Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Hotel Rwanda - The Rwandan Genocide Essay Example for Free

Hotel Rwanda The Rwandan Genocide Essay Hotel Rwanda is a film about the genocide that transpired within the premises of the city of Kigali, the heart of Rwanda during the year 1994. This evil act lasted for 100 days killing thousands of innocent lives of Rwandan men, women and children. But in the film, it did not focus on the genocide. Instead, it shed a light on the heroic and courageous deed of one ordinary man in an effort to save the lives of some of his countrymen. In the movie, almost all of the aspects of the genocide were tackled including the powerlessness of the United Nations to put a stop to the violent killings perpetrated by the Rwandan government and the Hutu rebels against the Tutsis. This was very much evident when the character of Dan Cheadle was promised by the UN Colonel that he, his family and all the refugees at the Milles Collines will be rescued. But when the colonel had a talk with another UN officer, the plan seemed to have changed. The colonel explained that only foreign nationals were allowed to leave Rwanda. Only a small number of troops were instructed to uphold peacekeeping and not peacemaking meaning they were not allowed to shoot at anyone even if they commit violent actions. More so, the minimal involvement of the international organizations and their eventual negligence over the escalating killings in Rwanda played a pivotal role in the increased deaths of thousands of people. Instead of helping the Tutsis to take refuge to a safer place in neighboring countries, these organizations decided not to get involve because of the misconception that nothing can restore the peace and order in an anarchic setting. Moreover in the movie, a Red Cross worker drew some attention because of how she showed her bravery by setting aside her fears and her own welfare just to save a few people from being mercilessly killed by the Hutus. Some aid workers decided to stay in order to help while others chose to flee in order to protect their welfare. Overall, the movie generated an accurate depiction of the Rwandan genocide. However, some controversial issues were downplayed like the role of the French in the uprising and arming of the Hutu rebels. After the genocide, some reports have surfaced that implicated a few French politicians and the French military with this tragic incident. According to the results of the findings of an â€Å"Independent Rwandan Commission,† the French government was â€Å"aware of preparations for the genocide and helped train the ethnic Hutu militia perpetrators. The report included that France provided the Hutus with â€Å"political, military, diplomatic and logistical support. † For almost 2 years, the commission had gathered data and interviewed several survivors. All the information that had been obtained, served as testimonies to the participation of the French government in the killing of almost 800,000 civilians in the span of 100 days (BBC, 2008). But the French vehemently refu ted the accusations. In their defense, they stated that the allegations were biased because the commission has only one thing in mind and that is to prove that the French are guilty. The â€Å"French Foreign Ministry said â€Å"there is no surprise in the conclusions of the commission given its mission† (CNN, 2008). Aside from this, the film also failed to include the admission of the United Nations of its failure to prevent the genocide. But for the UN, this became a learning experience. They realized that people should not be neglected specifically in times of dire need when lives are at stake (BBC, 2000). Given this new angle in the Rwandan genocide, it should have been also portrayed in the movie. This would have given viewers more accurate representation of what really happened in Rwanda in April 1994. Also, this would have been a chance for the whole world to determine who the real culprits were in one of the worst humanitarian crisis of the 20th century. More so, these events could have provided a comprehensive outlook on how humans are capable of doing horrendous and brutal acts just to have power and control.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Public Libraries Essay -- Library Science, American Library Associatio

My Library: Celebrate the County Public Library Public libraries play a pivotal role in the lives of many Americans, from early education to senior services. The majority of Americans believe their local library improves their community (94%), and an equally significant number (65%) have visited at least one time in the past year (American Library Association, 2010). Residents of Connecticut are no exception. As of 2007, Connecticut boosts 195 public libraries containing a circulation of approximately 15.5 million books, and enjoys the third highest rate of per capita library visits in the nation, at 6.5 visits per capita (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009). The West Hartford Public Library, bests the state average, with approximately 10.5 library visits per capita and a circulation of almost 1 million books, a significant slice of the total state circulation (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009). As the birthplace of Noah Webster and mere miles away from the former homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beec her Stowe, West Hartford has a rich literary history that continues to this day. American libraries have suffered financial blows in recent years (American Library Association, 2010), with Connecticut libraries suffering a 15 year operating income low in 2010 (CT Library Community); however, in the current state of the nation, public libraries are experiencing a resurgence in popularity, as individuals hurt by the recession flock to public libraries (Rooney-Brown, 2009). Residents of communities across the country are taking advantage of the free services public libraries offer, such as dvd rentals, computer usage, social groups, workshops, lectures, and countless other benefits (Rooney-Brown, 2009).... ...ion Statistics, 2009). If residents were aware of the numerous services offered by the library, presumably they would visit the WHPL at a greater frequency. The primary tactic of the campaign will be to leverage each service as an argument for visiting the library. The campaign will present a significant number of arguments and in turn, boost My Library’s credibility. The services presented may range from free Internet and computer usage to free mediation sessions. The diversity of the services in addition to the sheer number of services will provide a strong argument, as each service provides a unique benefit to library patrons. Equally important, the act of visiting the library requires a strong degree of motivation and effort. Research shows that several robust arguments significantly supplement the power of a message if the recipient is highly involved (Petty &

Monday, January 13, 2020

The Outsiders- Dally

Dallas â€Å"Dally† Winston: Social Clique: Greasers Age: 17 Status: Deceased * Reason- Provoked police to shoot him because he got a heater out. Abilities/ Strengths: Street smart, knows how to use a variety of different weapons like guns, blades, etc. Natural born leader; Strong personality; excellent fighter; stereotypical â€Å"bad boy†. Tougher, colder and meaner than rest of the greasers. His parents were very abusive of him Criminal Past:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The real character of the gang,† Dally was arrested his first time at the age of ten.He spent three years on the â€Å"wild side† of New York and likes to blow off steam in gang fights. He is the most dangerous member of the bunch, but he is still a part of their greaser â€Å"family. Enjoys breaking laws. Known for robbing a lot of stores. Personality Traits: Dallas Winston is seen to be cruel, hardened, and usually lacking concern for others. All of these observations are absolutely true. He is also ru de, unrefined, angry, and typically selfish. He often finds amusement at the expense of others, and is hideously impolite to most everyone, especially girls that he doesn't know.Typically, he finds himself quite indifferent with the opinions of others. Dally has no respect for anyone, especially adults and officials of the law. High school Dropout. Gets angry easily and is mentally unstable. He hardly ever lets any emotion other than anger show. Events: After the Johnny Cade killing a soc incident, it was informed that Dallas Winston helped Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny escape and send them to an abandoned church. He also gave them a gun and some money for buying groceries. This also adds up to Dallas crimes by hiding a criminal.Also known to be bugging to so girls earlier that night. He helped the other two kids on saving the children from the mysterious church fire and injured his arm badly; he was in a good condition compared with his buddy, Johnny. He later escaped the hospital by t hreatening a nurse with a very large blade in order to join a rumble. After watching Johnny Cade’s tragic death, it was learned that he went crazy and robbed another store. This prompted the police to arrive, and after witnessing the large gun that he had, he was shot down by the police. After examining the raits of Dallas Winston, we are pretty sure that Sabrina will make him less tough, mean and cruel with others. Sabrina will respect the law no matter what and will help others to respect it too. Even though Sabrina may not be that street smart, she is very book smart and may also teach Dallas some skills and manners. View on him after death: After reading Ponyboy Curtis award receiving English assignment, (which happened after all of this happened) we can now see that Dally was more than just a criminal. Dally was a misunderstood poor soul like many other gang members during the time.It wasn’t his fault that he was tough, the experiences that happened in his life ma de him that way. I am pretty sure that he wouldn’t like anyone else to be like that. We also learn that Dallas felt very protective of a fellow, deceased greaser, Johnny Cade. Johnny also admired Dallas a lot, and viewed him as a hero. Some people think that Johnny was all that mattered to Dally. In fact, Johnny's life is  so  valuable to him that he doesn't think he can live without Johnny. Pony deals with his grief over Johnny's death by pretending Johnny isn't dead, but Dally snaps goes on an all-out â€Å"suicide mission†.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Fossil Fuels And Alternative Energy Sources - 1682 Words

Most fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal are considered nonrenewable resources in that their use is not sustainable because their formation takes billions of years (Investopedia, 2014). As the nonrenewable resources become more and more scarce, the cost to obtain them will continue to gradually rise (Investopedia, 2014). Eventually, the price will become so high that users will no longer be able to afford them, forcing the change from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources (Investopedia). These alternative energy sources would include nuclear, solar, wind and hydroelectric power. The first alternative source to be discussed is Nuclear Power. Nuclear power plants are similar to fossil-fueled power plants in which water†¦show more content†¦In both of these reactors the steam that is used to turn the turbines can be turned back into water and used again in the process (Duke-Energy). The next alternative energy source to be discussed is Solar Energy. Solar power is energy from the sun, which is converted into thermal or electrical energy (Solar Energy). Solar energy is also the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available, and the United States has some of the richest solar resources in the world (Solar Energy). Technology now days can use this solar energy for several different uses, including generating electricity, providing light, and heating water for all uses (Solar Energy). There are several ways to harness the solar energy: photovoltaics also called solar electric, solar heating and cooling, concentrating solar power, and passive solar (Solar Energy). The first three ways are called active solar systems, which use mechanical or electrical devices that convert the sun’s heat or light to another form of usable energy (Solar Energy). Passive solar on the other hand are buildings designed and oriented to collect, store and distribute the heat energy from sunlight (Solar Energy). Solar energy is a flexi ble technology since solar power plants can be built as distributed generation meaning they are located at or near the point of use, or as a central-station, utility- scale solar power plant similar to a traditional power