantic poems concerning nature are To Autumn by John Keats1459 Words   |  6 PagesTwo Romantic poems concerning nature are To Autumn by John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s To a Skylark. These two poems celebrate different aspects of nature: ‘Compare how nature is presented two Romantic poems’ Poets of the Romantic Era tried to express their feelings of beauty, nature and decay through poems and other means of literature. Two Romantic poems concerning nature are â€Å"To Autumn† by John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s â€Å"To a Skylark†. These two poems celebrate differentRead More Consider La Belle Dame sans Merci and To Autumn by John Keats1345 Words   |  6 PagesConsider La Belle Dame sans Merci and To Autumn by John Keats John Keats was born in 1795 and died in 1821. He lived a short life as he suffered from tuberculosis, and died in his early twenties. Keats is one of the great Romantic poets of the early 19th century. Most of his poetry was crammed into the last few years of his life, which is why some of his poems relate death. He had a great love for nature, which was always included in his poetry in some way. He saw his mother and his brotherRead More John Keats’ To Autumn and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Ode to the West Wind1218 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Keats’ To Autumn and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Ode to the West Wind Even though both John Keats’s â€Å"To Autumn† and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s â€Å"Ode to the West Wind† are about the same season, they are very dissimilar. Keats’s poem concentrates on the creating power of autumn, and makes it seem a gentle season, while in Shelley’s poem death is a repeating image, and shows autumn’s destroying power. In â€Å"To Autumn†, Keats uses three stanzas of eleven lines each. The first seven lines of each

Do Colleges Care About the SAT Writing Section

American Imperialism Essay examples - 2429 Words

The United States of America had begun its political life as a colony of the British Empire. However, as the 20th century dawned, the nation quickly found itself as one of the world’s leading imperial powers. Historians have proposed various reasons for this change in the American psyche. Historians from the progressive school of thought argue that economic interests dictated American foreign policy; while academics of the Conservative or older patriotic tradition advocate that the nations brief foray into imperialism represented a â€Å"great aberration† from typical American isolationism. A third school led by Julius Pratt, applied Social Darwinism to the country – stating that a combination of religious and humanitarian components motivated†¦show more content†¦This need for new markets had pushed the nation into conflict with other imperial powers. Exempli Gratia Beard, a champion of the progressive school, stated that the desire for profits had push ed Americans into war with Spain over Cuba (Grob, page 165). The Spanish-American War was fought mainly for economic reasons. The United States primary motivation for entering the war was â€Å"purely economic† (Spanish-American War). The United States had a vested interest in Cuba – almost fifty million dollars invested in the island nation. Additionally, America had a sound trade history with Cuba: trading more with the Spanish colony than its motherland (Cuba). The rotting Spanish Empire provided a hindrance to American business interests. Tariffs and trade fees were especially troublesome to American businessmen. After the war, America had successfully the profitability of their investments. This was done through the Platt Amendment. This amendment had essentially dictated Cubas economic policy: allowing Americans to check Cuban national debt and foreign treaties (Platt Amendment). A second theater of the Spanish-American War was the Philippines. Although the United States initially had ambivalent feelings toward the Pacific island nation, the nation ultimately moved to incorporate the territory for economic reasons. Acting under the facade of protecting the native people from atrocities committed by Spanish colonists, the United States government annexedShow MoreRelatedAmerican Imperialism797 Words   |  4 PagesMaterial Appendix A American Imperialism Part 1 Complete the chart by identifying the following: Identify the countries or areas where the United States engaged in countries or areas where the United States engaged in imperialistic actions during the period from about 1870 to 1914. Discuss why each area was important to American empire building—political, economic, and social. Explain America’s expansionist ideals. What were some factors that justified American imperialist actions? Read MoreAppendix a American Imperialism1314 Words   |  6 PagesAssociate Program Material Appendix A American Imperialism Part 1 Complete the chart by identifying the following: Identify the countries or areas where the United States engaged in imperialistic actions during the period from about 1870 to 1914. Discuss why each area was important to American empire building—political, economic, and social. Explain America’s expansionist ideals. What were some factors that justified American imperialist actions? Identify the currentRead MoreThe American Imperialism Essay558 Words   |  3 Pagesabout American imperialism and its behavior. Historians such as William A. Williams, Arthur Schlesinger, and Stephen Kinzer provides their own vision and how America ought to be through ideas centered around economics, power, and racial superiority. Economics becomes a large factor in the American imperialism; but more specifically that expansion in foreign markets is a vital part in the growth of America. As historian Charles Beard puts it, â€Å"[it] is indispensable to the prosperity of American businessRead MoreA Brief History of American Imperialism1391 Words   |  6 Pageseventual spread of the American nation beyond the Mississippi into Native and French land, referred to as â€Å"Manifest Destiny† by John O’Sullivan, was rationalized as a realization of their God given duty. The Louisiana Purchase set the precedent for unrestricted westward expansion in America, and allowed for others to follow in his footsteps. Characterized by racist overtones, a lack of the â€Å"consent of the governed, and ethnic cleansing, there is no valid distinction between this American continental expansionRead MoreEssay On American Imperialism1265 Words   |  6 Pagesbook, Our Country, about why the United States should su pport imperialism. He himself is American, but where exactly in America is unknown. It is important that this established, as it makes it easier to understand his motivations for promoting what he thinks are best interests for America. The exact date of this publication is not given, but further research states it is from 1885. At around 1885 was a period of time where imperialism was a concept which was spreading quickly to many large countriesRead MoreAmerican Imperialism Research Study Essay1423 Words   |  6 PagesAssociate Program Material Appendix A American Imperialism Part 1 Complete the chart by identifying the following: †¢ Identify the countries or areas where the United States engaged in imperialistic actions during the period from about 1870 to 1914. †¢ Discuss why each area was important to American empire building—political, economic, and social. †¢ Explain America’s expansionist ideals. What were some factors that justified American imperialist actions? †¢ Identify the current politicalRead MoreAn Exercise Of American Imperialism1381 Words   |  6 Pages1846-1848: Southward Aggression II,† argues that the Mexican War was indeed an exercise of American imperialism. Throughout his presidency, James K. Polk made a promise to the American people to honor Manifest Destiny, expanding the territory of the United States to the Pacific Ocean. Polk was blinded by his tunnel vision, and was more than willing to pay the cost of thousands of Mexican lives (over twice as many as Americans) in pursuit of his goal. The Mexican government was weak, so, Polk took advantageRead MoreAmerican Imperialism - Essay997 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican Imperialism has been a part of United States history ever since the American Revolution. Imperialism is the practice by which large, powerful nations seek to expand and maintain control or influence on a weaker nation. Throughout the years, America has had a tendency to take over other peoples land . America had its first taste of Imperialistic nature back when Columbus came to America almost five hundred years ago. He fought the inhabitants with no respect for their former way of life,Read MoreThe Rise of American Imperialism Essay927 Words   |  4 PagesThe Rise of American Imperialism The idea of American Imperialism had both its advocates and its critics. One only needs to look at a map to see which side won. America has greatly expanded since its own phase as a colony of the greatest European Empire of the time. America became her own Empire through the accusation of vast territories through many different mean. Sometimes she purchases the mighty morsel, sometimes she forms it #8230; by the natural increase of her own people, sometimesRead MoreAmerican Imperialism: Characteristics903 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century extended from several characteristics of America and American society, including but not limited to exceptionalism and manifest destiny. While these beliefs not only supported and manifested the perpetual effort to exploit and later completely oppress and subjugate the Native American populations within its borders, they also supported the later establishment of reservations and the practice of Native American boarding school education. But, American

GlaxoSmithKline Is More Concerned With Development-Free Samples

Question: How To The GlaxoSmithKline Is More Concerned With Development? Answer: Introduction Distribution strategies refer to the measures that the company has in place to ensure that products reach the intended recipient. There are several means through which a company can do this. The particular measure or measures taken are dependent on the nature of business the organization is in, its size, and the overall strategy. In some instances, the company may follow a direct distribution strategy, whereby its products are sold to the end consumer directly. In other instances, the company chooses to use an agent, who then sells to the end consumer. Other strategies have longer chains, with several players. There may be a wholesaler, agent, retailer, among others, all determined to find the easiest way that the product can be marketed. Pharmaceuticals are ultimately responsible for whichever distribution channel they use. However, the payers influence the exact nature of these channels. The company, such as GSK must consider distributors, controllers, payers, regulators and dispensers in its decision makers. Distribution Strategies GSK uses several means to ensure that its products reach the market. The first among these is the strategy which involves selling directly to hospitals. The distribution mechanism ensures that the medicines can then be distributed as prescription drugs to patients through the respective hospitals pharmacy. The importance of this channel is that it has a wider coverage, on top of being an excellent way of accessing a large size of the market (McCain, 2012). The second distribution model involves using super agents. These agents stock GSK products on their premises. They are responsible for selling the drugs on behalf of the company, using whichever strategy they use. However, any agreement requires the super agent to be responsible and ethical in supply, so that the drugs are not used for the wrong purpose. The super agent is so called because they do not supply to the end consumer. Instead, they in turn supply to hospitals and agents who distribute to the end consumer. This type of distribution has its advantages and challenges. While the company is able to sell more drugs due to the ability of the super agent to reach more customers (GSK, 2012; Weitz Jap, 1995). Another facet of the distribution strategy that the organization has adopted involves sales agents. The sales agents are involved in contracting the different buyers, including agents, super agents, hospitals, clinics and drug stores. They sell the wares to these parties, for onwards distribution to the end consumer or other distributors in the chain. The difference between the super agent and the sales person is that while the sales person is employed by the company, the super agent is a different entity. It is cheaper to sell the drugs through a salesperson than through the agent, but the sales volumes are considerably less (Gupta, Mandhav Ojha, 2015). The company also distributes drugs through drug stores. In a conventional sense, the drug store is an agent who does not sell the drug to other sellers, but instead dispenses them to the end consumer. The end consumer may be accompanied with a prescription note by a physician where necessary. In other cases, the drugs do not require a prescription note. The company sells most of its - over the counter medicine in using this channel (Gupta, Mandhav Ojha, 2015). The different facets of this distribution strategy are illustrated in the flowchart below. To support the distribution channels described above, the company has created a positive relationship with several institutions in the country. This factor enables them to get firsthand information about the preferences of different parties and the changing trends. Furthermore, it allows them to access past records to determine the common challenges connected to their products. Therefore, the organization uses its distribution channels not only to distribute products, but also to obtain valuable market intelligence (Black et al, 2002). Not included in this model is the export segment of the GSK Australian market. GSKs business has a significant export component. The company exports drugs to several countries in Asia and beyond. The company may either be shipped to GSK branches in these countries, or directly to agents or other intermediaries. Apart from this, the channel followed is similar to what has been discussed above under other distribution models (Gupta, Mandhav Ojha, 2015; GSK, 2017). Distribution analysis The Australian market that GSK controls is large. It is among the major players in the country, controlling up to 5% of the Australian market (DIIS, 2017). The country is also large geographically. This means that it is not practical to have only one distribution model, since it will face serious limitations. The company is therefore justified in seeking to sell its products through several channels as it does (Black et al, 2002). It may sometimes be impractical to sell the product directly to customers. GSK deals in drugs which are extremely harmful if not consumed through the right directions, which means a physicians prescription. This means that the drugs that the company sells must be sold in a controlled way, which the different channels of distribution provide. More importantly, the company does not deal directly with the end user. The middlemen therefore in this case perform an essential role of ensuring ethical practice (Tse Yim, 2008). The size of the company is also an important consideration in determining the distribution channels it will use. For smaller companies, many distribution models are likely to result in operational inefficiencies, which will result in the organization losing money. GSK is a large company present in more than 150 countries, however. This means that it is well placed to employ these distribution models since it has the financial ability and operational capacity to support them. In short, it has both the products needed, and the people to sell the products to (Tse Yim, 2008). Outcome The results of this approach have been that GSKs Australian business has grown well over the last few years, mirroring the overall growth in the Australian pharmaceutical industry. GSKs growth has been a product of expanding markets, as well as improved operational and distribution efficiencies. Ultimately, the most important element of its success is how well it is able to get its product to the end user. It is also dependent on the decisions of important players such as physicians and governments, and how well GSK is able to influence thme. This refers to how well the company is able to collect market intelligence form its distribution channels. Conclusion The distribution channels that a company chooses are dependent on several factors. This includes size of market, size of company, size of its market in terms of geography, and the nature of the product. For this reason, GSK has found a hybrid model of distribution, which has worked well for them. References Black, N, eat al. (). Modeling consumer choice of distribution channels: an illustration from financial services. Journal of Bank Marketing, 20(4), 161-173. Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. (2014). Australian Pharmaceuticals Industry Data Card 2014. retrieved 06 04 2017, from https://industry.gov.au/industry/IndustrySectors/PharmaceuticalsandHealthTechnologies/Pharmaceuticals/Pages/PharmaceuticalsIndustryDataCard.aspx GSK. (2017). About Us. Retrieved 06 04 2017, from https://au.gsk.com/en-au/about-us/. Gupta, S., Mandhav, S., Ojha, A. (2015). Review on Pharma Marketing. European Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research, 2(4), 174-184. McCAIN, J. (2012). Part 1: Distribution models for biologics and other specialty pharmaceutical products. Biotechnology Healthcare, 9(2), 813. Tse, A., Yim, F. (2008). Factors Affecting the Choice of Channels. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 14 (2-3), 137-152. Weitz, B., Jap, S. (1995). relationship marketing and distribution channels. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 23(4), 305-320.

Rural Development and Poverty free essay sample

Poverty eradication has been on the global development agenda since the birth of development itself. Unfortunately for the impoverished, the agenda of the neoliberal and transnational classes are not as concerned with poverty eradication as they are with capital and industry. This means that the needs of the citizens, poor citizens in particular, get put on the back burner in the name of economic growth and free market policy. In Latin America, 40% of the population is categorized as poor, and in Brazil the extreme level of disparity and the states refusal to adequately address it has led to the formation of a Landless Workers Movement which calls itself the MST (Leiva, 2008). The MST believe that agrarian reform and redistribution of wealth and power are the solution for Brazils poverty woes, and that the current top-down, or trickle down policies are not solutions but are in fact a part of the problem. We will write a custom essay sample on Rural Development and Poverty or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The purpose of this case study will be to not only get a better understanding of the MST but to also find out how, or even if its results can be duplicated in other third world countries. Identifying the problem the general problem is poverty, but under the surface there are many different elements at work. The driving force behind it all is the most important because identifying and understanding it will make it easier to diagnose, and from the research it is clear that the locomotive behind the poverty in Brazil is capitalism and its sidekick, consumptionism. As most probably already know 20% of the worlds population accounts for over 85% of total private consumption expenditures (UNDP, 1998). In Brazil, 10% of the population owns 75 percent of the nations wealth, to bring it even closer into perspective 0. 1% of the population owns 40% of the nations wealth. Brazil also has the second highest concentration of land ownership in the world with less than 1% owning over 46% of land area, meanwhile 4. 6 million landless families continue to live in conditions of extreme poverty and distress. (www. mstbrazil. rg/about-mst/). As mentioned earlier, the reason behind this is the focus put on free market forces controlling the land reform policies, it is believed that market forces produce more desirable results on the economy when left unhindered (Borras, 2008). This line of thought is pushed for by the Modernizationists of the West who push for neoliberal policies, declaring it as the ticket out of poverty. Theses Modernizationists want to see a n evolution in nations like Brazil, an evolution from subsistence farming towards commercial production of agricultural goods. This calls for a specialization in cash crops, purchase of non-agricultural products in the market and agricultural wage labour (Allen and Thomas, 2000). Oddly enough, these policies are known to be more of a benefit to Core nations, where the majority of these Modernizationists come from, at the expense of the periphery nations. In actuality it is capitalist consumerism that makes these demands putting a strain of the livelihood of impoverished citizens in the third world by demanding more for less. Neoliberal markets are the problem because they want to works with transnational corporations, which they believe will inject the economy with new money, when in reality, all the competition from outside the nation crushes the indigenous population. Eventually the owners of small and mid-sized businesses and particularly farmers in this case, are muscled out, those same farmers are eventually stripped of everything and forced to work for the big companies and plantations they once competed for, the cycle is vicious and long-standing (UNDP, 1998). The point of all this is too clarify that the agenda of capitalism and its constituents is in direct disagreement with the needs of the people of Brazil. Introducing the MST The Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, otherwise known as Brazils Landless Workers Movement, is the reaction or alternative response to mainstream development (Allen and Thomas, 2000). It was born out of relentless poverty and desperation, which came after years of waiting on an unresponsive and seemingly nonchalant government. The MST is a radical movement which, unlike many other advocacy and alternative development groups, believes in taking matters into its own hands, Development vigilantes, if you will. From the landless perspective, complacency from both sides is the major deterrent to change and reform. The leaders of the MST blame ignorance for the complaceny, a misinterpretation of Federal rights, claiming that it is a major obstacle to agrarian reform, along with Big Capital and Big Estate (Branford and Rocha, 2002). With this in mind the MST has set out to educate and empower the Landless citizens of Brazil, advocating people-centered, alternative development. This means rejecting the mainstream development notion of trusteeship in which others determine the requirements for the development of the nation and also the rejection of the large-scale industrialization which is believed to alienate the impoverished (Allen and Thomas, 2000). With what most people assume about Brazil, the complaints and cries of the MST may seem a little dramatic, but despite the claims that Brazil has undergone the largest agrarian reform in the World, Brazil actually has seen a reversal of the clock. This is the product of neoliberal macroeconomic policies mentioned earlier, which have crept in to Brazillian legislature, further facilitating the concentration of land and producing a rise in unemployment (Moyo and Yeros, 2005). As mentioned earlier rural poverty and booming industry have caused a boom in urbanization, due to the many who have moved to cities in hopes of finding relief from poverty. The result of this is that Brazils major cities are now overpopulated and unable to adequately sustain many of their citizens, and with the poor being at the bottom of the ladder, they recieve the brunt of social injustice and economic woe (Wright and Wolford, 2003). The heart of the MSTs argument is that offering more opportunity in rural areas would be incentive for the impoverished to leave the overpopulated metropolis and return to the more familiar, agrarian lifestyle, hitting two troublesome birds with one stone. So now the question becomes where too get the land to make these opportunities available, but again the MST has a provision for this. In 1988, the brazilian goverment adopted a new constituition, this constituition stipulated that all Brazillian land must serve a social function. Article 184 of the consituition further specified that the Brazilian government was required to expropriate for the purpose of agrarian reform, rural property that is not performing its social function. (www. mstbrazil. org/about-mst/). Recently, along with promises of redistribution the Brazilian government let out a report classifying 55,000 rural properties, which account for about 300,000 acres of Brazilian land, as unproductive (www. mstbrazil. org/about-mst/). Armed with this information and aided by legal workers, the MST has made it their purpose and duty to empower fellow citizens to take a hold of what consituitionally belongs to them. Occupations The MST is comprised of unsatisfied and anxious citizens, meaning that they are not willing to wait on lobbyist and politicians to make due on their promises, instead they take immediate action. This means less focus towards voting, lobbying legislature, making campaign contributions for those running for office and writing letters to public officials (Ondetti, 2008). Clearly, the more traditional ways of bringing about reform are not favoured in rural Brazil. Indeed, most seem to have lost confidence in the passive approach, and in light of the governments history of unfulfilled promises to the Landless poor, rightfully so. Instead, the MST focus more on radical, coercive methods of collective pressuring, such as, marches, demonstrations, sit-ins, road blockages and most commonly, land occupations (Ondetti, 2008). Land occupations, sometimes simply referred to as occupations, are the weapon of choice for the MST. In fact, since its conception the Landless movement has used occupations as a key move in petitioning the state to for unproductive land. By occupying unused land the MST make their presence and demands known to both the landowners and the government, which otherwise may have simply overlooked them. With their attention and the help of friendly lawyers and Article 184, the MST make their case to for the right to socially unproductive land (Wolford, 2010). Although occupations are the most common form of protest used by the MST, it is very tedious and not always successful, in many cases hundreds of families will be living on land for years, maybe nearing decades, only to receive an eviction notice from the government deeming the land productive. Despite the risk of wasting years for nothing, the MST continues to use occupations, indeed, the MST has never won a single acre of land without first carrying out an occupation (Branford and Rocha, 2002). In recent years, the MST has begun to focus not only on unproductive land that is not being farmed by the landowner, but also land that is being used to produce commercial crops as opposed to food for the local population. Yes, the target is slightly different, but the principle remains the same, under the Brazilian constitution lands used for cash crops are unproductive or at least underproductive as there are local citizens starving while, crops are being grown and sold to wealthy capitalist nations (Branford and Rocha, 2002). Agrarian Reform In a nutshell, the MSTs objective is top-down agrarian reform, the question is whether it is possible in the Brazilian context. The landlords of Brazil have, like the plantations they own, been around for generations taking advantage of the seemingly timeless relationship they have with the landless peasants of the area. But the agrarian reform being called for by the Landless movement of today would put an end to that relationship requiring a total restructure to allow a democratic access to land and an improvement to how wealth and land are being distributed (Moyo and Yeros, 2005). So it is no wonder that the call for agrarian reform is not exactly welcomed amongst the aristocrats of Brazil. Regardless, the feasibility and not the necessity is what is really at question, in regards with this whether it is possible the MST says â€Å"absolutely†. The argument is that redistributing the unused, excess land in particular, would make the land more productive and the citizens more efficient, boosting the economy. The MST is also clear on the fact that it not only demands land reform but also the policies that support it, such as credit and housing support (Ondetti, 2008). As far as the MST is concerned these policies go hand in hand with Agrarian reform and are mandatory for any hope of rural development. Is it working With a better understanding of who the MST are and what it is they are doing, now one can begin to tally up the results. As many good intentions as the MST may have for the country and even the world, its system is not perfect. A devastating example of this would be the horrendous living conditions of many of these occupation camps, indeed, much of the suffering in these camps is a direct resulting of unsanitary living conditions. Eye infections, typhoid and dysentery, particularly among children, plagues of fleas and lice and of course malnourishment, make occupations a very dangerous choice of lifestyle (Wright and Wolford, 2003). Along with sanitation there is also the constant harassment from hired gangs and police, which has been known to escalate leaving more MST-ers dead. An unfortunate fact is that, many, women and children in particular, die under the harsh conditions while waiting for a decision, this makes the decision to join the MST more difficult than it already is. The heavy cost of this movement has brought favour to landowners, this is due to the concern for human life and the call from the state to stop putting innocent lives on the line needlessly. Members of the state have been known to swing in favour of private capital in hopes of disenchanting members of the MST and putting down any future oiners. There are cases where, contrary to the hopes and petitions of the MST advocates, access to and control over land resources are being redefined and restructured in favour of private capital, as a direct result of the â€Å"dangers† of advocacy groups (Borras, Edelman, Kay, 2008). An added set-back to the goals of the MST is the neoliberal thought that looks at the whole thing as a failure, and strong reasoning as to why the state should stay out of economic affairs. Neoliberal economists consider the â€Å"failure† of state-led land appropriation to be the reason for unrest in the rural markets. But they go further, as always, to argue that were the state to step aside and allow the market to control who owns what, as opposed to the state reallocating land resources, which is the hope of the MST (Borras, 2008). Of course, there is truth in the first statement it is the states mismanagement of land appropriation that is part of the agrarian problem, but less state intervention is not the answer, it would simply reverse any growth. With that being said, the achievements of the MST cannot be overshadowed, it has proven to be a reliable and in recent years essential part of rural society. Among other things the MST has raised the literacy rates almost everywhere it has gone. Solely thanks to the MST approximately 150 thousand children have attended elementary and secondary schools, and many of the teachers who taught at these schools were trained and government certified by the MST itself (Wright and Wolford, 2003). The MST has reached a generation that would otherwise have been overlooked by the government, and now these children learn everything from how to right to social rights. The recent rise in the new peasant movements [in Brazil] has achieved a level of reach and influence that can no longer be ignored even by mainstream development and financial institutions, which have intensified their attempts to capture and co-opt, collaborate with or undermine [these groups] (Borras et al. , 2008). The opposition is definitely growing against the MST but it is only due to the unquestionable level of success that it has had, with scrutiny there can be no question that what the MST is doing, is working. Can it be duplicated With poverty being a global issue, the world needs to know if the success of the Brazilian Landless workers can be recreated elsewhere. Already there are militant rural movements popping up all over the globe, from Mexico all the ay to Zimbabwe (Moyo and Yeros, 2005). Some nation s are seeing a more organized effort, South Africa and the Philippines being the prime example, with the formation of LPM and KMP, respectively (Borras, 2008). Of course many of these movements began due to internal factors, and yet â€Å"people around the have been inspired by the Brazilian landless movement and have studied its example [concerning social and even environmental problems] (Wright and Wolford). In Conclusion It is the radical approach of the MST that has gotten it where it is today as it is considered by many observers to be the most important social movement in Latin America today (Wright and Wolford, 2003). A trendsetter and trailblazer in its own respect, and in an arena that has seen centuries of inequality and injustice, where the cords of colonialism seem to be in an knot that cant be untied. The MST has earned the recognition of the globe for attempting the impossible and trying to overthrow the mainstream approach towards development, cutting the knot instead of wrestling to untie it, and placing in new laces. Again this is revolutionary simply because of the environment that it is being done in. Fernando Leiva writes, â€Å"Latin American policies on poverty are tricky because they must be designed without being perceived as a threat to the profit rate of domestic conglomerates and transnational capital; they cannot restrict capital mobility, flexible labour markets, or upset stable expectations for investors† (2008). It is against this mighty agenda that the MST fights and yet the MST has proven itself mighty in its own respect, with its ambitious, almost ridiculous demands. But the neoliberal capitalists need for stability and predictability, has been and must continue to be overpowered by the waves of change, if there should be any hope of a poverty free Brazil. As one MST advocate was quoted to have said, â€Å"there can be no progress as long as the demands are being deemed acceptable according to the standards of the establishment† (Branford and Rocha, 2002).