Pearl of the Indian Ocean | An Overview of Sri Lanka

Pearl of the Indian Ocean | An Overview of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka officially known as Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. It is an island country in the northern Indian ocean of the southern cost of Indian subcontinent in south Asia. It is known until 1972 as Ceylon. Sri Lanka documented history spans three thousand years. It geographic location and deep harbors made it of great strategic importance from the time of ancient silk road through to World War II. Sri Lanka is diverse country home to many religions, ethnicities and languages. The Sinhalese people are the majority although there are many ethnic minorities including Tamils, Muslim moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays and the aboriginal vadda people. Sri Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage and the first knows Buddhist writings were composed on the island. The countrys recent history has been marred by a thirty-year civil war which decisively but controversially ended in a military victory in 2009. Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state governed by a presidential system. The capital Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte named by a president after himself, is a suburb of the largest city Colombo. An important producer of tea, coffee, gemstones, coconuts, rubber and the native cinnamon. Sri Lanka has been called The tear drop of Indian ocean because of its shape and location is known as The pearl of the Indian Ocean because of its natural beauty. It is also known as The nations of smiling people. The island contains tropical forests, and diverse landscape with high biodiversity. The country has had a long history of international engagement, being a founding member of SAARC and a member of United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, G7 and Non- Aligned Movement. Etymology In antiquity, Sri Lanka was known to travelers by a variety of names, such as, Lanka, Sinhala, Taprobane, Serandib, Ceilao, Ceylon. As a British crown colony the island was known as Ceylon and achieved independence as the Dominion of Ceylon in 1948. History The pre-history of Sri Lanka dates back over 125 thousand years before present and possibly even as early as 500,000 BP. The era spans the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and early Iron ages. Among the Paleolithic human settlements discovered in Sri Lanka, Pahiyangala, Batadombalena and Belilena are the most important. The remains of Balangoda Man an anatomically modern human found inside these caves suggests that they may have engaged in agriculture and kept domestic dogs for driving game. One of the first written references to the island is found in the Indian epic Ramayana which provides details of a kingdom named lanka that had been created by the divine sculptor vishwakarma, for Kubera the lord of wealth. It is said that Kubera was overthrown by his demon stepbrother Ravana, the powerful emperor who built a mythical flying machine named Dandu Monara. The modern city of wariyapola is described as Ravanas airport. Ancient History According to Mahavasama a chronicle written in Pali language, the ancient period of Sri Lanka begins in 543 BC with the landing of Vijaya, a semi-legendary king who sailed 860 nautical miles on eight ships to Sri Lanka with 700 followers from the southwest coast of what is now the Rarh region of west Bengal. In Sri Lanka there are kingdoms such as, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, Sithawaka, Gampola, Kotte, Kandy and there are some famous kings in that time they are Pandukabaya, Parakramabahu, Dathusena, walagamba, Dutugamunu, Kawanthissa, Mahasen, Vijaya, Dewanampiyathissa, Sri Vikramarajasingha. According to this there are so many religious places in ancient history like Ruwanwali mahasaya, Thuparamaya, Jaya sri maha bodiya, Abayagiriya, Kiriwehera, Sigriya, katharagama, Temple of Tooth Relic, Mihinthale, Seruwavila, Yapahuwa etc. Sri Lankan dynastic history spanned a period of 2359 years, from 543 BC toad 1815 until the land became part of the British Empire. Independence The Soulbury constitution ushered in Dominion status, with independence proclaimed on 4 February 1948. Sir D. S. Senanayake became the first Prime Minister of Ceylon. Prominent Tamil leaders like Ponnambalam and Arunachalam Mahadeva joined his cabinet. The British Royal Navy remained stationed at Trincomalee until 1956. A countrywide popular demonstration against withdrawal of the rice ration, known as Hartal 1953, resulted in the resignation of prime minister Dudley Senanayake. S. W. R. D. Bandaranayke was elected prime minister in 1956. His three-year rule had a profound impact, through his self-proclaimed role of defender of the besieged Sinhalese culture. He introduced the controversial Sinhala Only Act, recognizing Sinhala as the only official language of the government. Although partially reversed in 1958, the bill posed a grave concern for the Tamil community, which perceived in it a threat to their language and culture. The Federal Party (FP) launched a movement of non-violen t resistance (satyagraha) against the bill, which prompted Bandaranayake to reach an agreement (Bandaranayake-Chelvanayakam Pact) with S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, leader of the FP, to resolve the looming ethnic conflict. However the pact proved ineffective in the face of ongoing protests by opposition and the Buddhist clergy. The bill, together with various government colonization schemes, contributed much towards the political rancour between Sinhalese and Tamil political leaders. Bandaranayake was assassinated by an extremist Buddhist monk in 1959. Madam Sirimavo Bandaranayake, the widow of late S. W. R. D. Bandaranayake, took office as prime minister in 1960, and She was the first lady prime minister in the world. During her second term as prime minister, the government instituted socialist economic policies, strengthening ties with the Soviet Union and China, while promoting a policy of non-alignment. In 1971, Ceylon experienced a Marxist insurrection, which was quickly suppressed. In 1972, the country became a republic named Sri Lanka, repudiating its dominion status. From 1983, ethnic tensions were manifested in on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Because of this (LTTE) tigers so many bombs were blasted and result of that lots of Political Leaders, Celebrities, and Civilians were dead. In 2009, under the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa the Sri Lanka Armed Forces defeated the LTTE, and re-established control of the entire country by the Sri Lankan Government. Finally Sri Lanka has emerged from its 26-year war to become one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Geography The island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central port. The highest point piduruthalagala, reaching 2,524 meters (8,281 ft) above sea level. The climate is tropical and warm, due to the moderating effect of ocean winds. Mean temperature ranges from 17 Â °C (62.6 Â °F) in the central highlands, where frost may occur for several days in the winter, to a maximum of 33 Â °C (91.4 Â °F) in other low-altitude areas. In Sri Lanka rainfall pattern is influenced by monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The longest of the 103 rivers in the country is Mahaweli River, covering 335 kilometers (208 mi). These waterways give rise to 51 natural waterfalls of 10 meters or more. The highest is Bambarakanda Falls, with a height of 263 meters (863 ft). Sri Lanka inherits 45 estuaries and 40 lagoons too. The island is rich with minerals such as Ilmenite, Feldspar, Graphite, Silica, Kaolin, Mica and Thorium. Flora and Fauna Lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, Sri Lanka is one of 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Although the country is relatively small in size, it has the highest biodiversity density in Asia. Remarkably high proportion of the species among its flora and fauna, 27% of the 3,210 flowering plants and 22% of the mammals, are endemic. Sri Lanka has declared 24 wildlife reserves, which are home to a wide range of native species such as Asian elephants, leopards, sloth bears, the unique small lories, a variety of deer, the purple-faced langur, the endangered wild boar, porcupines and anteaters. Among the trees of the dry-land forests are valuable species such as satinwood, ebony, ironwood, mahogany and teak. These are the famous National Parks in Sri Lanka Yala, Wilpaththu, Sinharaja, Udawalawa and Kumana Bird Sanctuary. Politics Sri Lanka is the oldest democracy in South Asia. The Donoughmore Constitution, drafted by the Donoughmore Commission in 1931 enabled general elections with adult universal suffrage (universal adult franchise) in the country. It was the first time a non-Caucasian country within the empires of Western Europe was given one man, one vote and the power to control domestic affairs. The first election under the universal adult franchise, held in June 1931, was for the Ceylon State Council. Sir D. B. Jayatilaka was elected as the Leader of the House. In 1944, the Soulbury Commission was appointed to draft a new constitution. During this time, struggle for Independence was fought on constitutionalist lines under the leadership of D. S. Senanayake. The draft constitution was enacted in the same year and Senanayake was appointed as the Prime Minister from the parliamentary election in 1947. The Soulbury constitution ushered in Dominion status and Independence to Sri Lanka in 1948. Current politics in Sri Lanka is a contest between two rival coalitions led by the centre-leftist and progressivity United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), an offspring of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and the comparatively right-wing and pro-capitalist United National Party (UNP). Sri Lanka is essentially a multi-party democracy with many smaller Buddhist, socialist and Tamil nationalist political parties. Rest of other parties are Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. Government National Symbols of Sri Lanka Flag Lion Flag Emblem- Gold Lion Passant Anthem- Sri Lanka Matha Butterfly- Troides darsius Bird- Sri Lanka Jungle fowl Flower- Red and Blue Water Lily Tree- Ceylon Ironwood (Na) Sport- Volleyball Sri Lanka is a democratic republic and a unitary state which is governed by a semi-presidential system, with a mixture of a presidential system and a parliamentary system. It constitutes a parliamentary system governed under the constitution. Most provisions of the constitution can be amended by a two-thirds majority in parliament. However, the amendment of certain basic features such as the clauses on language, religion, and reference to Sri Lanka as a unitary state require both two-thirds majority and approval at a nation-wide referendum. Economy According to the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lanka has a yearly gross domestic output of US$59 billion as of 2010. It has a GDP of US$116 billion in terms of purchasing power parity. Sri Lanka is next only to Maldives in the South Asian region in terms of per capita income, with a nominal value of US$2,877 and PPP value of US$5,673. It recorded a GDP growth of 8.3% in 2011. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Sri Lanka became a plantation economy, famous for its production and export of cinnamon, rubber and Ceylon tea, which remains a trademark national export. The development of modern ports under British rule raised the strategic importance of the island as a centre of trade. From 1948 to 1977 socialism strongly influenced the governments economic policies. Colonial plantations were dismantled, industries were nationalized and a welfare state established. In 1977 the free market economy was introduced to the country, incorporating privatization, deregulation and the promotion of private enterprise. While the production and export of tea, rubber, coffee, sugar and other commodities remain important, industrialization has increased the importance of food processing, textiles, telecommunications and finance. Main economic sectors of the country are tourism, tea export, clothing, rice production and other agricultural products. In addition to these economic sectors, overseas employment contributes highly in foreign exchange, most of them from the Middle East. The Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum has listed Sri Lanka as a transitive economy, from factor-driven stage to efficiency-driven stage, ranking 52nd in the global competitiveness. It also ranked 45th in health and primary education, 32nd in business sophistication, 42nd in innovation and 41st in goods market efficiency out of the 142 countries surveyed. Education With a literacy rate of 92.5%, Sri Lanka has one of the most literate populations amongst developing nations. Its youth literacy rate stands at 98%, computer literacy rate at 35%, and primary school enrolment rate at over 99%. An education system which dictates 9 years of compulsory schooling for every child is in place. The free education system established in 1945 is a result of the initiative of C. W. W. Kannangara (Father of Free Education) and A. Ratnayake. It is one of the few countries in the world that provide universal free education from primary to tertiary stage. Brief Information about Performing Arts in Sri Lanka Cinema of Sri Lanka- Kadawunu Poronduwa (The Broken Promise) heralded the coming of Sri Lankan cinema in 1947. Ranmuthu Duwa (Island of treasures, 1962) marked the transition cinema from black-and-white to colour. The Music in Sri Lanka-it came from theatrical performances such as Sokari, Kolam and Nadagam. Traditional Music instruments such as Bera, Thammattama, Daula, Rabana, Thalampata and etc. The Dancing in Sri Lanka- There are three main styles of Sri Lankan classical dance such as Kandyan Dancing (Hill country), Pahatharata (Low country), and Sabaragamu. The history of Sri Lankan painting and sculpture can be traced as far back as to the 2nd or 3rd century BC. The earliest mention about the art of painting on Mahavasama is to the drawing of a palace on cloth using cinnabar in the 2nd century BC. The chronicles have description of various paintings in relic-chambers of Buddhist stupas, and in monastic residence. Culture, Food and Festivals Culture The culture of Sri Lanka dates back over 2500 years. It is influenced primarily by Buddhism and Hinduism. Ancient Sri Lanka is marked for its genius in hydraulic engineering and architecture. The rich cultural traditions shared by all Sri Lankan cultures is the basis of the countrys long life expectancy, advanced health standards and high literacy rate. Food Sri Lankans staple food is Rice but in every special movement, Sri Lankans make Kiri Bath (Milk Rice) and Lunumiris. There are so many delicious dishes in this country such as rice and curry, pittu, whole meat Roti, hoppers,String hoppers, wattalapam (special pudding), koththu and Jackfruit. Traditionally food is served on a plantain leaf. Moors special dish is Biriyani, Catholics-Christmas Cake, Hindus- Specially Veg meal. Festivals In April, Sri Lankans celebrate the Buddhist and Hindu New Year festival. In addition, Esala Perahera, a symbolic Buddhist festival consisting of dances and richly decorated elephants, is held in Kandy, during the month of August. Fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances are integral parts of the festival. Tamils celebrate Thai Pongal, Maha Shivaratri, Catholics celebrate Christmas, Good Friday and Muslims celebrate Hajj, Ramadan in their respective days of the year. Media Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (formerly Radio Ceylon) is the oldest-running radio station in Asia, established in 1923 by Edward Harper just three years after broadcasting began in Europe. The station broadcasts services in Sinhalese, Tamil, English and Hindi. Since the 1980s, a large number of private radio stations have also been introduced. Broadcast television was introduced to the country in 1979 when the Independent Television Network was launched. Initially all Television stations were state controlled, but private television networks began broadcasts in 1992. As of 2010, 51 newspapers (30 Sinhala, 10 Tamil, 11 English) are published and 34 TV stations and 52 radio stations are in operation. Sports While the national sport in Sri Lanka is Volleyball by far the most popular sport in the country is cricket. Rugby union also enjoys extensive popularity. As do athletics, Football (soccer) and Tennis. Sri Lanka national cricket world cup won 1996. Former Sri Lankan off spinner Muththaiah Muralitharan been rated as greatest Test Match Cricketers Almanac. Sri Lanka also wins so many medals in Olympic Games. Aquatic sports such as Boating, Surfing, Swimming, kite surfing and Scuba-diving on the coastal, the beaches and backwaters attract a large number of Sir Lanka and foreign tourists. There are two styles of martial arts native to Sri Lanka, Cheena di and Angampora.

Rise of US to power during the 20th century Essay -- essays research p

The U.S. Rise   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were many factors that contributed to the United States’ rise and roles as a world power during the early 20th century. Presidential policies during this time period were the foundation of the U.S.’s role as a world power. The conflict in the Philippines was evidence of the U.S.’s ability to crush uprising and control a territory. The Spanish-American War demonstrates the U.S.’s role as a world power. Although the U.S. was only about a century old it’s influence drastically affected the whole world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Presidents during the 20th century developed and relied on many different policies involving foreign relations. President Roosevelt’s policy was â€Å"Speak softly and carry a big stick: you will go far.† He applied this African proverb in Latin American relations and acted as a sort of â€Å"international police officer.† Taft’s â€Å"Dollar Diplomacy† advised American businesses to invest wherever their products are sold. President Wilson believed that the U.S. was the champion democracy, and whenever the U.S. could instill democracy or help out, it should. This policy was called â€Å"Moral Diplomacy.† Presidential policies kept the U.S. involved in foreign affairs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Commodore Dewey had captured the Philippines an uproar tested the power of the U.S. After debate, the U.S. decided to annex and hold off the independence that the Philippines had waited so long for. The U.S. used crue...

Wright Brothers Essay -- American Aeronautics, Invention, Flight

The brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright, possibly the two most renowned representatives of American aeronautics, were the first to experience controlled, continuous flight of a powered airplane in history. Despite being autodidactic in the area of engineering, the duo proved to be extraordinarily successful, testing and refining their strategies to overcome successive challenges that arose with the building of a plane (Crouch 226). The two were so far ahead in the race for flight that they even anticipated and found solutions to problems that more learned scientists could not have even begun to predict. Successful, man-controlled, powered flight was a fundamental turning point in history; it transformed the methods of how the United States fought its battles, powered developmental and technological change, revolutionized travel and trade, and provided help in forming the world into what it is today. Wilbur and Orville Wright grew up in Dayton, Ohio, in a home that allowed for the two to pursue their intellectual interests. The boys’ parents, Milton and Susan Wright, allowed their children to follow their creative instincts, and helped filter their energy into being creative. Mrs. Wright was a top mathematician in her class and very creative herself; she assembled many household appliances and even built playthings for her children (Garber 1). Both Wilbur and Orville frequently requested help from their mother for counsel on any problems they encountered in their undertakings as children. Their father, Bishop Milton Wright, who would normally bring home toys to help spark their creative interests, gave the two brothers their first material inspiration, a rubber band toy helicopter, early on in childhood (Garber 1). They created ma... ...se across the globe, only taking a few days for the packages to arrive at their destination. Since the time of the World Wars and the Wright brothers, aviation has become a huge part of global society. The Orville and Wilbur Wright’s names will forever be remembered into United States history as the first men who were the first to fully realized human flight. Their successful invention of a working, powered airplane brought about whole new ways of wars, including new strategies for both offense and defense. Many technological advances might not have occurred without the need for new weapons and systems for airplanes. Travel and commerce would be much slower without the usage of airplanes. Orville and Wilbur have made a lasting impact on the world with their invention of a working, human-controlled, powered airplane; who knows what the world would be without it.

Reflection by Christina Aguilera & Song Birds of Pain by Garry Kilworth

The Songbirds of Pain by Garry Kilworth and Reflection by Christina Aguilera shares the same theme of â€Å"finding one’s self (identity)†, the subject of both the selection and the song has been expected to act in ways which are opposite or afar from their true personalities. The Songbirds of Pain is about a woman who has her identity created for her, while Reflection is about a girl who was hiding who she was in order to reach the expectations of the people surrounding her. I have related some of the song’s stanzas to the event or occurrences that happened to Anita in the Songbirds of Pain.In the song Reflection on the first 4 lines â€Å"Look at me, you may think you see who I really am, but you’ll never know me. † I have related these lines in Songbirds of Pain because Anita (the protagonist) has had her identity created for her by Philip. Philip, Anita’s lover, has molded her to be someone who he wants to be with. He did not really know Anita from who she really is because (1) Anita was young when he met her and she has not found herself yet, and (2) he chooses to see what he wants to see and not what things really are.Anita did not complain about this, she did not mind that her opinions were just barrowed from Philip but then she had come to realize that one day Philip would leave her, and she would not have anything, except her beauty. But beauty fades away with youth, and she is growing older so she have decided to have an operation that will make her more beautiful and that will make her beauty last longer. In the third stanza â€Å"I am now, in a world where I have to hide my heart and what I believe in. But somehow I will show the world what's inside my heart and be loved for who I am†.Anita has this identity where she cannot show what she really feels and thinks. I think that Anita wanted an operation not just because she wanted everlasting beauty but because she wanted to finally show who she really is, I think she want to know what will happen if things in her life happened differently. Like what if, before Philip found her, she has already found herself? I think that she wants to use this opportunity to find out if Philip would still love her or if things would be the same as it was. In the sixth stanza â€Å"There's a heart that must be free to fly that burns with a need to know the reason why†.I think that when Anita was at Algarez, Brazil for her operation she felt free, because for the first time she has finally made a decision for herself. Even though she had second thoughts about the operation she still pushed it through, because I think that Anita felt that she needs to do this for herself and for her own good, and I think that she is testing herself if she could make the right choices for herself or choices that will make her feel satisfied and happy. In the last stanza â€Å"Why must we all conceal what we think and how we feel? Must there be a secret me I'm forced to hide?I won't pretend that I'm someone else for all time. When will my reflection show who I am inside? When will my reflection show who I am inside? † In the end Anita found herself, her world and she used pain (due to the operations) to get there. Secretly she loved that world, because she was herself, she did not have to act in ways that other people (Philip) expects her to be. She hid her love for pain, I do not think that she was proud of it, but she was able to fake just enough to go back to London. Philip was waiting for Anita at the Airport; he was waiting for Anita to arrive.When Anita saw Philip she felt how much she loves him, and what pain she will experience if she loses him. Pain, Anita has learned to love pain, and Anita was leaving Philip for the pain that it will cost her. She will be in pain, but at the same time she would be herself, forever. She would be in the world of Anita where â€Å"She was the sun, the moon, the stars, the Earth. She was voi d, she was matter, she was light. † She is going to be the center of her own universe. Anita has been a naive girl from the start of the selection but her character evolved after a series of occurrences that have been life changing for her.She managed to found herself even though it took her a long time. Like in the song Reflection, the subject was able to justify that she wants to be seen and to break free from the status quo that is holding her. The moral of this is; you should show who you really are and do not think that it’s too late because as the saying goes â€Å"it’s better late than never†. And do not expect that the path would not be rocky because it is always hard to get something that is worthwhile. We just have to be patient.

Swimming Sport How Import

Student Name: Fatma Mohamed Hany Swimming Sport Swimming sport is one of the best sports which have a lot of advantages and few disadvantages. It is useful to any one and healthy, but it needs some conditions in order to be able to reduce or avoid its disadvantages. Swimming as a sport is considered healthy which can be continued for a lifetime. It is good for heart, muscle tone, and maintain healthy joints. Any person can start learning swimming at young age and continue use this sport to the last day in his or her life. Also, it cools you off, especially in summer when the weather is hot and humid. In addition to that swimming is a great exercise without the weight pounding you. It is nice for any one and it calms you. It is good as a recreational activity. It helps in building character such as time management and discipline. It builds endurance, fitness and muscles strength. It makes your body flexible and comfortable. It puts very little stress on joints and does need strong muscle to play it. Therefore, it is good for you mental health because it calms you. It does help you lose weight when person swims faster a little bit. One more advantage, it reduces the risk of drowning. In the matter of facts I found that there are no major disadvantages for the swimming sports. If you do mined not having darker skin, it cause tanned body. It does a little to lose weight, because swimming is water based exercise. If you swim in a chlorinated pool be aware that you are absorbing a lot of the chemical through your skin. Public pools are not always clean. The contaminated water makes your skin dirt. That means you stop burning calories once you leave water owning to its cooling effect. Therefore, it is important to alternate other sports such as running or bicycling to sustain weight loss. One more disadvantage for many people that is caused damaged hair. Finally, I prefer swimming sport because it is safe, easy to me. It is not risky as karate, boxing or horseback riding. I consider swimming the best summer sport of all.

Employment Law and Labor Relations Issues Essay

Equal opportunity is a descriptive term for an approach intended to give equal access to an environment or benefits, such as education, employment, health care, or social welfare to all, often with emphasis on members of various social groups which might have at some time suffered from discrimination. This can involve the hiring of workers and other such practices. Social groupings generally emphasized in such a way are those delineated by aspects of gender, race, or religion. In my workplace the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy is posted on almost every wall in the building. There are several issues that need to be addressed in my workplace. I work for a not-for-profit agency contracted with the Florida Department of Children and Families. We are an agency that tries to help families reunite once they have entered into the Family Law system. My job as a social worker is to promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients. â€Å"Clients† is used inclusively to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. These activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation, administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and implementation, education, and research and evaluation. Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. Social workers also seek to promote the responsiveness of organizations, communities, and other social institutions to individuals’ needs and social problems. The main issue that needs to be addressed within my company is some issues pertaining to the Fair Labor Standards Act, holiday pay, and having an Human Resources Representative at our local site. I believe that my organization needs to take the time to explain to its employees what their rights are and what the laws of the state require. The Human Resource department for our agency is run out of Bethesda, Maryland. So every issue and or concern has to go through them. Because of the distance, it is very hard and time consuming for local employees at this agency to get things done in a timely manner, so a lot of things that should be addressed at employee orientation are not addressed until maybe the third month of employment when the HR administrator decides to take a trip to Florida. There are a lot of questions that we as employees have about holiday pay practices and what are the legal requirements. For example, I did not know that an employer is obligated to provide reasonable accommodation for the religious practices of its employees, unless it can show that the accommodation would result in undue hardship for its business. Many employers offer a â€Å"floating holiday† in addition to the regularly scheduled holidays. This allows an employee to take time off for religious observances that are not covered by the employer’s established holiday schedule. Courts addressing the issue of religious accommodation generally agree that unpaid time off can be a reasonable accommodation, as can allowing an employee to use a vacation day to observe a religious holiday. Generally, employers require that floating holidays be taken in the same year they are granted and do not allow these days to be carried over into the next year. Employees usually are required to give adequate advance notice of their intention to take a floating holiday. I also did not know that an employer doe s not have to pay hourly employees for time off on a holiday. An employer is only required to pay hourly employees for time actually worked. On the other hand, exempt employees (salaried employees who do not receive overtime), who are given the day off, must be paid their full weekly salary if they work any hours during the week in which the holiday falls. This requirement for exempt employees did not change under the new federal overtime regulations. Both of these statements can be very helpful when our employees what to take some time off or just to check to make sure they are treated fairly. There are a handful of labor laws that do generally protect U.S. workers. It’s probably fair to say that most employers adhere to these basic laws, because they’d be foolish not to if they want to stay out of court. But, that’s typically at the HR and legal-department levels, where the employees are properly trained in such matters. Companies are also made up of other employees, who might never have heard of labor laws or fully understand their significance. That’s one way problems occur, especially if HR and legal departments don’t bother to properly train those in control, like jerky bosses. Another way problems occur is that, for obvious legal reasons, HR and legal departments are unlikely to openly admit that employee complaints and accusations have merit, and the company is  liable. Worse, they might even protect the perpetrators more than the victims. In conclusion, it is very important that companies keep their policies up-to-date and follow them. Written policies tell your employees how they can expect to be treated and give you guidelines for applying the policies consistently. However, the policies must comply with legal requirements and you must follow them, or they may be used against you as evidence of violations of the law. Having these problems addressed in my organization could help it many ways, starting with establishing a good relationship between upper management and current employees and also establishing a steady line of communication. But this issue cannot be addressed until a local Human Resources department is establish at every local office so if employees do have question about employment law or current labor relation issues they can be addressed right then and there.

Vygotsky Learning Theory

Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky developed a learning theory for education based on one’s culture in the 1920s and 1930s. Even without a psychology background, he became fascinated by the subject. During his short life, he was influenced by the great social and political upheaval of the Marxist Revolution. After his death in 1934, his ideas were rejected by the U. S. S. R. and only resurfaced after the Cold War ended in 1991. Vygotsky’s theory has exceedingly influenced education in Russia and in other countries. Lev Vygotsky was born in Orsha, Western Russia, which is now Belarus in 1896.Vygotsky was born into a typical middle-class Jewish family and grew up in a predominantly Jewish town of Gomel, roughly four hundred miles from Moscow (Kouzlin, 1990). He studied and graduated law from the University of Moscow on a Jewish scholarship. After graduation, he prepared his first research project in the psychology field in 1925 with The Psychology of Art, which was not published un til the 1960s. Some time later, he became a psychologist working with Alexandar Luria and Alexei Leontiev (Gallagher, 1999). Lev Vygotsky’s socioculture theory begs to answer the question: What is culture and why is it important to a child’s learning.Dr. Diane Bukatko, psychology professor, says culture is â€Å"the many facets of the environment that humans have created and continue to produce. . . But even more importantly, culture includes language and the practices, values, and beliefs accumulated and communicated from one generation to the next† (Bukatko, 2004). Vygotsky’s theory places an emphasis on the learner’s culture. Vygotsky believed that the â€Å"child’s cognitive growth must be understood in the content of the culture in which he or she lives† (Bukatko, 2004).That is to say, he believed that a child is shaped by his or her own culture. Vygotsky believed that the social activity with â€Å"children, caregivers, peers, and tutors cultivate in them the particular skills and abilities their cultural group values† (Bukatko, 2004). This social activity is the backbone to his theory. Vygotsky had two main theories of cognitive development: the More Knowledgeable Other and the Zone of Proximal Development. The More Knowledgeable Other simply means that this is a person that has a higher understanding that the learner.This may be teacher to student or it can be student to student. Vygotsky’s other major theory, Zone of Proximal Development is the â€Å"span or disparity between what children are able to do without the assistance of others and what they are often able to accomplish by having someone more expect assist them at key points† (Bukatko, 2004). Vygotsky believed that the most effective instruction took place just slightly above the learner’s current ability. There was a study done in which children were asked which items of wooden furniture when into a doll house.Some children were allowed to play with their mother, the More Knowledgable Other, before they attempted it alone, while others were only allowed to do it by themselves. It was found that those who had previously worked with a More Knowledgable Other showed greatest improvement with their attempt than those who did not (McLeod, 2007). The most important of Vygotsky’s theories in regards to education is his Zone of Proximal Development. It gives the educator a scale defining what the learner is able to achieve with or without assistance and exactly at what level he or she can attain.Based on his ZPD, Vygotsky believed that play is a â€Å"vehicle for a child behaving more maturely than at other times† and in play â€Å"children can work at the top of their Zone of Proximal Development† (Vygotsky, 1978). Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development shows what a child can learn with assistance. This can be a great tool in the teacher’s proverbial toolbox. His t heories also gives a great understanding in children learning from each other and from the teacher based on the More Knowledgeable Other and sociocultural understanding.Language and thought is sometimes believed to develop together. A child knows what a cat is before he can actually say the word. If the parent asks the child where the cat is, the child is able to point and correctly label the cat (assuming they have a cat as a pet, of course). This is directly in opposition to his idea that the child must know the spoken word â€Å"cat† before the child learns the concept. Vygotsky also believed that one’s culture is the defining growth characteristic in language and development. However, his theory states little on biological factors.