What You Dont Know About Sat Essay Writing Test Samples

What You Don't Know About Sat Essay Writing Test Samples The Benefits of Sat Essay Writing Test Samples What's more, you should connect each paragraph to one another through effective transitions. Whenever you begin, take note of the time and provide yourself benchmarks and limits. The conclusion is weak, and there's too little creative approachthis is a little predictable. The details in the 2nd and 3rd body paragraphs are less excellent as in the very first, but they're indicated. Evidently, if you can't write this up to the necessary standard, you should seek out qualified aid. Ensure you allocate appropriate amounts of time for each one of the actions you will need to take to compose the essay 50 minutes may look like a lengthy time, but it goes by awfully quick with all the situations you have to do. They're educated and friendly persons who will gladly assist you in any matter linked to using our expert services. By the minute you are taking the test, you'll be bett er than another student who didn't take time to examine samples. As with the remainder of the test, preparation is the secret to performing well. It doesn't make a difference to us, whether you're too busy on the job concentrating on a passion undertaking, or simply tired of a seemingly infinite stream of assignments. No longer will you need to argue a point utilizing contrived examples from either history or your own personal life. In real life, there are lots of techniques to support a thesis, based on the subject. What Sat Essay Writing Test Samples Is - and What it Is Not It's possible to write your essay and submit it to us so we'll proofread it and inform you if any errors occur. There's always something to hold up your essay case. Whether you need to generate a paper of special flawlessness, just purchase an essay here and our writers will provide help. Just like any essay, it's crucial not to ramble and adhere to the vital points. You're given 50 minutes to finish the essay. Introducing Sat Essay Writing Test Samples You're convincing your reader or audience your point of view is easily the most correct and valid one. Apparently, you don't wish to babble, but I mean write about just 1 subject at one time. Frequently the question is going to be a yes or no kind of answer permitting you to compose a very simple essay in a limited quantity of time. Make certain you are answering the true question and not going off-course. Rumors, Lies and Sat Essay Writing Test Samples There are many suggestions that can help in the writing of a good SAT test essays. Taking sample questions is a superb approach to get ready for your SAT exam. One of the greatest tips for writing SAT essay answers is to showcase your v ocabulary. The free SAT Writing practice test is specially designed to make certain that the test-taker is knowledgeable about the SAT and has the ability to understand what things to expect when now is the time to take the Writing part of the SAT. To the dismay of several students, the most up-to-date SAT exam contains an essay section. The SAT Essay is quite a brief assignment. The SAT Writing and Language Test asks you to be an editor and improve passages which were written particularly for the testand which include deliberate errors. Everybody wants to understand how to find the highest SAT score possible. The introduction paragraph introduces the reader to what you will be speaking about and enables you to prepare the structure for the remaining portion of the essay. When you are prepared to compose your very first practice essay, be certain you comprehend the passage and the basis of the author's argument not only the topic and your position on it. You are able to write your topic and we'll teach you which arguments and examples you'll be able to choose and to what you need to pay attention whilst writing essays of a specific type. Vivid language can help you put readers in your shoes to draw all of them into passa ges, but you need to use it in moderation to produce your essay subject more interesting or engaging. The Sat Essay Writing Test Samples Game You'll ideally need to compose two or three practice essays before you sit for the actual thing. Once you get your scores, utilize the Noodle college search to find out what schools fall in your range. Reflecting this change, students might have to do far more reading before they start to write. This enables students to prepare smarter, to concentrate on the areas they will need to, and to track their progress with time. The War Against Sat Essay Writing Test Samples Writing, on the flip side, is quite different. Graders just have a couple of minutes to read through your essay so that you have to do anything it requires to grab their attention. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about a coming deadline.

Comparing The And The Odyssey - 998 Words

2. The Illiad and the Odyssey were so important to the Greeks because they were great works of literature and contained information of past events’, much like a bible or history book. It shaped their culture and what it meant to be a human being. The events of the Illiad and the Odyssey have been reflected in plays in ancient Greece and in the attitudes of many Greeks on what it meant to be a hero at that time. 3. The city-states of Ancient Greece were organized like tiny independent countries. One man, and a council of aristocrats ruled each state. Citizens were encouraged to develop their person by attending the gym, theater, and the agora. Most inhabitants were none-citizens such as women, slaves, and foreigners. The main†¦show more content†¦Even though this was viewed as a democracy, it wasn’t a true democracy because it left out 80% of the population, with their opinions and ideas left unheard. 5. The three main Greek philosophers were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Socrates is remembered for how he taught than what he taught. He liked to appear ignorant by asking lots of questions and helped expand the minds of others. He pointed out faults in people’s thoughts and understanding of life and society. Plato was one of Socrates students and adopted his philosophy and style of debate. The teachings of Plato have influenced the religious beliefs of many and wrote a number of dialogues discussing every kind of philosophical idea. He believed in the pre-existence and immortality of the soul, holding that life is nothing more than the imprisonment of the soul in a body. Aristotle was Plato’s best students and went to become one of the highest paid philosophers in history. He disputed Plato s ideas and said there was no proof, and then created a philosophy based on the earth, rather than on the heavens. Some of his key ideas were that happiness is the goal of life. 6. The classical era shaped many remarkable cultural achievements for Ancient Greece. Athens introduced to the world a direct democracy. In the Persian War, Athens was able to rebuild their empire after Persia had burned their temples and buildings. During the classical period painters and sculptors paid close attention to accurately

Was Lord Capulet a Good Father free essay sample

In contrast to today’s modern world, a good father is one who not only cares, provides and loves but also prepares to make sure their children learn right from wrong in order for them to go out into the world and make their own decisions. You may be quick to judge that Lord Capulet was just as old fashioned as all of Shakespeare’s characters. However what if he could have been a little bit of both? Clearly Lord Capulet loved his daughter very much and even though he didn’t understand her love for Romeo Montague and took matters into his own hands, would that necessarily make him a bad father? Quite the contrary as a matter of fact. Capulet loves his daughter very much, you can tell through the way he speaks about her to Paris in Act 2 Scene 2. When Juliet tells her father that she does not wish to marry Paris, Lord Capulet becomes very hesistant and follows Juliet’s request for the time being only because he knew putting the pressures of forced commitment on his daughter wouldn’t make her happy and also he probably didn’t think Juliet was quite ready. We will write a custom essay sample on Was Lord Capulet a Good Father? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Yes Juliet would have benefitted from marrying someone like Paris, he fit just within her family’s lifestyle, he was a relative to the prince and together they would be wealthy and Juliet would be protected for the rest of her life thanks to Lord Capulet and Paris. However with Juliet voicing her opinions very strongly about her feelings upon marrying Paris, it seemed as if Capulet thought Juliet was in the right mind set and trusted that Juliet’s decision was for the best. That trust is immediately taken back once Capulet discovers that Juliet has fallen inlove with Romeo Montague, the son of his enemy. In result of Juliet’s disloyalty to the Capulet’s he decides to take matters into his own hands and insists that Juliet and Paris get married. Clearly he’s under the impression that Juliet at this point is nothing but a disloyal trouble maker and Capulet believes that he knows better than his own daughter and maybe his decisions instead of her own will lead Juliet in the right direction. Parent’s today would call this damage control, when you see your child taking a fall into the deep end, if you love for that person and care for that person deeply then it is human nature that you will do anything in your power to save them. Capulet uses this tool by threatning Juliet with disinheritence if she chooses to disobey him, which in his eyes would maybe have Juliet reasses her current situation and look at everything she was putting as stake for Romeo and start looking at the big picture. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Juliet’s rebellion seemed almost shocking to Lord Capulet. For the first time in his life he saw his daughter as the enemy now. After everything he had done for Juliet by protecting, providing, loving and showing affection to her, this is how she returned the favor. Juliet’s actions were nothing to be proud of and the Lord felt if she were a true Capulet she would have put her family above all else instead of somone who she had just met. There is no worse feeling than when a loved one turns on another family member, nonetheless a child who had been taught right from wrong. The only thing Lord Capulet could be at fault for is not realizing Juliet is young and when you are taught what to do and what not to do the other side looks more entertaining and Juliet’s heart tended to steer towards what Capulet would call a downward path. Lord Capulet is the head of the household and the father of Juliet. He is very strict and wants total control of his daughter and expects her to obey him. However does that make him a bad father? Not necessarily, Lord Capulet being who he is creates the fatherly characteristics of protecting, providing, and making sure your children can grow up to make their own decisions, the only difference bewteen modern day and the days of Shakespeare is that if you watch your children fall into a path of making multiple mistakes, as a parent sometimes you have to step in invited or not to pick up the pieces.

Mountains Essays - Plate Tectonics, Volcanology, Igneous Petrology

Mountains I. INTRODUCTION A mountain is an elevated land mass usually higher than its surroundings. Some are isolated, but they usually appear in ranges(MsBs95W32). "A group of ranges closely related in form, origin, and alignment is a mountain system; an elongated group of systems is a chain; and a complex of ranges, systems, and chains continental in extent is a cordillera, zone, or belt."(MsBs95W32). Some mountains are remains of plateaus, mesas, and buttes, through erosion(Summerfield). Others are cones of volcanoes formed with igneous rock. Fault-block mountains occur where blocks of the earth's surface are raised relative to other neighboring blocks. Most of the great mountains are either fold mountains or complex structures formed by many different natural activities. The ultimate cause of mountain building is only theoretical and abstract. Although, the plate tectonics is the first reasonable theory, stating that the crust of the earth breaks into several parts that eventually collide with another. Where they collide, stresses cause deformation and uplift of the land, which forms folded and/or faulted mountain chains. The highest point on earth, Mt. Everest, is also believed to have been formed by folding when the Australian-Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate. II.TABLE OF CONTENTS IINTRODUCTION IITABLE OF CONTENTS III.TYPES OF MOUNTAINS 1. VOLCANOES 2. FOLDING & FAULTING 3. RESIDUAL MOUNTAINS IV.VOLCANO FORMATION 1. TYPES & NOMENCLATURE 2. PROCESS 3. EXAMPLE V.FOLDING AND FAULTING 1. PROCESS 2. EXAMPLE VI.PLATEAUS TO MOUNTAINS 1. TYPE 2. EXAMPLE VII.CONCLUSION VIII.BIBLIOGRAPHY III.TYPES OF MOUNTAINS M ountains can be created in many different ways. Two very well-known and quite common ones are volcanic mountains and folded mountains. Other important ones include residual mountain formation in which a plateau is eroded away into a mountain. 1. Volcanoes Volcanoes are formed when the magma reserves underground erupts. Also There are many different types of eruptions that the Geologists have classified into, according to their location, style, and other features. These variations contribute to the different and distinct shapes of each volcanoes. 2. Folding & Faulting According to the Microsoft Office Bookshelf 1995, the earth is changing its shape constantly every year by a few centimeters. This caused the earth to move from one huge continent called Pangea to what it looks like now in almost 200 million years(30 Boehm). When the giant pieces of landmasses move around, they tend to bump into each other some day. When they collide, they create a fold, and if the fold gets too much pressure, it breaks and becomes a fault. Fold and Fault mountains are ubiquitous throughout the world. 3. Residual Mountains Due to the weathering, parts of the world change frequently, but slowly. This can also happen to a plateau. If a small plateau's edges are washed away by rain and wind, it forms a new mountain-like structure, which we call residual mountain, meaning that it became a mountain from the remainders of many erosions. VI.VOLCANO FORMATION V olcanoes are one of the "fastest of all the processes making the Earth's relief features"(quoted from 2 Scarth). While some eruptions are quick and powerful, others can be very slow and continue for over hundreds of thousands of years.(2 Scarth). Two thirds of the volcanoes can be found in the Pacific ring of fire(14 Scarth). Most others are usually submerged undersea, or makes up an island with cooled igneous rocks; Hawaii rises 9000m above the sea floor. Magma, which is what igneous rocks were to begin with, is formed from molten parts of asthenosphere(150-650km under ground) which is a part of the upper mantle(60-650km u.g.)(p20-21 Scarth). A. Types & Nomenclature The volcanoes are classified by its eruptive style and by the type of magma it ejects(32 Scarth). There is almost an infinite number of kinds of volcanoes possible, but most geologists divide them into four main groups: Hawaiian, Vulcanian, Strombolian, and Pelean(33 Scarth). These names all come from famous volcanoes around the world, but not all other volcanoes always exactly fit in to one group, and there are other minor groups such as Flood basalt, Surtseyan, Plinian, Debris-avalanche(34 Scarth). Here is a table about some volcanoes and their features. B. Process Every volcano has a different style just as they have different names. They sometimes look similar, but most of the times, they are very distinct from the other. The usual process volcanoes go through are, although, quite similar. The lower part of the upper mantle and the transition zone between the two mantles, called

Critiques of Democracy

Critiques of Democracy Democracy as a structure of administration rests on measures and rules by which the general public can employ meaningful influence on the form of public policy. At one fell swoop, democracy is a policy selection and depends very much on the use of public authority. Various scholars have had diverse outlooks on the subject of democracy. This paper shall discuss the views of Rohr and Rosenbloom on democracy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critiques of Democracy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Function in Public Administration Rohr (1982) justifies an activist public government. He offers a more multifaceted vision for the function of the proprietor. He grounds his ideas on the discussions of the past generations and considers both the Anti-Federalist and the Federalist points of view in depth. In his outlook, public administration would act to link what the division of powers values keep at a distance. Rohr (1982) mo ves to correct the trouble of governmental authority According to Rohr (1982), the civil service must accomplish the tasks the Founders intended initially for the Senate. His prescription is for public administration to uphold principled autonomy as of the three distinct branches of government. He also argues that public administration must be the tool of the Constitution. Rather than responding to democratically chosen officials he prefers specialized, statesman like administrators who reflect on delivering their actions to the master of their individual selection. Their selection would rely on which branch required the strength to uphold the correct Constitutional stability and attain the tops of the Constitution’s preamble. Rohr (1982) accepts that public administration must stay subsidiary to all three branches. Nevertheless, in a specified instance and for specified matters, a Constitutional master would be selected by the senior civil servants. He recommends public admi nistrators to believe in Constitutional stipulations and not to pursue the stumpy art of directorial survival. According to Rohr (1982), the constitution is the steward of the citizens but not the president or his officials. Responsibilities to Societal Ethics The might administrative state is supposed to be accountable for societal ethics (Rohr, 2007; Rosenbloom et al., 2009).Civic virtue, as experienced by public workforce in the efficient execution of public law, would arbitrate the determination of a sole, prevailing executive (Rosenbloom et al., 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The outcome, according to Rosenbloom et al (2009) would be regime workers, governed by a constitution, educating people on the right conduct of citizenship. Tools of Collective Action Rohr (1982) argues that the presence of a legislative body in public administration must be encour aged and impartial ability be rejected. He also stresses the significance of a constitutional guard of entity rights. Rohr (1982) disapproves the New Deal’s increase of presidential authority. At the same time, he believes that legal decisions during that period additionally malformed the founding fathers’ intent. Rohr (1982) argues that the team, which incorporated public administration professionals, Merriam, Brownlow and Gulick, tried to exert the equivalent of a fresh Constitutional Convention. The dominance of the executive branch made it possible for the presidents to increase the authority of their office to consolidate planning, human resources and financial administration, using the financial plan to manage general policy. This has resulted to a marring of the founders’ objective. Rohr (1982) holds the view that the Framers essentially planned for the president to act as the head of Congress. Their trepidation of a legislative eddy absorbing the additio nal two branches directed them to create the two houses. He also argues that the extension of the administrative control of the regime by the Executive Branch and the Brownlow Committee are in conflict with Constitutional blueprint. This explicates the transformation in American political outlooks between 1787 and 1937 which have destabilized governmental authority (Rohr, 1982). Societal Learning as a Way to the Prospect According to Rohr (2007) public administrators would be in a high position for guiding humanity in determining how to resolve conflicts over ethics, if not to make those choices based on a cautious understanding of the Constitution. According to Rohr (2007), humanity would rely on the professionalism, sovereign judgment, self-discipline and ethical character of the civil service.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critiques of Democracy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He visualizes the constitution as making a society of political order. Through regimented communication, humanity can realize, refurbish, become accustomed to, and apply the basic principles beneath public order. In conclusion, this paper provides plentiful insights regarding public administration in a democracy, which can be useful in studying prospect public administration. Rohr (2007) offers a formula for examining prospect public administration matters. Public administrators who have specialized capability and can build up a sense of what is constitutionally right, must learn policy issues. He suggests that public administrators ought to be constitutionalists who scrutinize argument over law, history over the current and insight over advocacy. By use of this examination public officials will build up logic of decorum, function on a principled basis, and recognize when to curve and when to grasp. Whether civic officials can center on didactic civic function instead of the necessities and errands to their specifi c agencies continues to be seen. Furthermore, to pursue Rohr’s lead and extend a public debate on Constitutional matters concerning popular sovereignty and personal rights will need major educational plans (Rohr, 2007). References Rohr, J. A. (1982). The Constitution in public administration: a report on education. The American Review of Public Administration, 16(4), 429–431. Rohr, J. A. (2007). Ethics and comparative administration. Public Integrity, 10 (1), 65–74. Rosenbloom, D. H., Kravchuk, R. S., Clerkin, R. M. (2009). Accountability and ethics. in public administration: understanding management, politics, and law in the public sector. 7th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

The SF Writers Grotto Collective †Interviewing Julia Scheeres

The SF Writers Grotto Collective - Interviewing Julia Scheeres The San Francisco Writers' Grotto - An Interview with Julia Scheeres Last updated: 07/31/2017In the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring different subjects around the writing craft on the Reedsy blog, giving a place for our exceptional editors’ experience and knowledge to be shared with writers. Today, we want to delve deeper into the subjects of creativity and craft, and interview Julia Scheeres. On top of being a bestselling author and a Reedsy editor, she teaches writing at a fantastic storytellers’ collective in San Francisco.This collective, The Grotto, is actually what we focus on most during our chat. Its founding story is an inspiring one. But we also discuss the narrative non-fiction genre (and in particular memoir), approaching agents, and the benefits of traditional publishing. We hope you enjoy the interview! As usual, the transcript is provided below. I’m really pleased to welcome Julia Scheeres to the Reedsy podcast. So, Julia, you’re an NYT bestselling memoir author, as well as an editor on Reedsy and a teacher at the San Francisco Grotto. Why don’t you give us a bit of background on that?Sure! My first book is a memoir called Jesus Land, that was published in 2005 by a very small independent publisher here in the US. And for whatever reason, it became an NYT bestseller and also a London Times bestseller. My second book, published in 2012, was about the Jonestown massacre. So they’re both narrative non-fiction. The first one is of course very personal because it’s a memoir - it’s my story - and the other one is more a work of literary journalism.And you’re also an editor specializing in narrative non-fiction, right?That’s right. I teach memoir and narrative non-fiction, locally here in San Francisco at the writers’ collective I belong to. I also teach through Stanf ord University and I’ve been a visiting writer at different other universities, but I also work with private clients, more and more.Sometimes someone will give me their entire manuscript, and I will do an entire in-depth structural edit; and other times I work as a writing coach, helping the writer develop the story that they’re trying to tell,   and meet with them on a regular basis to go over the work.So tell us a bit about this writing collective that you belong to: The SF Writers Grotto. How did it get started?I joined the Grotto in 2004 when I was writing my first book. It’s a collective of writers that was started by 3 friends, who were kind of lonely writing alone in their apartments, and decided to start a â€Å"collective†. So they rented an apartment in San Francisco, and they worked there together, and had a lot of fun - they were young and unmarried at the time. They would go out for drinks after work - it was kind of a little boys club!Bu t today, after many iterations - we just celebrated our 20th anniversary  - , we’re a collective of over 100 people, who are either members (who have an office at The SF Writers' Grotto), or freelance there, or are fellows. And it’s just a great space! It’s a great space to be with other writers and network. I have my little office there that I share with a fiction writer and it’s wonderful to have a place that you can go into where there’s no messy house, no dishes piled up, no baby clothes strewn about; it’s just purely professional writing. And we all eat lunch together and talk about writing, about agents, we run pitch ideas by each other: it’s a fantastically supportive environment.Yes, I can definitely relate to that. It’s a bit like us startups and our co-working spaces, where we get to work alongside other startups and founders and exchange introductions, talk about our challenges, etc. So when I came across the Grot to, I thought â€Å"that’s a fantastic initiative for writers†! Do you find that being alongside other creative people (not necessarily all authors) also fosters creativity?We’re all writers, or rather storytellers of some sort at The San Francisco Writers' Grotto. And â€Å"telling stories† is what really matters in the end, so often at lunch we’ll discuss the best way to approach a story, possible sources for a story, and more creative points like that. It’s a very rewarding and kind of high-minded place to belong to because these people are obsessed with telling great stories just as much as I am.And the networking is amazing as well. I can write an essay or an op-ed piece and I’ll send out an email to the mailing list: â€Å"who’s got a contact at the NYT op-ed pages?† and I’ll usually get an introduction. It’s that type of thing, personal introductions to career-changing contacts.Now, since the Writers ’ Grotto began in 1994 it’s grown up a lot, where do you see the working space going in the next few years?Right now, it’s a little precarious for us in San Francisco, because where we are, in the south of Market District, there’s a lot of startups and technology companies. So our rent keeps going up, it went up by a third last year.So we’re trying to find ways to support ourselves, and to support the fiction writers, who maybe don’t make as much as, say, the magazine writers or the big name writers. So one way that we help support each other is that we offer classes through The Grotto. All classes are taught by working writers who specialize in the area that they’re teaching, who are actually published in the area that they’re teaching.So yes, we’re currently feeling the squeeze of being creative types in a city like San Francisco that’s going through a huge metamorphosis right now. But we’re going to make it work, we’re really determined, because it’s too good a community to let it die.Now let’s talk a little bit about what you teach: memoir and narrative non-fiction. We recently had a blog post on our blog by one of our editors about memoirs, and how it is a very competitive genre where it is hard for first-time authors with a small following to rise. Would you agree with that?No. I think that in the United States it’s easier to be published in memoir. Publishers love memoir because there is a true story behind it. You are a product that they can then get on television or radio interviews: there’s something there, it’s not just made up. That is the appeal of memoir. Of course, it is a crowded market and it’s not easy to get published but if you have an amazing story to tell, or if you are a born storyteller with something insightful to say in memoir, by all means, that would be the route to getting published. It’d be much easi er than fictionalizing your first story into a novel.That makes sense. And it’s the difference of opinions I love to see among professional editors, because, of course, if you specialize in fiction you’re going to think differently and see the market differently from someone who specializes in memoir. Now my last question would be about self-publishing: is it a path you recommend to the memoir authors you work with?I would always try a traditional publisher first. I still see self-publishing as a little bit of a second-class vehicle, because you don’t have the support of a traditional publisher, you don’t have the marketing department, the contacts, the distribution channels, etc.In the US there’s all kinds of independent publishers - not vanity publishers or self-publishing companies - which are great! They do a fantastic job editing and packaging your book. I also tell my students and clients to make sure they’re getting some kind of fee dback. You don’t just write your book and submit it, you first need to get feedback from beta readers and from a professional.That’s an excellent point. A lot of the requests that we receive are from authors looking to go the traditional route, but wanting to strengthen their manuscript before querying agents. Do you think that makes sense?Of course. I mean, you want to submit your best book to an agent, otherwise they’ll turn you down. You really want someone who can critique you and give you constructive criticism. This is what I do with my clients: I read through the manuscript and I see what the narrative arc is, what the character arc is. If it’s memoir, I look at what the larger theme is, and how to best start the book. The first 10 pages I usually spend a lot of time working on, because they’re crucial on grabbing a reader’s attention.Thank you so much for this advice, Julia, and for the presentation of The Grotto!Have you tried writi ng in a writers' collective space? What do you think about the SF Grotto? Let us know your thoughts, or any questions for Julia, in the comments below!

Woolworths Ltd Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Woolworths Ltd - Assignment Example The aim of the company is to grow its business by increasing its leadership in the area of food and liquor, maximize shareholder value, continue its record of building new businesses, while putting in place enabling factors in order to facilitate a new growth era (Woolworths Ltd 2013b). During the year ended June 30, 2013 the company expanded its operations through the addition of 32 hotels, 22 home improvement stores, 25 supermarkets in Australia and 6 in New Zealand (including a franchise), 14 petrol outlets, 15 Dan Murphy’s, 14 BWS and 6 BIG W (Woolworth Ltd 2013a). The company’s main competitor is Coles- a supermarket chain operated by Wesfarmers Ltd. Analysis of Financial Performance According to BPP (2009) return on capital employed (ROCE) is considered to be one of the most important ratios and so it is not possible to assess profitability without relating it to assets employed. Woolworths’ ROCE was unstable for the most part, declining from 25.58% in 2011 to 22.59 in 2012 and then increasing to 23.75% in 2013 (See Appendix 1 for calculations). A return of over 20% is considered good when compared to current interest rates. When compared with Wesfarmers Ltd ROCE is also better. In fact, Wesfarmers’ ROCE indicates instability, increasing from 10.07% in 2011 to 11.24% in 2012 and then declining to 10.92% in 2013 (See Appendix 1 for calculations). ... Growth in Wesfarmers’ revenues were also much higher than Woolworths’ but similar declines over the period were evident. See Appendix 1 for details. Woolworths’ profit margin/earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margin for the years 2013, 2012 and 2011 were 6.24, 6.11 and 6.05 respectively (See Woolworths Ltd Financial Summary on page 8 - Appendix 2). This indicates that Woolworths’ EBIT margin improved over the period. Woolworths’ EBIT margin compares favourably with Wesfarmers which increased from 5.88 in 2011 to 6.11 in 2012 but remained fairly stable in 2013 at 6.11 (See Appendix 1 for calculations). Earnings per share (EPS) - the earnings attributable to each share issued is found by dividing EBIT by the weighted average of the number of shares in issue. Woolworths’ EPS declined from $1.74 in 2011 to $1.48 in 2012 before increasing to $1.82 in 2013 (See Woolworths’ Income Statements for 2013 and 2012 on pages 11 and 15 - Append ix 2). The comparative EPS for Wesfarmers Limited shows EPS of $1.96 in 2013, $1.84 in 2012 and $1.66 in 2011 (See Wesfarmers’ Income Statements for 2013 and 2012 on pages 20 and 24 – Appendix 3). These figures indicate instability in Woolworths’ EPS and improvement in that for Wesfarmers’. Additionally, Wesfarmers EPS was higher for all three years. Analysis of Financial Position Statement An analysis of Woolworths’ financial position at year end 2011, 2012 and 2013 indicates that the group’s current ratio ranged between 0.79:1 and 0.91:1 over the period. (See Appendix 1 for details). While the ratio is improving, it suggests that the company is experiencing liquidity problems and may not be able to pay its debts as they fall due. The situation for Wesfarmers is a little better

21st-century Organizations Face Different Challenges From Those of The Essay

21st-century Organizations Face Different Challenges From Those of The Past - Essay Example Environmental catastrophism is a result of changes in climate. Weather patterns keep changing and sea level keeps rising whenever there are changes in climate. It is estimated that gradual changes in weather could cause 40% of world population to fall into the risk of falling victims of limited natural resources like water, pasture, energy and cultivatable land (Easterling et al, 2000, p. 2070). The poor and the less influential people will have little or no control over resources thus likely to suffer due to lack. To be able to establish their position in the society, there is a high likelihood of eruptions of violence as more people fight for a share of the limited resources. To resolve the conflicts, governments will need to have negotiation traits if peaceful coexistence will be achieved once again. South America has already started facing the negative impact of globalization and climate change since there has been an increased threat to livelihoods of the poor. For instance, during the 2008 global recession, there was a significant increase in the use of food items in exchange for crude oils (Nazlioglu & Soytas, 2011, p. 490). That together with other global related issues led poor people in the south to suffer since most households could not afford the basics like food due to the high prices at the time. The blame was placed on the Northern governments who had failed to invest in alternative drivers of the economy like agriculture. This led to malnutrition among the poor hence causing a critical humanitarian crisis at least for the next few years. It is estimated that there are more than expected countries that have been exposed to political and economic conflicts that end up affecting accessibility to basic resources (Iqbal, 2006, p. 641). Developed countries have also imposed wars aimed at victimizing the poor countries hence leading to more devastation that influences the quality of life in poor countries.  

The United States political system compared to The United Kingdom Essay Example for Free

The United States political system compared to The United Kingdom Essay The US and the United Kingdom are alike, although not as evidently, in many ways, and this likeness has contributed to their present relationship. History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The History of the United Kingdom is characterized by significant changes with each ruling Monarchy. In 1066, William, the Duke of Normandy was able to displace Harold II, the Saxon King (Emsworth 1-59). From then on, English History became filled with intrigues, and power struggles between members of the Monarchy. There was a time when no one was considered more powerful than the members of the Royal Line. It was during the reign of Henry III in the 13th century when the concept of the â€Å"Parliament† was created, when Simon de Montfort challenged the monarch (Emsworth 7). From then on, the branch evolved in power from what used very limited to the legislative and political whims of the monarchy at first, to its intermittent dissolutions and recalls during the reign of Charles I and Charles II, its survival of the battle between Catholicism and Protestantism, its increased influence in 1644, to to what it is today, a representative of the Sovereign (Emsworth 1-59). It was under the reign of George I when first â€Å"Prime Minister† was appointed (Emsworth 20). Although there were attempts to minimize the influence of this figure, it has continued to grow in power, together with the parliament. William IV was the last monarch who appointed a Prime Minister without the confidence of the Parliament and since then, the parliament had survived many changes in system and its influence in the government (Emsworth 1-59). The constitution of the United Kingdom, up to this day however, remains â€Å"unwritten†. Demographics   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were approximately 60.2 million people in the United Kingdom in mid-2005. The majority of the population, about 84% lived in England. There was an increase in the average age of the people from 34.1 years to 38.8 years. 1/5 of the nation’s population are below 16 and 1/6 are above 65. The ratio of males against females is almost equal. By mid-2005, the growth rate had increased from 0.3% to 0.6%. It is said that the population growth of the United Kingdom had been a result of natural change because there had been more births than death every year since 1901. However, this had changed because during the late 1990s, there had been an evident increase in the international migration which is a very significant factor that contributes to the increase in population (â€Å"Population Estimates: UK Population Grows to More than 60m.†). Executive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Article II of the US Constitution states that the Executive power is held by the President of the United States who holds Office at a four-year term, together with the Vice President who is likewise elected at the same term. Whereas the US is Presidential in its system of government, the powers in the United Kingdom is dictated by the provisions of the Westminster System. As with any other country under the system, the executive power of the United Kingdom is theoretically held by the ceremonial figurehead or the monarch. At this time, the monarch in the United Kingdom is Queen Elizabeth II (â€Å"Politics of the United Kingdom†). But essentially, executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister as the head of the Government, the Cabinet and the Junior Ministers. Although theoretically, the powers of the executive are with Queen Elizabeth II, it is actually the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Junior Ministers who exercise this power, but under the ceremonial authority of the Monarch (â€Å"Politics of the United Kingdom†). The term of the Prime Minister is limited to a maximum of five years, but such length could still be shortened or â€Å"dissolved† by the Sovereign or the monarch. This could be done only upon the Prime Minister’s request. Some cases such as the passage of Motion of No Confidence by the House of Commons or its rejection of a significant Government Agenda could also compel the resignation of the Prime Minister or the Dissolution of the Parliament (â€Å"Politics of the United Kingdom†). The term of the US Executive can also be shortened, that is, in cases when a President becomes disabled, dead or resigned (â€Å"The Constitution of the United States†). The term can also be shortened by impeachment. The twenty-fifth Amendment of the US Constitution says that he/she should be succeeded in Office by the Vice President if such cases would happen. After the Vice President, the line of succession includes the Speaker of the House of Representatives, President pro tempore and the Cabinet members. A Vice President can be replaced in case of disability, death or resignation by the appointment of the President of the United States. In case the Office of the Prime Minister becomes vacant, it is the Monarch who is responsible for the appointment, based on the Constitutional conventions. In such a case, the Monarch is expected to appoint an individual who is supported by the House of Commons (Emsworth 27). It is expected that the Prime Minister as head of the government could control the majority of members of House of Commons. This must be so as to ensure that there is no significant opposition against them because support must be made by the Cabinet regarding policies (Emsworth 27). As it is in any country under the Parliamentary form of government, there is an overlap between branches of the government, in this case, the executive and the legislative. Section 2 of Article 2 of the US Constitution explains the powers vested on the President of the United States. Based on this, the President has the power to command the Military of the whole of United States for the service of the country. In the United Kingdom, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is the Monarch. As it is, the British Armed Forces swear allegiance to the Sovereign Monarch only. But, it is the Prime Minister who holds the decision over the deployment of the British forces. In addition, the Prime Minister has the power to authorize Britain’s use of nuclear weapons. However, because in the UK political system, the power of the executive is dependent on the Parliament, even with such powers, the Prime Minister’s status is dependent on the general confidence of the Houses. As said earlier, it is expected that the Prime Minister could control majority of the House members (â€Å"Politics in the United Kingdom†). The President of the United States also has the power to create treaties, appoint ambassadors, ministers, consuls, judges and officers but only with the consent of the two-thirds of the senate. Still, the Congress may allow the President, the Courts of Law and the Head of the Departments to appoint inferior Officers (â€Å"The Constitution of the United States, Article II). In the United Kingdom, the members of the cabinet, as part of the executive, are considered responsible in the positive and negative implications of the government policies. As with the convention, all decisions of the cabinet must be a consensus and in cases of supposed inadequacy, the Prime Minister has the power to control the government by appointing and dismissing ministers on such grounds (Emsworth 40-41). The Ministers act as leaders of the different Government Departments which are usually composed of the Members of the Parliament or â€Å"peers† in the House of Lords (Emsworth 40). The US President would be responsible for providing the Congress information about the State of the Union, receiving of Ambassadors and Ministers, the execution of law and the commission of officers. This is based on Article II of the US Constitution. The counterpart of the State of the Union in the United Kingdom is the Westminister System’s annual Speech From the Throne. Here, the Head of the State, the Monarch addresses the parliament about the possible policies that are to be expected in the next year (â€Å"Politics in the United Kingdom†). Other than these, there is no written constitution to limit to the power of the executive or the Prime Minister as long as he/she holds the confidence of the legislature. Legislative Since the United Kingdom also has a parliamentary system of government, its executive is also founded on its legislature. In other words, the executive is fused with the legislature. There is no limitation in the government powers because there is no written constitution in the United Kingdom. In addition, there is no written document that formally separates the powers of the executive and legislative branches. The government of the United Kingdom has no limitation on its power in the legislature as long as it holds confidence. It is Parliament vote that is necessary to break the government power over the legislature. Just recently, Tony Blair, the current Prime Minister was defeated on a proposal involving the extension of the detainment of some terrorist suspects (â€Å"Politics of the United Kingdom†). On the other hand, the United States has a Constitution that clearly defines the separation of each government branch, that is, the Executive and the Legislative branches hold separate, equal powers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Article I of the US Constitution states the powers and responsibilities of the Legislature. The US Legislative Powers is held by the Congress which consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives, with the former having the power to approve treaties and nominations by the President, and the latter having the power to originate revenue bills.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Similarly, the British Parliament is bicameral, composed of two Houses: The House of Commons and the House of Lords (Zulueta 209). While the United States has both its legislative houses democratically elected, in the United Kingdom, it is only the members of the House of Commons who are democratically elected (Zulueta 209). The members of the House of Lords are usually members of the aristocracy and attain hereditary power (Emsworth 34). In addition, members of the US legislature are representatives of each of the 50 states in the United States. In the same way, members of the UK legislature are representatives of constituencies, with boundaries determined by the Boundary Commissions (â€Å"Politics of the United Kingdom†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As with the case in the US, bills and financial concerns, based on convention, originate in the House of Commons and not in the House of Lords (Emsworth 32). But, unlike that in the US, which constitution allows for equal powers between its two Houses, the House of Commons is considered as more powerful compared to the House of Lords (Zulueta 209). Although, historically, this may not be the case, the House of Commons is always superior to the House of Lords because this chamber is democratically elected and can be considered as a repository of the people’s rights (Zulueta 209). In terms of financial matters, taxation, supply bills, the House of Lords are barred from proposing amendments (â€Å"Politics of the United Kingdom†). It can be said too, that the legislature, particularly, the House of Commons holds power over the Prime Minister who is considered as the wielder of Executive power because of the dependence of the executive power on the support of the legislature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Section 8 of the US Constitution enumerates the powers of the Congress. Generally, it states that the Congress has power to impose and collect taxes, borrow and pay debts for the general welfare. It also has the power to regulate trade with other nations and states, establish rules for naturalization and bankruptcies, regulate the value of money and provide punishments for crimes such as counterfeiting. Others include the establishment of post offices, constitution of tribunals and courts that are inferior to the Supreme Court, definition and punishment of laws, declaration of war, maintenance and provisions for the Armed Forces, and to create laws which are necessary for the carrying out of the provisions of the Constitution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At this point in time, the most notable among the powers of the US legislature is its power to declare war. It is clear then, that the US Executive has the power only to command the Armed Forces but cannot declare war without the consent of the Congress. This is the same with the case of the UK, whose Prime Minister can only declare war upon the approval of the Parliament, with him of course, as its head.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because there is no written constitution that guides the legislature, the UK legislature, can, too, by convention, have unlimited power and proposals can be easily approved as long as it has gained the support of the House of Commons (â€Å"Politics of the United Kingdom†). Judiciary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The US Judiciary is comprised of the Supreme Court and the federal courts established by the legislature. The Judges of the Supreme and the inferior courts are allowed to hold their offices during good behavior unless impeached. The salary of the judges cannot be reduced during office but may be increased (â€Å"The Constitution of the United States†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The power of the US Judiciary extends to all cases arising from the Constitution, Laws and Treatises in the United States involving all US citizens, including ambassadors, ministers, consuls, and also any other issue that involves the State. While there are some cases in which the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction is regulated by the Congress (e.g. appellate jurisdiction), the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction cannot be amended by the Congress (â€Å"The Constitution of the United States†). Section two of the US Constitution states that criminal cases require trial by jury, except for impeachment cases. The jurisdiction of Federal courts is limited to the subject matter to which it is involved. In the US, a person who already holds Office in the government cannot hold another position, that is, the head of the Supreme Court cannot be the President. This was not the case in the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom, the head of the judiciary is the Lord Chief Justice (previously held by the Lord Chancellor). Prior to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the head of the judiciary had power that encompasses the executive, legislature and judiciary branches. But since the passage of the act, such powers have been divided to new posts such as the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and the Lord or Lady Speaker. The counterpart of the US Supreme Court in the UK is the House of Lords (Emsworth 42). Like that in the US, the jurisdiction of the UK Judiciary extends in all civil and criminal cases. But, unlike in the US where the Supreme Court is considered as the last resort, UK has the Privy Council that could also perform similar function but with less jurisdiction, most of which involving only minor matters. Elections It is the appointed Electors of each State that choose both the President and the Vice President of the United States. There is no indicated limit the selection of Electors except that it can only be as many as the number of Senators and Representatives in the Congress and that no Senator, Representative or any person that holds an Office of Trust or Profit could be considered as Elector (â€Å"The Constitution of the United States†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the election, the person with the highest number of votes is immediately chosen as President and the next highest is chosen as the Vice President. In case there is a tie, the Senate decides who holds the Office of the President and the Vice President with a quorum consisting of two-thirds of the States and majority of all the States (â€Å"The Constitution of the United States†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Only a person who is a natural born Citizen of the United States at the time of the Adoption of the Constitution can run for President. In addition, the candidate must be at least 35 years of age and has completed at least 14 years of residence in the United States. A President cannot be elected thrice. The United States is composed of two Political Parties: the Republican and the Democrats (â€Å"The Constitution of the United States†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The electoral system of the United Kingdom is done through the First-past-the-post system or the plurality voting system in which a candidate wins as long as he/she has the most votes regardless of whether he/she has the majority of votes. The UK is composed of three major parties: the Labor Party, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats (â€Å"Politics of the United Kingdom†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The election of the Prime Minister is done by the members of the Parliament from among themselves. These members of the Parliament are elected by the Electors from different parliamentary districts (Emsworth 1-59). US-UK relations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   More evident among any other reason for the alliance between the US and the UK is their common position at such times when there is a threat to international security. After all, most will remember how the US and the UK relationship flourished immediately at the end of the Cold War when the two nations, together with others, posed at the same side against Hitler. Just recently, the US and the UK were on the same ground against terrorism and the War in Iraq.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But it is interesting to note that such alliance can be traced back in history even before the US had its written Constitution. More importantly, the US-UK relationship can be said to be rooted to their political histories and ideologies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The American concept of liberty, for example, can be traced to the British resistance to Absolute Monarchy in the 17th century. This concept of liberty highlighted the importance of the parliament particularly in its role in consenting to taxes, being the â€Å"people’s† representative, the concept of trial by jury, and the protection of citizens (Raymond 1-15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The founding Fathers of the US were greatly influenced by the law-based state which is a British concept. The US documents, the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, for example, are based on the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights, the latter being the basis in writing the Constitution (Raymond 1-15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It cannot be denied that the two countries’ shared experiences especially in wars and security issues have been a binding element in their relationship. But, more than anything, it is these similarities in concepts and ideologies, the US and the UK’s shared ideas about freedom, law, justice and experience that bind the nations together. Works Cited Emsworth. â€Å"UK Constitution and Government.† Boston, MA: Free Software Foundation, Inc. 2002. Politics of the United Kingdom. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 31 Mar 2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 1 Apr 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Politics_of_the_United_Kingdomoldid=119272844. â€Å"Population Estimates: UK Population Grows to More than 60m.† National Statistics. 2006. Directgov. 31 Mar 2007 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=6. Raymond, R. â€Å"The US-UK Special Relationship in Hisotrical Context: Lessons of the Past.† US-UK Relations at the Start of the 21st Century. Ed. McCausland J and Stuart D. Carlisle, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, 2006. 1-15. â€Å"The Constitution of the United States.† National Archives. 29 March 2005 http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution_transcript.html. Zulueta, F. â€Å"Foundations and Dynamics of Political Science.† Manila: Academic Publishing Corporation. 2003.

methyl bromide :: essays research papers

Methyl Bromide The Crop Protection Coalition (CPC) suggests that the scientific foundation for the phase out of methyl bromide (CH3Br) may not be justified. The implication of the CPC is that the effects of CH3Br on stratospheric ozone is likely to continue to decrease because there was a decreasing effect noted as the science progressed through the 1990s. However, the science community completed a major new assessment of stratospheric ozone (Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2002; available through the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva) where little difference was found relative to the findings of the 1998 assessment determination of the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) for methyl bromide. This finding was not surprising. CH3Br still accounts for roughly 50% of the organic bromine reaching the stratosphere. Determination of the ODP for methyl bromide primarily depends on the understanding of its total lifetime in the atmosphere, which in turn depends on the understanding of its re moval processes from the atmosphere. During the 1990s, it was discovered that ocean and soil sinks for methyl bromide need to be considered in determining the lifetime of methyl bromide. Those sinks are now considered in our analyses (a recent reevaluation of the ocean sink gave results very similar to the analyses used in the 1998 assessment). While there remains some uncertainty in the soil sink, this is unlikely to further change the ODP for methyl bromide in any significant manner. With ocean and soil removal processes now included in the analyses of its ODP, it is unlikely that there will be major changes in the ODP for methyl bromide unless there are significant changes to the understanding of its removal processes. The current evaluated global lifetime for CH3Br is 0.7 years, resulting in an ODP of 0.38. If all of the uncertainties in the soil sinks were to go the maximum amount towards increasing the sink, the ODP for CH3Br could decrease a little more. However, this is extr emely unlikely, as it would produce a huge inconsistency between the sources and sinks, exacerbating the difference already existing in the known sources and sinks. The bottom line is that the ODP for methyl bromide is unlikely to change further. As chlorine in the stratosphere decreases under the effects of the Montreal Protocol, the fact that stratospheric bromine is currently not decreasing means that bromine will become more and more important in its effects on ozone.

Education and Girls Essay

This strategy is a first step to get us back on track. It acknowledges that we all need to do substantially more to help girls get into school. It reminds us of the value of education for lifting nations out of instability and providing a more promising future to their people. And regardless of whether they live in a wealthy or poor country, nothing has as much impact on a child’s future wellbeing as their mother’s level of education. We do not need complex international negotiations to help solve the problem of education. We just need to listen to governments, local communities, children, parents and teachers who know what challenges remain. And we need to provide them with enough funding to put their ideas on education into practice. To this end, we plan to spend at least ? 1. 4 billion over the next three years. This money will provide additional support to governments and more resources to strengthen international efforts to coordinate action on girls’ education. The example set by countries like Malawi, where the Minister for Education announced free schooling and immediately increased enrolment rates, shows just what can be achieved when there is a clearly defined plan of action and enough political will to implement it. In 2005, the UK will hold the Presidencies of the G8 and the EU. We will use our leadership role to make achieving gender parity in education a priority for the international community. iii Girls’ education: towards a better future for all As Meda Wagtole’s words make clear, keeping our promise on girls’ education will not just give girls better prospects; it holds the key to giving their families, communities and countries a better future as well. Rt Hon Hilary Benn, MP iv Contents Foreword iii Summary 1 1. Introduction 2 Education matters 2. Education is a right – but it is still beyond the reach of many 3 A timely strategy 4 What prevents girls from getting a quality education? 6 Educating girls is costly for families 7 Girls may face a poor and hostile school environment 9 2. Women have a weak position in society Conflict hurts girls most Tackling girls’ education on the ground 12 12 Making girls’ education affordable 15 Making schools work for all girls 17 Charities, religious and other voluntary organisations are good for girls 18 Supporting policies that work 19 Focusing international efforts on girls’ education. 21 More resources are needed 21 Donor actions in support of country-led development 22 International organisations need to work together for girls’ education 23 Civil society’s role in building global momentum and local support 5. 11 Political leadership and empowerment of women matter 4. 11 Tackling social exclusion 3. 10 24 Towards a better future for all 27 Annexes 29 Endnotes 33 v vi Summary There are still 58 million girls worldwide who are not in school. The majority of these girls live in subSaharan Africa and South and West Asia. A girl growing up in a poor family in sub-Saharan Africa has less than a one-in-four chance of getting a secondary education. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to get as many girls as boys into primary and secondary school by 2005 is likely to be missed in more than 75 countries. We need to make much better progress. There is growing international commitment and consensus on what can be done to improve girls’ education. This strategy sets out the action DFID will take and the leadership we will provide, with others in the international community, to ensure equality of education between men and women, boys and girls. †¢ We will work to narrow the financing gap for education. Over the next three years, DFID plans to spend more than ? 1. 4 billion of aid on education. †¢ We will work with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to strengthen its capacity to co-ordinate action on girls’ education. †¢ We will use the UK’s Presidencies of the G8 and EU and our role as co-chair of the Fast-Track Initiative (FTI) to push gender equality in education up the political agenda. †¢ We will support the efforts of governments in developing countries to produce plans that prioritise girls’ education. This will include providing financial help to those wanting to remove school fees. †¢ We will work with our development partners to increase educational opportunities for girls; civil society will be a key partner in this work. †¢ We will increase our efforts to promote awareness within the UK of girls’ education in poor countries. Educating girls helps to make communities and societies healthier, wealthier and safer, and can also help to reduce child deaths, improve maternal health and tackle the spread of HIV and AIDS. It underpins the achievement of all the other MDGs. That is why the target date was set as 2005. That is also why in 2000, at the Dakar Conference, donors promised that every country with a sound education plan would get the resources it needed to implement it. Progress has been hampered by a number of factors: a lack of international political leadership, a global funding gap of an estimated $5. 6 billion a year for education, a lack of plans and capacity within national education systems to improve the access to and quality of schooling for girls, and locally many poor families who simply cannot afford to send their children to school. This paper marks a new phase in the UK’s support to girls’ education. Now is the time to act. 1 1 Chapter One Introduction Education matters In September 2000, 188 heads of state from around the world signed the Millennium Declaration and established the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While most goals aim to achieve significant progress in development by 2015, one goal was to be achieved by 2005 – gender parity in primary and secondary education. But, more than 75 countries are likely to miss this goal. We are falling well short of our promise. Women are at the heart of most societies. Regardless of whether they are working or not, mothers are very influential people in children’s lives. Educating girls is one of the most important investments that any country can make in its own future. Education has a profound effect on girls’ and women’s ability to claim other rights and achieve status in society, such as economic independence and political representation. As the following examples demonstrate, having an education can make an enormous difference to a woman’s chances of finding well-paid work, raising a healthy family and preventing the spread of diseases such as HIV and AIDS. †¢ †¢ 2 An educated woman is 50 per cent more likely to have her children immunised against childhood diseases. 3 †¢ †¢ An infant born to an educated woman is much more likely to survive until adulthood. In Africa, children of mothers who receive five years of primary education are 40 per cent more likely to live beyond age five. 2 †¢ A South African girl at her high school graduation. ( © Giacomo Pirozzi/Panos) Women with at least a basic education are much less likely to be poor. Providing girls with one extra year of schooling beyond the average can boost their eventual  wages by 10 to 20 per cent. 1 If we had reached the gender parity goal by 2005, more than 1 million childhood deaths could have been averted. 4 For every boy newly infected with HIV in Africa, there are between three and six girls newly infected. Yet, in high-prevalence areas such as Swaziland, two-thirds of teenage girls in school are free from HIV, while two-thirds of out-of-school girls are HIV positive. In Uganda, children who have been to secondary school are four times less likely to become HIV positive. 5 Introduction. Education is a right – but it is still beyond the reach of many For all these reasons, girls’ education has long been recognised as a human right. Past international commitments include addressing gender equality within the education system, the first step to eliminating all forms of discrimination against women (see Annex 2). This right to education is denied to 58 million girls, and a further 45 million boys, even at the primary school level. 6 More than 75 countries are likely to miss the 2005 MDG target for gender parity in primary and secondary enrolments. 7 One-third of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa. On current trends, more than 40 per cent of all countries with data are at risk of not achieving gender parity at primary, secondary or both levels of education even by 2015. Figure 1. 1: Prospects for gender parity in primary enrolments Progress towards the target Gender parity in primary enrolments At risk of not achieving by 2015 Likely to achieve by 2015 Likely to achieve by 2005 Achieved in 2000 (20) (14) (13) (78) Source: Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2003-04. Grey shading indicates lack of data. These figures hide significant variation across continents, across countries, and across communities. †¢ There are 23 million8 girls out of school in sub-Saharan Africa, distributed across more than 40 countries. A further 22 million out-of-school girls are in South and West Asia, yet the majority of these are concentrated in just two countries: India and Pakistan. †¢ In Niger, less than one-third of all school-aged girls are enrolled in primary school. By contrast, in Rwanda more than four out of every five girls are enrolled in primary school. †¢ In Mali, the proportion of girls enrolled in primary school is around six  times higher in the city of Bamako than in the more remote areas of Mali. 3 1 Girls’ education: towards a better future for all There is an alarming difference between the numbers of girls attending primary and secondary school. The vast majority of school-aged girls in sub-Saharan Africa are not enrolled in secondary school, because the relatively high costs of secondary education are acting as a major disincentive for poorer parents. In Pakistan, the gross enrolment rate for girls in secondary education is 19 per cent. 9 In Niger, Tanzania and Chad it is only five per cent. There are exceptions to the rule, but generally in countries where girls fare poorly in primary education compared with boys, they do even worse in secondary education, as illustrated by the graph in Annex 3. Nevertheless, countries are making progress, sometimes dramatically so. †¢ In Bangladesh, equal numbers of girls and boys now enter secondary school. In 1990, there were only half as many girls as boys in secondary education. †¢ Nepal has nearly nine girls for every ten boys enrolled in primary school, compared with seven girls for every ten boys in 1990. †¢ In Kenya, over 1 million extra children have enrolled in primary school since the removal of school user fees in 2003. A timely strategy This paper is a first step to identifying – and implementing – the actions that will allow us collectively to keep the promises we made. 10 It serves as a reminder for us to speed up the work we are doing in education. Examples of our work in education include: †¢ Supporting education in Nigeria where there are 7. 3 million children of primary age out of school, of whom 62 per cent are girls. 11 The federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria is implementing an education programme with support from UNICEF and DFID to achieve gender parity and universal basic education. DFID is providing a ? 26 million grant, which will directly benefit girls as well as boys in six northern states. †¢ Allocating ? 10. 8 million to the government of Kenya initiative SPRED III (Strengthening of Primary Education), which aims to reduce the burden of the cost of primary education on parents. In the first year of this programme, enrolments increased from 5. 9 million to over 7 million and are still rising. Listening to local people has been an invaluable way of identifying the main constraints that keep girls from entering school, remaining in school, and learning effectively. Our country experience is also providing us with concrete evidence of how governments are overcoming these challenges. We are using this evidence of what works as the basis for the actions we intend to take to speed up progress on girls’ education. 4 Introduction DFID’s experience in tackling girls’ education is drawn from the 25 priority countries where our work is focused. Our education effort in these countries is aimed at supporting governments to provide education for all, particularly for girls. These 25 countries contain nearly three-quarters of all girls who do not have access to basic education as shown in Figure 1. 2. Global support for development, while on the rise, remains well below what is needed to make achieving the MDGs a reality, particularly in countries that are unable to work towards poverty reduction. International bilateral support for education amounts to about $4 billion a year, with much of this money going towards secondary and university schooling. International support for basic education is less than $1 billion a year – less than $2 a year for every school-aged child in the developing world. We need to do better. And we can do better. Figure 1. 2: Distribution of girls out of school in DFID’s 25 priority countries Outside DFID’s 25 priority countries 28% DFID’s 25 priority countries 72% India Rwanda Lesotho Cambodia Malawi Zimbabwe Zambia Vietnam South Africa Nepal Mozambique Ghana DRC, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda (separate data not available) Kenya Indonesia Bangladesh Pakistan Sudan United Republic of Tanzania Afghanistan China Ethiopia 5 2 Chapter Two. What prevents girls from getting a quality education? In many countries and communities in both the developed and the developing world, parents can take it for granted that their daughters receive a quality education. Yet in many other places around the world, providing every child with an education appears to be beyond reach. There are five main challenges we identify that make it difficult for girls to access education. These include: †¢ the cost of education – ensuring that communities, parents and children can afford schooling; †¢ poor school environments – ensuring that girls have access to a safe school environment; †¢ the weak position of women in society – ensuring that society and parents value the education of girls; †¢ conflict – ensuring that children who are excluded due to conflict have access to schooling; and †¢ social exclusion – ensuring girls are not disadvantaged on the basis of caste, ethnicity, religion or disability. These challenges are not exhaustive, but they are recurrent themes in many countries. They constitute additional hurdles girls need to overcome to benefit from quality education. As donors, we need to support countries in meeting these challenges. Ours is a supporting role, not a leading role. And our support works best if it is based on countries’ own national strategies to reduce poverty and make progress in education. In particular we need to support countries to have in place the essential elements of quality education for girls (see Box 2. 1). 6 What prevents girls from getting a quality education? Box 2. 1 Essential elements of quality education for girls †¢ Schools – is a school within a reasonable distance; does it have proper facilities for girls; is it a safe environment and commute; is it free of violence? If not, parents are unlikely to ever send their daughter to school. †¢ Teachers – is there a teacher; are they skilled; do they have appropriate teaching materials? Is it a female teacher? Are there policies to recruit teachers from minority communities? If not, girls may not learn as much at school and drop out. †¢ Students – is she healthy enough; does she feel safe; is she free from the burden of household chores or the need to work to supplement the family income; is there a water source close by? If not, she may never have a chance to go to school. †¢ Families – does she have healthy parents who can support a family; does her family value education for girls; can her family afford the cost of schooling? If not, economic necessity may keep her at home. †¢ Societies – will the family’s and the girl’s standing in the community rise with an education; will new opportunities open up? If not, an education may not be in the family’s interest. †¢ Governments – does the government provide adequate resources to offer sufficient school places; do salaries reach the teachers; do teachers receive quality training; is the government drawing in other agencies to maximise the provision of schooling; is there a clear strategy and budget based on the specific situation faced by girls? If not, the conditions above are unlikely to be fulfilled. †¢ Donors – are donors supporting governments to provide adequate resources; do donors contribute to analysing and addressing the challenges girls face; are donors conscious of local customs and traditions; are donors prioritising the countries’ needs rather than their own agendas or existing programmes? If not, governments may simply not be in a position to provide a reasonable chance for all girls to get a quality education. Educating girls is costly for families. The education of girls is seen as economically and socially costly to parents. Costs come in four forms: tuition fees and other direct school fees; indirect fees (such as PTA fees, teachers’ levies and fees for school construction and building); indirect costs (such as transportation and uniforms); and opportunity costs (such as lost household or paid labour). These costs have a significant impact on whether and which children are educated. 7 2 Girls’ education: towards a better future for all. Educating girls can incur extra direct costs, such as special transport or chaperones for safety and ‘decency’. The price of attending school for the 211 million economically active children may be the family losing vital income. 12 An education may actually reduce girls’ marriage prospects and raise dowry payments to unaffordable levels. Investing in sons, rather than daughters, is perceived as bringing higher financial returns for families as boys are more likely to find work and be paid a higher salary. The high cost of education is the biggest deterrent to families educating their daughters. Many of the countries DFID prioritises for support have removed tuition fees or are working towards their removal. For example, there are no tuition fees in our Asia priority countries except Pakistan, and a number of Africa priority countries have recently removed school fees. In Africa, school fee removal has led to a dramatic increase in enrolments. A girl does her homework on the blackboard painted on the wall of her house in Ghana. Her older sister, with baby on her back, checks her exercise book. ( © Sven Torfinn/Panos) But it has also increased the cost of education for governments. For example, in Uganda, it is projected that there will be a 58 per cent increase in the total number of primary school students between 2002 and 2015, requiring more than double the number of teachers. Given that teachers’ salaries are the single biggest cost in education budgets, this represents a high burden. Most governments have increased both their education budget and the share that is allocated to primary education to finance these extra costs. But the challenge remains to find enough money to sustain an education of sufficient quality – while simultaneously reducing other costs that prevent children from poor families, especially girls, from enrolling. 8 What prevents girls from getting a quality education? Box 2. 2 AIDS – making the household economics worse Girls are often the first to be taken out of school to provide care for sick family members or to take responsibility for siblings when death or illness strike. 13 A sudden increase in poverty, which accompanies AIDS in the household, undermines the ability to afford school. The fear of infection through abuse or exploitation in or on the way to school particularly affects girls and may reduce attendance. Orphans seem to be at greater risk of exploitation. In the worst cases, girls may resort to prostitution to provide for themselves and the family. In Zambia, the majority of child prostitutes are orphans, as are the majority of street children in Lusaka. 14 Programmes of support are often not targeted to these most vulnerable groups. Girls may face a poor and hostile school environment A school environment that may be acceptable to boys may be hostile to girls. The physical and sexual violence against women that is common in many societies is reflected in the school environment in a number of countries. Physical abuse and abduction are not only a major violation of girls’ basic human rights, they also present a major practical constraint in getting to school. Parents feel a duty to protect their daughters and may decide to keep them at home if they feel the school is too far away. Violence against girls and women has been identified as a key barrier to girls’ education in many DFID programmes. In South Africa, DFID supports Soul City, an educational television soap opera that raises public awareness of violence against girls and women. Within developing countries, better recruitment procedures and working conditions need to be adopted to help increase the number of women teachers, who often become important role models for the young women they teach. Teachers need training to be effective in supporting girls and to intervene when violence is threatened. When teachers themselves perpetrate violence, early response systems need to be implemented to prevent such violence continuing. Alongside training to combat all forms of discrimination in the classroom, there needs to be an effective monitoring and inspection system that engages teachers, especially where there are violations of teacher authority. Governments also need more education officials and teachers who have the knowledge, understanding and status to ensure that girls have access to quality education. 15 Expertise is required to assess the problems and solutions for the education system according to the country context and real need, rather than the trends of the development agencies. 9 2 Girls’ education: towards a better future for all Women have a weak position in society Within communities, girls have to overcome many obstacles before they can realise their right to an education. DFID’s recent partnership with UNICEF to support the federal government of Nigeria will help overcome many of the problems girls have in gaining access to school and remaining there. Before girls can attend school and benefit fully from their education, a number of major social constraints have to be addressed. Girls often have limited control over their futures. Early marriage is a reality for many, where families wish for the social and economic benefits this brings. In Bangladesh and Afghanistan, more than 50 per cent of girls are married by age 18. 16 Adolescent pregnancy almost always results in girls halting their education. Girls are also more likely to drop out of school because of their domestic responsibilities, and are often discriminated against in terms of the quality of the schools they are sent to, and the costs parents are willing to pay for their education. Despite the progress being made, gender equality is likely to take generations to achieve. The UK’s own history illustrates the relationship between women’s position in society and the demands for better education for girls. One reinforces the other, but change comes slowly. Box 2. 3 Progress on gender equality in education in the UK Until the 1960s, many British girls were directed towards the commercial and technical streams in secondary school, and did not acquire qualifications for higher paying employment. Until the mid-1980s, for instance, it was still relatively unusual for girls to do well in or continue studying subjects such as mathematics or science to university level. However, the 1990s saw a sharp rise in girls’ performances at school. This has been linked to a range of factors, including families’ prioritisation of their daughters’ education, a shift in perceptions of gender linked to the women’s movements in the 1960s and 1970s, government policies on comprehensive schools, promoting further education and reform of the exam system and gender equality strategies in local education authorities and schools. Policies such as, areas in schools just for girls, strong anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies, and the promotion of science and mathematics for girls were put in place. In addition, growth in the service sector facilitated demand for girls in the labour market. Currently there is concern about why improved academic performance for girls has not translated into equality in employment opportunities and earning power. 17 10 What prevents girls from getting a quality education? Conflict hurts girls most Girls are particularly vulnerable to abuse and unequal access to schooling in fragile states. States can be fragile for a range of reasons, including conflict, lack of resources and people, high levels of corruption, and political instability. What sets these countries apart is their failure to deliver on the core functions of government, including keeping people safe, managing the economy, and delivering basic services. Violence and disease, as well as illiteracy and economic weakness, are most intensively concentrated in these areas. Of the 104 million children not in primary school globally, an estimated 37 million of them live in fragile states. Many of these children are girls. 18 Girls’ absence from school may be due to fears of violence or due to the reliance on their role as carers in the family. In Rwanda, for example, it is estimated that up to 90 per cent of child-headed households are headed by girls. 19 For girls who have been victims of violence in conflict situations, trauma can impair their ability to learn. More than 100,000 girls directly participated in conflicts in the 1990s, yet they are often invisible in demobilisation programmes. 20 Our humanitarian support and education support programmes in Rwanda have demonstrated the importance of education in promoting peace and protecting human resources in countries emerging from conflict. Our work in these environments is a reminder of the need to link education with attempts to build democracy, provide better health systems, offer social protection to the very poorest and develop multilingual and multicultural policies. Tackling social exclusion Social exclusion is an additional barrier to girls going to school. Certain groups of girls are more likely to be excluded from school on the basis of caste, ethnicity, religion or disability. In Nepal, Dalit girls are almost twice as likely to be excluded from school as higher caste girls. In Malawi, Muslim girls are more likely to be excluded than their non-Muslim counterparts. Disabled children, and among them disabled girls in particular, constitute a significant group that is denied access to education. In a recent World Bank report it is estimated that only about 1-5 per cent of all disabled children and young people attend schools in developing countries. 21 At the World Conference on Special Education Needs in Salamanca, 92 countries and 25 international organisations committed themselves to providing educational opportunities for disabled people. The challenge is to support governments to act on this commitment, and provide quality education for excluded groups. In India we have worked with the government to address social exclusion in the government of India’s SSA (Education for All) plan. 11 3 Chapter Three Tackling girls’ education on the ground As outlined in the previous chapter, countries wanting to develop and implement a policy of promoting girls’ education face a number of challenges. But for every challenge, there are examples of promising good practice that should form the basis of the way ahead. DFID will support governments to: †¢ strengthen political leadership and empower women; †¢ make girls’ education affordable; and †¢ make schools work for all girls. We will also support NGOs, religious and other voluntary organisations. This support will enable governments to develop poverty reduction strategies and education sector plans to improve girls’ access to quality education. And we will provide increased and flexible funding to support the development and implementation of national plans. 22 DFID’s bilateral funding commitments for basic education averaged at ? 150 million a year up to 2001. Since the World Education Forum at Dakar and the Millennium Summit in 2000, the UK has significantly increased its new commitments for education programmes and we will continue to do so. As a result, we expect to spend an average of ? 350 million a year on education (a total of over ? 1 billion) over the period 2005-06 to 2007-08. This would roughly double the resources going directly to education programmes in developing countries since we first adopted the MDGs. In addition to our bilateral contributions, we expect to spend ? 370 million through multilateral agencies, bringing our total funding for education over the next three years to over ? 1. 4 billion. 23 Political leadership and empowerment of women matter We will support governments in their efforts to create political leadership for women’s empowerment. We know that national leaders who speak out against gender inequality can have a significant impact. Heads of government in Oman, Morocco, China, Sri Lanka and Uganda have advocated strongly in support of girls’ education. Women leaders have been particularly effective. Ethiopia has benefited from the long-standing involvement of the Minister of Education, who has also been chair of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE). Successes in Ethiopia demonstrate the importance of local leadership, as in Yemen, Mexico, India, and Egypt. However, political leadership needs to be accompanied by demand for change at the grassroots level. Without it, new initiatives may have little support, and policy makers may divert the resources earmarked for girls to other purposes. The example in Box 3. 1 shows sustained political support to girls’ education. 12 Tackling girls’ education on the ground Box 3. 1 Supporting political leadership: the case of Yemen Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world and has high gender disparities in education. Gross enrolment rates for girls are only two-thirds as high as those for boys at primary school and only half as high at secondary school. In 2003, the Yemen government committed itself to full primary enrolment by 2015, with a special emphasis on gender equity. Girls’ education is now a central element of Yemen’s poverty reduction strategy and the Basic Education Development Strategy. Some of the factors, which made this possible include: †¢ personal commitment from prominent Yemenis, for example the first Minister for Human Rights in the 2000 government; †¢ sustained donor commitment, UNICEF’s support to the 2000 Girls’ Education Strategy being a prominent example; and †¢ the establishment of Girls’ Education Units in the Ministry of Education at central and local levels since the 1990s. This led to Yemen becoming one of the countries to receive support under the global Education for All Fast-Track Initiative. DFID has been a partner in this process, providing ? 15 million towards the government’s US$121 million Basic Education Development Project alongside the Netherlands and the World Bank. Empowering adult women – building their confidence and education levels – can have a powerful impact on enrolling more girls in schools. Evidence from countries such as Uganda, Nepal, Bangladesh and Ghana24 shows that women who participate in literacy classes are more likely to send their children to school, keep them there, and watch their progress closely. 13 3 Girls’ education: towards a better future for all Box 3. 2. Supporting women’s empowerment and demand for girls’ education in India: Mahila Samakhya in India Mahila Samakhya, a programme implemented by the government of India in several states, is concerned to transform women’s lives through education. The programme facilitates the establishment of Samoohs (women’s groups) which provide women benefits such as education, health schemes and savings and credit. A large number of Samoohs have run campaigns for girls’ education, which have increased girls’ access to education. Many Samoohs have also built Jagjagis, non-formal education centres, often.

The Exxon Valdez 1989 Oil Spill

This summary will briefly discuss three topics: a) the oil spill, b) the environmental damage and clean up, and c) the insurance coverage settlements. This paper will then focus on the insurance coverage settlements. Afterwards, it will provide an analysis on the effectiveness of the dispute resolution process. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill of 1989 was one of the largest manmade environmental disasters (Rodgers et al, 2005, p. 136). It occurred in U. S. waters at Prince William Sound, Alaska in March 1989 (Rodgers et al, 2005, p. 136).The oil tanker, Exxon Valdez, struck a reef and discharged an estimated 10. 8 million gallons of oil according to Exxon estimates but other sources indicate that it is around 30 million gallons (Rodgers et al, 2005, p. 136). The oil belonged to Exxon Corporation while the tanker belonged to Exxon Shipping, its subsidiary (Holman, Fenwick & Willan, 2004, p. 1). The environmental damage caused by the oil spill and the subsequent clean up of the spill and its contaminants became the subject of numerous litigations (Rodgers et al, 2005).Environmental damage claims and settlements ran into several billion U. S. dollars (Rodgers et al, 2005, p. 149-88). Oil spill clean up expenses likewise ran into several billion U. S. dollars (Holman, Fenwick & Willan, 2004, p. 2). In this regard, due to the huge volume of lawsuits, the complexity of the case or cases, the wide coverage of the disaster, and the disaster’s far-reaching implications among other considerations, Exxon Corporation undertook a wide variety of legal strategies. One of those strategies involved alternative dispute resolution through settlements for insurance coverage disputes.The Exxon insurance coverage disputes are complex (Covington & Burling LLP, 2007). One point of consideration is that Exxon’s primary insurers are reinsured with Lloyd’s London (Holman, Fenwick & Willan, 2004, p. 2). This complicates the disputes since Exxon is an American company while its underwriters are international business entities. Hence, the dispute involved significant activities in many locations: Texas, New York, London, Oslo, Alaska and other places (Covington & Burling LLP, 2007).As such, issues on jurisdiction and applicability of laws whether English law or New York law should be applied made litigations costly and long. Covington & Burling LLP represented Exxon from 1991 to 1997 in â€Å"its hotly contested, multi-forum claims for coverage of losses arising out of the grounding of the Valdez† (Covington & Burling LLP, 2007). In early 1997, these disputes ended after Exxon and the Lloyd’s consortium of international underwriters and various Scandinavian companies settled for $780 million (Treaster, 1996; Covington & Burling LLP, 2007).Covington & Burling LLP (2007) best describes the legal complexity of these disputes, to quote: The Exxon claims arose out of the company's Global Corporate Excess package of policies for 1988-89, which was characterized by high limits and high retentions. Exxon claimed coverage under various sections of the package, including the first-party property section's cover for removal of debris, the marine liability section's cover for cargo-owner pollution losses, and the general liability section's cover for pollution clean-up costs.Meanwhile, the Covington & Burling LLP strategy involved: a) â€Å"a non-binding ADR procedure moderated by a London-based barrister before any litigation commenced;† b) â€Å"a Texas lawsuit filed by Exxon that the underwriters unsuccessfully sought three times to remove and that resulted in a jury verdict for Exxon on one of its three claims;† c) â€Å"an arbitration proceeding in New York;† d) â€Å"a federal declaratory judgment action in New York that the underwriters struggled to keep alive despite a dismissal and multiple trips to the Second Circuit and the Supreme Court on jurisdictional issues;† and finally,e) â€Å"two settlements — one for $300 million before the Texas verdict and one for $480 million while the Texas verdict was on appeal and just before the arbitration hearing was to commence† (2007). Many forms of alternative dispute resolutions or ADR can be made. Balmer (n. d. ) notes that several types of ADR can in fact be customized as can be seen from the Exxon insurance settlements. Some of these customized ADRs can range â€Å"from non-assisted discussions through mediation, neutral fact finders, case exposure such as mini-trials, arbitration both binding and non-binding, and limited issue litigation† (Balmer). Exxon already spent some U. S. $ 2. 5 Billion in damage claims as a result of the oil spill (Rodgers et al, 2005).Without ADR, it would have been unable to recover some $780 million from its insurance coverage (Treaster, 1996) while Exxon’s insurance disputes could have been unnecessarily protracted. For this incident, Exxon employed litigation but was always open to the many forms of alternative dispute resolution. For instance, Exxon used mediation through a non-binding ADR procedure moderated by a London-based barrister before any litigation commenced (Covington & Burling LLP, 2007). Technically, mediation involves a neutral third party who helps in hammering out a resolution (Balmer). In another instance, Exxon employed arbitration proceedings. Balmer describes arbitration as â€Å"getting a neutral party or panel to reach a decision on facts, law or both.† Most importantly, Exxon often used settlements.