Early Childhood...learning through play Assignment

Early Childhood...learning through play - Assignment Example Generally, play performs an important role in children development. Role of play in Child Development According to Johnson et al., (2004), play is necessary in development because it generates cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of children. Through play, children employ their creativity in developing their imagination, skills and physical, emotional, and cognitive powers. Children participate and interact in the world around them via play. In addition, play enables children to discover and generate ideas that they can master by practicing adult roles without fear (Ginsburg, 2007). Children’s development needs such as enhanced self-confidence and resiliency for future challenges are obtained through play as they posses knowledge about practical issues. Play enables children develop teamwork through learning how to participate in groups and to share. Play enhances children’s ability to learn how to settle and resolve conflicts, and understand self-advoca cy abilities. However, Ginsburg, (2007) argue that if play is permitted to be self-driven, children perform decision-making skills, establish their own areas of interest, and involve themselves in the passions they desire to practice in future. Moreover, play also builds energetic and healthy bodies. Development needs such as speech and language skills are met through child play. Play also gives opportunities for children to practice listening. However, children reinforce their language skills by replicating other children and adults. Considering that, the play is companion based, children talk and listen to each other in the course of playing. Social interaction skills and competence are developed through play. Johnson et al., (2004) claim that imaginative play and role-playing assist in brain development. Play facilitates brain development by inspiring the brain through configuration of connections between nerve cells. Children who participate in plays exhibit high levels of inter action than those who do not. Play is critical in children’s academic environment. Ginsburg, (2007), argues that play makes certain that school setting focus on social, emotional and cognitive development. Children are able to adjust to the school settings and develop their learning readiness and behaviors through play. Use and Value of Play within the Program Play is valued and used in early childhood development program by having child advocates who should consider all the factors, which interfere with optimal development and establish situation that enable children benefits of play since every child deserves the right to their exceptional prospective (Ginsburg, 2007). Play enhances children problem-solving skills for example, children playing games and puzzles boost their problem-solving abilities. In addition, children learn several roles of family members through play. For example pretending to be the father or mother in a play role enables the children understand the ro le of father and mother in a family. Role of the Environment in Support of Play Environment facilitates children development through learning and play. According to Malone et al., (2003), the best play environments for children are those established considering children’s natural play needs and play behavior involved in at diverse developmental eras, involving social, physical, and cognitive types of play. The method in which the environment is designed and configured manipulates children’

Suicide terrorism

Suicide terrorism Suicide terrorists are said to be fanatics. Discuss this statement with regard to the analysis of suicide terrorism and Asymmetric warfare. This paper is a discussion on modern suicide terrorism, starting with a brief history of suicide terrorism, moving onto definitions, characteristics, theories and the asymmetries of suicide terrorism. Suicide terrorism can be dated back to ancient times; it is the evolution of the suicide bomber that brings the most notoriety. With many analysts such as (Gunaratna, 2000; Winkates, 2006), trace the evolution of modern suicide terrorism to Sri Lanka and Lebanon in the 1980s. Acts of suicide terrorism in the past have been relatively confined and their use limited to a small number of locations around the world. In the last decade there has been a significant expansion in the scope and frequency of suicide terrorist attacks. The number of terrorist attacks fell from 660 in 1988 to 250 in 1998; the number of suicide terrorist attacks was climbing rapidly (Clayton, 2003, p. 18). This increase in suicide attacks during the period 2000-2005 is 2.7 times greater in comparison to the period b eginning in the 1980s and lasting until 1999 (Pedahzur Perlinger, 2006, p. 1987). During the period 2000-2009 the scope of suicide terrorism expanded dramatically, with suicide terrorist attacks in Indonesia (Bali), Sri Lanka, Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United States, England, Spain, Russia, Chechnya and Bangladesh. Although there have been suicide attacks within the west, it is the rapid increase of attacks within countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq that is the notable with a year on year increase. Saudi Arabia became so alarmed with the rise in suicide terrorism that in April of 2006 the Saudi government announced plans to build a multibillion-dollar electrified fence along its 560 mile border with Iraq (Dreazen Shiskin, 2006, p. A1). According to ISAF, in 2008 suicide bombings increased 26 percent from 2007(ISAF, 2009, toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan, January 2009). There has also been a noticeable change in the individuals who carry out suicide attacks, once seen as mainly carried out by you ng men for either Religious or political reasons and yet there has been an increase in the number of women and children now playing an increasing part in suicide missions . One of the latest attacks took place on the Moscow subway, killing 35 and wounding many more; both of these attack where carried out by female suicide bombers. Suicide terrorism can be seen as inexpensive, deadly, and especially effective in accomplishing terrorists goals (Hoffman, 2003, p. 1; Jalalzai, 2005, p.110) attacks have also become increasingly effective in terms of the destruction they cause and the number of people they kill, as the suicide terrorists adopt new innovations such as explosive vests (Gall, 2006, p. A15).There is an asymmetry within suicide terrorist attacks, western countries have a reliance upon smart weapons in the conflict against those seen as terrorists. These weapons can cause huge amounts of damage without the need to directly attack the enemy with ground troops, thus lessoning the casualties sustained during combat operations. The use of a suicide bomber in effect becomes the human equivalent to the smart bomb. The weapon is self directing to the target, it can make changes to the target location, timing and delivery method on an ad hoc bases making the suicide bomber the ultimate smart bomb (Hoffman 2003). The use the human body as a weapon is not a new phenomenon being well documented through the ages. Pape (2005, p.11) calls the Zealots and the Sicarii the worlds first suicide terrorists. The name sicarrii means dagger-men, who would infiltrate Roman-controlled cities and stab Jewish collaborators or Roman legionnaires with a sica, kidnap the staff of the Temple Guard for ransom, or poison their enemies (Bloom, 2005, p. 8). The Zealots and Sicarii used violence to encourage public uprising, including the Jewish War of AD 66. They would attack their victims in broad daylight and in highly public places with little apparent regard for their own safety or escape. Pape (2005) notes that many of these attacks must have been suicide missions, since the killers were often immediately captured and put to death typically tortured and then crucified or burned alive (p. 12). Assassins were an 11th 12th century Shia Muslim sect from the Nizari state, their name, the assassins comes from the Arabic word hashishiyyin. According to Pape (2005), the Assassins created an effective organization f or the planned, systematic, and long-term use of political murder that relied on suicide missions for success. Pape (2005) reports that between 1945 and 1980, suicide attacks temporarily disappeared from the world scene (p.13). Pape (2005) and others (Laqueur, 2003) note the occurrence of politically- and/or religiously driven hunger strikes and suicides (particularly self-immolations) during this period but Pape (2005) claims there is not a single recorded instance of a suicide terrorist killing others while killing himself (p. 13). Reuter (2004) disagrees, citing a pro-Palestinian Japanese Red Army-sponsored attack on Israels Ben Gurion International Airport on May 20, 1972. In what Reuter (2004) notes as the first suicide attacks in the Middle East, on this day three Japanese gunmen with machine guns killed twenty-four people at the airport. They made no effort to escape, and two were shot dead by the airport guard (Reuter, 2004, p. 136). Inspired by Irans use of human minesweepers against Iraq, Hizbollah, launched a series of attacks against Western and Israeli targets in Lebanon (Winkates, 2006, p. 92). Hizbollah suicide attackers killed 80 and wounded 142 in its April 1983 attack on the American Embassy in Beirut, killed 241 and wounded 81 in its October 1983 attack on the US Marine headquarters near Beirut and its attack against the French Multinational Force, killed 58 and wounded 15 (Winkates, 2006, p. 92). In November 1983, Hizbollah suicide terrorists killed 88 and wounded 69 in an attack on the Israeli Defence Force headquarters in Tyre and a month later killed four and wounded 15 in an attack on the American Embassy in Kuwait (Winkates, 2006, p. 92). Sprinzak (2000) notes that Hizbollah leaders were initially very uneasy about the decision to launch suicide attacks, under the reasoning that Islam does not approve of believers taking their own lives. Hezbollahs spectacular success at achieving its goals of ex pelling foreign forces from all of Lebanon inspired other organizations such as Hamas, Tamil Tigers and al-Qaeda to adopt the suicide terrorist method of attack (Pape, 2005, p. 14). The Tamil Tigers were founded in 1972 as a Marxist, ethnic Tamil, Hindu separatist group seeking independence from the Sinhalese Buddhist majority in Sri Lanka. Their Black Tiger division trained to launch suicide attacks against Sri Lankan political leaders, military targets and civilians (Pape, 2005; Winkates, 2006). Hafez (2006) observed that outside of the Middle East, the Tamil Tigers have led the pack in the number and sophistication of suicide missions. It is estimated that the organization completed some 250 successful suicide attacks between 1987 and 2006 (Hafez, 2006, p. 5). In the early 2000s, ethno nationalist and Islamist Chechens began launching suicide attacks against Russian targets (Hafez, 2006, p. 5). Al Qaeda began launching attacks against American and Saudi targets in the Middle East in the mid-1990s. Al Qaedas spectacular entry into the suicide terrorist hall of fame occurred on August 7, 1998 when suicide terrorists used two delivery trucks loaded with explosives to blow up within minutes of each other, the American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing a total of 224 people and injuring more than 4,300 persons (Reuter, 2004, p. 142). A little more than two years later, in October of 2000, Al Qaeda suicide bombers detonated 225 kg of explosive charges alongside the American destroyer, the USS Cole on a refuelling stop in the Yemeni port of Aden, killing 17 American sailors and injuring forty. A year later, Al Qaeda suicide terrorists launched their principal suicide operation and what is described as one of the big gest single suicide terrorist action to date, the 9/11 attacks in the United States, killing about 3,000 (Reuter, 2004, p. 144). This attack lead to explanations of suicide terrorism becoming defined as, first, that the suicide terrorist was irrational and/or mentally ill (Brym Araj, 2006; Pastor, 2004; Wintrobe, 2003).Secondly that the deprivation hypothesis this theory uses the explanation that that suicide terrorists were educationally, economically or otherwise deprived compared to their peers (Brym Araj, 2006; Krueger Maleckova, 2002 .In recent years the Bush Administration has advanced both of these theories in some of its anti-terrorist expression. President Bush repeatedly spoke out against the evil and irrational terrorists who commit these actions. The Bush Administration argued that poverty reduction programs in terrorism-prone regions will reduce the incidence of suicide terrorism (Pastor, 2004; Pape, 2005). Numerous studies have found little or no support for these t wo theories of suicide terrorism, recent studies have provided evidence which directly refutes these theories. Krueger Maleckovas, study in 2002, on the economics and education of suicide bombers directly refutes the deprivation hypothesis of suicide terrorism. Krueger Maleckova 2002 concluded that, the evidence that we have assembled and reviewed suggests that there is little direct connection between poverty, education, and participation in or support for terrorism. Indeed, the available evidence indicates that compared with the relevant population, participantswere at least as likely to come from economically advantaged families and to have a relatively high level of education as they were to come from impoverished families without educational opportunities (Krueger Maleckova 2002 p. 9). Numerous studies have established that overall, suicide terrorists do not suffer from personality disorders or mental illnesses which would explain their participation in suicide terrorism (Berko Erez, 2005). As Wintrobe 2003 argued, it is possible to explain suicide terrorist acts in rational choice terms, and that, while such acts are indeed extreme, they are merely an extreme example of a general class of behaviour in which all of us engage (Wintrobe 2003 p. 2). Explaining that, suicide terrorist is not necessarily irrational. A third theory of suicide terrorism focuses on the influence of culture, especially religious culture, on suicide terrorists (Brym Araj, 2006). These explanations have often been used to explain suicide terrorism among Shia Muslims, based on the tradition of the cult of sacrifice (Hafez, 2006; Bloom, 2005). Although this fails to explain the existence of suicide terrorism among cultures and religions with no established cult of sacrifice and it cannot suff iciently explain suicide terrorism among secular, nationalist groups (Pape, 2005; Hoffman, 2003). Furthermore, as Brym Araj 2006 point to, while such cultural resources likely increase the probability that some groups will engage in suicide attacks, one must be careful not to exaggerate their significance. One difficulty with the clash of civilizations argument is that public opinion polls show that Arabs in the Middle East hold strongly favourable attitudes toward American science and technology, freedom and democracy, education, movies and television, and largely favourable attitudes toward the American people. They hold strongly negative attitudes only toward American Middle East policy. This is less evident of a clash of civilizations than a deep political disagreement (Brym Araj 2006 p. 1973). A more recent theory of suicide terrorism has been offered by Robert Pape (2003, 2005). Based on his analysis of suicide terrorism from 1980 through 2004, Pape presented a three-part model describing the causal logic of suicide terrorism. Papes theory de-emphasizes the role of religion including Islamic fundamentalism and focuses on the role of terrorist organization strategy and secular nationalist objectives. Pape argues that suicide terrorism follows a strategic logic aimed at political coercion (Pape, 2005, p. 21). Pape argues that suicide terrorism is part of an organizations broader campaign to achieve political objectives, usually in response to a foreign occupation. Pape goes on to argue that suicide terrorism also follows a social logic since terrorist organizations often command broad social support within the national communities from which they recruit (Pape, 2005, p. 22). A number of analysts, including Bruce Hoffman (1998, 2003) have advanced explanations of suicide terrorism which propose rationale-choice models emphasizing the role of organizational factors that support Papes theory. Theorists have argued that Papes theory is overly simplistic (Atran, 2006; Bloom, 2005; Brym Araj, 2006). Brym Araj 2006 argues that strategic thinking is only one element that may combine with others in the creation of a suicide bomber (Brym Araj 2006 p. 1972). Atran has recently challenged Papes theory on a number of points, including Papes sampling methods which completely discount the explosion of suicide terrorism in Iraq (Pape 2005, p. 130). Atran calls into question Papes dismissal of the role of ideology and religious fundamentalism as well as his assessments of the effectiveness of suicide terrorism (Atran, 2006, p. 132). Other recently emerging theories of suicide terrorism include Pedahzur Perlingers 2006 social network perspective explaining suicide ter rorism in terms of social motivations and Blooms multi-factor model of suicide terrorism (2005). There is a development towards more complex models of suicide terrorism accounting for the role of individual, social, cultural, strategic, ideological, and organizational motivations and factors in suicide terrorism (Smith, 2004). Defining terrorism especially the suicide terrorism will never be an easy task, as Dershowitz (2002, p.4) observes, there is difficulty in a definition that everyone can agree upon is illustrated by the catchphrase, One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. Dershowitz (2002, pp. 4-5) breaks down most definitions of terrorism into three main elements: 1) the nature of the targeted victims; 2) the nature of those who commit the violence; and 3) the method by which the terrorist seeks to influence their audiences. Atran (2003, p.1535) observes that the concept of terror as systematic use of violence to attain political ends was first codified by Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution. Robespierre saw terror as an emanation of virtue that delivered swift justice (Atran, 2003, p. 1535). Another major difficulty occurs in separating the concepts of terror and terrorism. Pape (2005, p. 9) explains that terrorism involves the use of violence by an organization other th an a national government to intimidate or frighten a target audience. Pape (2005, p. 9) explains further that most terrorist strikes or campaigns have two general purposes: to gain supporters and to coerce opponents. While Papes (2005) definition excludes the possibility of state-sponsored terrorism, numerous other definitions are wide enough to include terrorist acts conducted by or on behalf of a nation state as well as those conducted by private organizations or individuals (Dershowitz, 2005; Winkates, 2006). Winkates (2006,pp. 88-99) defines terrorism as the premeditated threat or use of violence against persons or property, designed to intimidate non combatant victims, the object of which is to change or to stabilize private or public policy. Definitions of suicide terrorism combine the concepts of terrorism and suicide. As with definitions of terrorism, the definitions of suicide terrorism found in the literature vary. Hafez notes, one problem in defining suicidal terrorism concerns the various possible perspectives on the act: how one describes acts of self-immolation committed in order to kill others is a task fraught with controversy. Those whose support these acts of violence prefer to call them martyrdom operations, and their perpetrators heroes and freedom fighters. Those who oppose them prefer to call them homicide bombers, suicide terrorists, or suicidal murderers (Hafez, 2006, p.4). Hafezs own definition of suicide terrorism relies on the more descriptive term of suicide bomber or human bomb which is defined as an individual who willingly uses his or her body to carry or deliver explosives or explosive materials to attack, kill or main others (Hafez, 2006,p. 4). Blooms definition of suicide terrorism is defined as a violent, politically motivated attack, carried out in a deliberate state of awareness by a person who blows himself or herself up together with a chosen target. The premeditated certain death of the perpetrator is the precondition for the success of the attack (2005, p. 76). In terms of the objectives of suicide terrorism, Bloom describes this as, although a suicide attack aims to physically destroy an initial target, its primary use is typically as a weapon of psychological warfare intended to affect a larger public audience. The primary target is not those actually killed or injured in the attack, but those made to witness itThrough indoctrination and training and under charismatic leaders, self contained suicide cells canalize disparate religious or political sentiments of individuals into an emotionally bonded group (Bloom, 2005, p. 77). Pedahzur states that suicide terrorism includes a diversity of violent actions perpetrated by people who are aware that the odds they will return alive are close to zero (2005, p. 8). Pape agrees in that , What distinguishes a suicide terrorist is that the attacker does not expect to survive the mission and often employees a method of attack such as a car bomb, suicide vest, or ramming an airplane into a building that requires his or her death in order to succeed. In essence, suicide terrorists kill others at the same time that they kill themselves (2005, p. 10). Pape further argues that a broad definition of suicide terrorism could include any operation that is designed in such a way that the terrorist does not expect to survive it, even if he or she is actually killed by police or other d efenders. Pape also argues that We might call such operations suicide missions instead of suicide attacks (2005, p. 10). Winkates argues that the best litmus test for definitive suicide terrorism is the intentional and successful sacrifice of a human life to achieve a terrorist objective (2006, p. 89). Hoffman (2003) argues that two key characteristics of suicide terrorism explain its growing popularity with terrorists groups around the world: suicide bombings are inexpensive and effective (p. 2). While coordinated multi-target attacks such as the 9-11 attacks and the London bombings may require extensive planning and considerable investment, even these types of suicide terrorist attacks are less expensive than many conventional terrorist attacks and definitely less expensive than funding an army. The majority of suicide attacks are carried out by individuals, minimizing the amount of investment and administrative overhead. The reliance on human bombs provides terrorists with the ultimate smart bomb (Hoffman, 2003, p. 2). Such smart bombs can be extremely efficient and effective. One of the characteristics of suicide terrorism is its effectiveness against the selected target. As of 2003, suicide terrorism accounted for just three percent of all worldwide terrorist acts, but for 50% of all terrorism-related deaths (Clayton, 2003, p. 18). This is another factor contributing to its effectiveness. The high-kill rate of suicide terrorism increases the amount of terror such attacks instigate in target populations. As Furedi 2007 notes, The threat represented by mass-casualty terrorism is not confined to its capacity for destruction. Public dread of this phenomenon is underpinned by the assumption that this is a treat that is unpredictable and random and its effect incalculable (Furedi, 2007, p .7) adding further to the overall result; suicide terrorism becomes effective in producing fear, justifying its deployment in conflict, by highlighting the unpredictable ability of the act, to produce more fear than the actual act. The act of suicide terrorism highlights an important asymmetry; terrorist need to be successful only once to kill Americans and demonstrate the inherent vulnerabilities they face, (US Congress, 2002). The asymmetry of suicide terrorism is not only the causation destruction, but to seize the attention of Governments and the population of the nation it targets, as Laqueur (1999) notes;Terrorism has been with us for centuries, and it has always attracted inordinate attention because of its dramatic character and its sudden, often wholly unexpected, occurrence. (Laqueur, 1999: p, 3) Asymmetric terrorism reaches out not merely through the use of physical violence but through the symbolic transgression of social morality and national security. Terrorism, as Townshend, (2000); Laqueur, (1999); Chomsky, (2001) have suggested, goes right to heart of what makes us safe; it forces us to pay attention to it whether we want to nor not. The proliferation of video taped messages from leaders of suspected terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda is a testament to the symbol over the actual act of physical violent; there is nothing violent in the images of Osama bin Laden addressing the world through the Aljazeera television networks but it has symbolic presence in a world that is dominated by media and communication technology, as Van der Veer and Munshi (2004) suggest, one of the major successes of modern terrorist organisations is their ability to use the resources of their enemies: the Internet, satellite television, mobile phones and the mass media. Even the condemnation of t errorists in the media, can aid the cause of terrorist organizations; by describing physical acts of violence through the duality of good and evil or right and wrong, the Western media merely serve to elevate and obfuscate the real nature of terrorism which, as research has shown[1], is far more fractured and complex. In this sense, much of the terrorist organizations aim, of seizing attention, is actually carried out by the opposing media; eager for a story and for a simple answer. Suicide terrorism has become a relatively successful military and political strategy; the 9/11 attackers commanded the attention of the world not only through their own efforts but through their targets media; the American television companies, the European press and the global media conglomerates all shared in the process of captivating the publics imagination that, as Towshend(2000) notes; dramatically amplifies the anxiety about security which is never far from the surface of society. (Townshend, 2000 : 8), the communication of the message and the success of this are inextricably linked to the terrorist organisation itself. A highly ordered group with distinct political aims is likely to be more successful in delivering its message than a disparate, non-focused organisation whose aim is to spread confusion and fear. Douglass McFerran(1997) details that many of the IRA campaigns of the 1970s and 80s had distinct short term as well as long term political aims, very often terrorist attacks on mainland Britain were specifically concerned with achieving a specific political target such as protesting over the widespread imprisonment of suspected terrorists or the treatment of those all ready in prison. As Townshend details this is not the case in every terrorist act; the PanAm flight 103 attacks for instance that saw a plane explode over town of Lockerbie in 1988 had no prior demands or message attached to them and very little admission of guilt after (Just, Kern and Norris, 2003: 285).The nature of the attack is likely to influence the success of the communication of demands; Dobkin (1992) details that in 1970 members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked three airliners in order to not only secure the attention of the worlds media in which they were successful, but to demand the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners in British military jails. Their demands were largely met and most of their hostages were released; however when compared to the contemporary Munich terrorist kidnapping where members of the Black September group killed eleven Israeli athletes in an attempt to secure the release of 236 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.Hoffma n (1998) details that the Munich kidnappings were not only failures in terms of communicating and achieving recognisable demands but also in media manipulation: The Palestinians had not only failed to obtain their principal, stated demand the release of terrorists imprisoned in Israel and West Germany but, to many observers, had hopelessly tarnished the morality of their cause in the eyes of the world. Indeed, international opinion was virtually unanimous in its condemnation of the terrorists operation. (Hoffman, 1998: p, 72). But, again, this can often have the opposite to the desired effect. Robert Singh (2003) suggests that the 9/11 attacks merely served to strengthen the socio-political position of the American people, the very group that came under attack; he also suggests that the security systems around the globe became more vigilant and aware of any gaps in their processes: Rather than initiating a transformation, 9/11 accelerated trends, policies and approaches that were well established. If the attacks most immediate political effects were certainly dramatic the Bush administrations approval ratings soared and public confidence in the federal government attained levels unseen since the early 1960s (Singh, 2003: p,52). Al-Qaeda, built upon this position when coalition forces invaded Iraq and later Afghanistan, the fear that is produced by asymmetric warfare attacks is sometimes seen as the main outcome, Somali rebels succeeded in influencing the American public, after pictures of dead American soldiers where broadcast on CNN, in the same way as the Madrid Suicide bombings had on the Spanish public, directly influencing government policy and leading to the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq, the American government forced by the public outcry pulled troops out of Somalia. With limited resources and limited damage to western societies al-Qaeda, has managed to change the very ideals for which it is said the war on terror is conducted. It has become a norm in Europe that after a terrorist attack, new security legislation and other measures are established to combat the threat of terrorism; however most of these policies seem to neglected the human rights of the citizens. These changes are highlight ed by Arce (et,al 2009) the traditional treatment of terrorism-as-asymmetric-conflict in terms of the relative resource disparity between terrorists and their ultimate targets, an additional asymmetry exists through the definition of success. For the target government, success is defined in terms of security against all possible attacks; whereas for terrorists one success is often enough to alter the political landscape, airways, etc. If one target is successfully attacked, then counter terror policy and the competency of the government itself can be subject to public scrutiny.(Arce, et,al, 2009). Thinking and organizing in a different manor than an opponent in order to amplify advantages and by doing so also exploit an opponents weakness. Changes to asymmetrical warfare have been greatly affected by the digital age, no matter the policy initiatives in trying to undermine the terrorists propaganda and promote its own; the forum of the internet allows suicide attacks to be displayed to a world audience. The filming of Martyr videos and attacks can serve both as a recruitment campaign reaching to all corners of the world and a forewarning to those who oppose terrorism. Understanding and defining suicide terrorism is open to debate; there have been a number of successes in terms of securing specific demands in the past not least of all the 1970 skyjacking operation by the PFLP. However, we have also seen how terrorism can be divisive, how it can engender the very opposite of what it sets out to do. As we saw with the London bombings, a post 9/11 society is one that treats the threat of terrorism as a consequence of modern city living. This is perhaps the one main reason why terrorism may become considered a strong military strategy: today the more terrorist activity there is, the more political value it has, yet the less it affects every day individual life. However, of course, terrorism is perhaps the only strategy that many disenfranchised groups have which may account for its constant presence on the global political stage. Ultimately, however, terrorism is a symbolic act, an act that depends upon fear for its meaning; as the public becomes more and more exposed to images and symbols of terror they also become more and more immune. As Baudrillard suggests (2003) the violence of the terrorist is likely to become merely just another image in the media and the terrorist themselves just another face on the television screen and it is this, ironically, that provides its greatest counter measure. In this essay the difficulty in defining, theorising and understanding has been discussed. The asymmetries involved within terrorism have also been discussed, showing that with the use of digital media and little resources the ability of the target to respond to attack within its own borders can become limited to the change of political policy, which in turn may undermine the authority of the government within its own borders. The September 11 attacks and during the post Cold war era, the world has seen no greater power than the United States. International Relations have seen the control and dominance of the United States over the worlds structure. However, after the Twin Tower attacks, the world started realizing the role of others inside the international arena, these others preferably labeled terrorists; questioned the validity of several theories that were formulated as soon as the end of the Cold War was announced, these theories were trying to predict the shape and attitude of the world as it entered a new era. It has always been known that every era in history adapts an indication that will mark it as distinctive, and therefore all of those theories were simple speculations on the nature of what could be such an indication. Theories valid, some predicted the rise of democracy and liberalism, others feared the return of barbarism and anarchy. Also, other theories predicted a clash that will divide the borders of the world according to culture, civilization, ethnicity, and most importantly religion. The world has dramatically changed with terrorism as the key player. It is also very clear that the asymmetries involved in terrorism are very powerful, as it was able to question the strength of the United States, and was able to reform the political policies of many world countries. Terrorism is the worlds most fearful enemy, an enemy that is powerful, aggressive, and most importantly ambiguous. There is no concession within society on terrorism, for many it is not a problem and life continues, for others it has change their view of world order and politics. BIBLIOGRAPHY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (Section 1230, Public Law 110-181) http://www.defense.gov/pubs/OCTOBER_1230_FINAL.pdf Accessed 06/04/2010, Arce, Daniel G; Kovenock, Dan; Robertson,B, Suicide Terrorism and the Weakest Link, CESIFO WORKING PAPER NO. 2753,CATEGORY 2: PUBLIC CHOIC

Financial Effects of September 11th :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

Financial Effects of September 11th September 11th, like few other dates in the history of our country, will be permanently engraved in all American’s memories. Even though the events of this tragic day are behind us, the economy is still feeling the burden of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The economy was already experiencing a fall off before the attack. Despite the struggling times, Wall Street analysts believed that with the six Federal Rate cuts, the United States economy could avoid recession. Then came September 11th an attack that shook the nation. Never had an attack been made on United States mainland soil. Two United and two American Airline airplanes were hijacked by terrorists and flown into strategic targets in America. There were at least four to five hijackers on each plane. They were armed with knives, and having at least one person among them capable of piloting the plane. The hijackers took over the planes, ousted the pilots, and directed the planes on suicide missions. Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City, another into the Pentagon in Washington DC and a fourth in Pennsylvania. The result of the attack, the Twin Towers collapsed, part of the Pentagon was crushed, and thousands of people died. The attack was part of a jihad, or holy war by the Muslims in the Middle East against America. They resent us for our freedom and for our occupation of the Middle East. Americans responded with true American spirit and patriotism by volunteering and donating goods. Despite the shock, long-term devastation, and disruption of public infrastructure and commercial activities in the world's financial center, the U.S. financial system largely remained open throughout the day and thereafter. Banks and other financial intermediaries stayed open. Key wholesale and retail payment system remained operational, like other financial activities, except that telecommunication disruptions had a temporary effect. Even firms in the World Trade Center were able to resume business from other offices or from contingency sites within hours of the attack. The response of the financial industry and the speed with which it resumed business was extraordinary and can be attributed only to its long-standing commitment to ensuring continuity of operations in the wake of physical or cyber disruptions. The terrorist attacks of September 11th sent the United States economy spiraling into recession. â€Å"Many economists believe the economy has entered its first recession in more than 10 years†(Wash.

German Philosophers Essay

My paper is about Kant’s ideas of progression which shall focus on a study of his works such as â€Å"Idea for a Universal History† and his most famous work â€Å"What is Enlightenment? † as basis for analysis. This paper also explains the opposing views of Mendelssohn from Kant’s ideas of progression. It will compare Mendelssohn’s idea of enlightenment from that of Kant. His contribution to the emancipation of Jews will be discussed too. I will include also some ideas from other philosophers like Nietzsche on The Genealogy of Morality and Hegel on the philosophy of history. The opposing views of Mendelssohn on progression are also discussed pointing his views on secularization and enlightenment in relation to Kant’s views. A little will be discussed on Kant’s Perpetual Peace essay pointing it on a philosophical manner. Other philosopher such as Nietzsche’s views on morality using his work On the Genealogy of Morality shall be discussed in relation with Kant’s two ways of distinguishing judgments (ethical and aesthetic theory). Introduction The primary objective of this paper is to discuss Kant’s historical theory of progression. The first approach in understanding his ideas is to touch in his historical philosophy. Since the system used for reconstructing Kant’s philosophical history is critical it results to unsatisfactory remarks thus the use of a horizontal approach is necessary. A more general issue of philosophical matters will usually submerge using the historical philosophy approach. This approach is helpful in understanding the dialogue between contemporaries because it particular criticizes the idea of progression. The Kant’s theory of progression involves a strong case of particular criticism addressing these objections: (i) the rejection of the idea of progression due to religion’s being secularized; (ii) that his ideas on progression are chronologically unfair because this try to mean that the earlier generation gets a raw deal; (iii) that progression delivers the species into endless unsatisfaction; (iv) that progression adds to a harmful homogenization which may eliminate traditional values and practices (McCloughan 2003). The ways of judgment as distinguished by Kant such as the priori judgment and the posteriori judgment; the former judgment explains that something is known a priori if it is neither derived from nor testable by sense experience while the latter judgments is derived from or is testable by experience. These judgment means that we have no certain knowledge about experience, and according to Kant, he believed that we had such knowledge thus we ask the question: â€Å"How are synthetic a priori judgment? † On the other hand, in Mendelssohn’s mind, aesthetics in relationship to Kant’s theory of aesthetic is closely interrelated with psychology (Kant 1983). I. What is progress? â€Å"Progress† is a broad term that is believed to be an act of rejection throughout history by human communities of their attitude. However, an increasing number of intellectuals believe that the methods and spirit of science must be applied to all fields. Because of this belief, the idea of progress came to include a concept of social and moral progress. It was stated that the cumulative improvement in human knowledge and power that had been brought about in the physical sciences could also be brought about in the organization of human society and its character if only these barriers against the employment of rational methods in morals, religion, and politics could be eradicated (McCloughan 2003). In pre-modern Western culture, the idea of progress challenged the thought that the golden age of humankind devised in the past and that the aging of the Earth involves decay for it and analogous to the aging of individual living organisms. Moreover, the idea of progress implies a trend to history and time that contrasts sharply with the cyclical conceptions of time and of history that is dominant in ancient history. Finally, the idea of progress implies an activist role for humans in defining their well-being and in causing it, in the present and for the future (McCloughan 2003). II. Kant’s idea of progression and his ways of judgment According to Kant, humanity, as whole, was gradually progressing towards enlightenment that there is a progression that expresses the idea of the history of humankind. Moreover, it is directing towards a goal, which led to the development of shifting interpretations of this abstract notion. Kant stresses the unplanned character of the development of history, which is more likely to go after on its way to a cosmopolitan world order. ‘Progress’ toward the commencement of perpetual peace will be unpredictable and painful because while the process is undergoing, progress will adopt a more regular pace. Progress would also take the form of a more balanced development of human capacities. Both at the national and international levels, spontaneous antagonism will not only holds up the process of development, but also ensures that such development as has taken place has failed to put attention to the all-important moral dimension (Kant 1983). Progression would be the universal history of all humanity and it is very comprehensive that often takes the case with traditional universal histories, the future as well as the past. Nevertheless, progression is more than just a collection of all facts falling under the intersection of the concepts ‘human’ and ‘history’. According to Kant, this would amount to what he calls an ‘aggregate’, a mere ‘distributive unity’, and would fail to satisfy reason’s demand for ‘systematic’ or ‘collective unity’ (Kant 1983). When human beings emerge from his self-incurred minority, it is called Enlightenment that is, on a public level, the application of one’s own understanding, improvement without the help of another individual. Kant asserted that it is the freedom of thought and all individuals can attain this freedom indiscriminately. While I agree that enlightenment transcends economic class and race, freedom of thought but it cannot practically be extended to everyone (Kant 1983). Furthermore, in Kant’s words, progress may be associated with human reason and talks about how things are presented to us. Human understanding is only concerned of how it works but it not concern with the foundations. In Kant’s mind, however, neither sciences nor philosophy must answer to those questions, since this separate their innate capacities. Nevertheless, this does not mean that it is less worthwhile to answer questions on one side because he said that we could not construct any serious progress in physics, for example, while we argue over the issue of whether it is logically consistent to talk about laws of nature. However, it does mean that whatever we are doing we are in an important respect, stopping to do philosophy. If this is correct, then there is no chance of achieving progress in philosophy by adopting a paradigm that helps achieve progress, but only by making it cease to be philosophy (Kant 1983). Kant saw the problem of knowledge was on the issue of how to connect the† is† of sense experience with the â€Å"must† of necessary and universal truth. First, we distinguish analytic from synthetic judgments. An analytic judgment can be ascertained by looking on the truth of such judgment which can be know by an analysis of the subject while a synthetic judgment can be ascertained by looking at the truth of such a statement which cannot be known through an analysis of the subject (McCloughan 2003). Philosophers before Kant stated that an analytic judgment was known a priori while the synthetic judgment was known a posteriori. The former were always and necessarily true but true only about the meaning and relation of words not about the world while the latter judgment was about the world but they could only be contingent or probable truths. Kant believed that we have no certain knowledge about experience and we had such knowledge. As a solution, he further adds that experience provides the content and the mind provides the structures that determine the way in which the content will be organized and understood (McCloughan 2003). III. Kant on the issue of morality Kant says in a moral sphere that he has denied knowledge to make room for faith because he believe that moral law cannot be justified by reason it can only be obeyed on its own sake. According to Kant’s ethical theory, which rests on the concept of duty, a good person acts out of duty not because he fears punishment but because it his duty. The categorical imperative states that a person should act in such a way that it are possible for one to will that the maxim of ones action should become a universal law (Kant 1983). On the other hand, according to Kant’s aesthetic theory, which holds that judgment, give beauty to something, although they rest on feeling, but have valid claims although these are mere statements of taste or of opinion. This concept involves a judgment, which are on purpose for example, when a person judges something to be beautiful there is harmony of the experienced object with mental structure (Kant 1983). IV. Mendelssohn’s Views Mendelssohn believed that destiny should be divided into two separate categories. The first is the personal, private, and intellectual destiny of man; and the second was the destiny as a citizen of a state or a public, duty-oriented destiny. In an enlightened society according to him, the need for culture is ideally eliminated and substituted by the virtues of Enlightenment (Mendelssohn 1983). Moreover, another important truth about the Enlightenment thinking is the possession of knowledge through experience and observation, education, and self-probing on an intellectual and spiritual level. Moreover, by fulfilling these quests shall lead you to the path of Enlightenment. The idea of Mendelssohn on Enlightenment has distinguished the destiny of man through his roles as both a citizen of a state and between the role of a human to morality, religion, and personal philosophy. He discovers that this distinction is necessary because he believes that the personal interests of man as a human can do conflict with the interests of public man. According to him, the ideals of Enlightenment should be limited in their availability to man when it is in the best interest of the state and they should not meddle with work ethics or motivations, as they are necessary to the functioning of society (Mendelssohn 1983). V. Mendelssohn’s contribution to Jewish thought and secularization Mendelssohn’s principal contribution to Jewish thought concerns a declaration of inconsistency while he supports the abolition of excommunication while remaining loyal to biblical law, and is willing to overlook such coercion. In Mendelssohn’s reply, â€Å"Jerusalem Or On Religious Power and Judaism† which was one of the first works in German to plead for freedom of conscience in religious matters, separates church and state, and the civil rights for the Jews. According to him, both states and church have as their final goals the promotion of human happiness. The state is permitted to enforce specific actions, whereas the church’s task is to convince its followers of their religious and ethical duties through persuasion alone (Mendelssohn 1983). Mendelssohn replied to the question of the continued authority of Jewish law, and said that the ceremonial law originating from the Hebrew Bible is binding solely on the Jewish people and Judaism is a religion of revealed legislation but not of revealed beliefs. He further said that the existence and unity of God, the reality of divine providence, and the immortality of the soul should be declared on the grounds of natural reason, not miracles or supernatural revelation. Mendelssohn was concerned with freedom inside one religion as well as freedom of religion for minority communities but he is still confirming the continued authority of Jewish law. He argued that by identifying the church and state in biblical Israel should end with the destruction of the ancient association of states and laws that preserve the universal principles of Jewish faith against errors into idolatry and polytheism. Until God arranges another indubitable supernatural revelation to the Jewish people, these laws will not lose their force to replace that of Mount Sinai. However, loyalty to the Jewish law does not prevent the Jews from expecting the legitimate duties of citizenship in an enlightened society (Mendelssohn 1983). Mendelssohn was seen as a forebear of the conflicting trends of German Jewry but Kant as well as Hegel viewed his synthesis of philosophical theism and traditional religious observance as outdated. Nevertheless, he was revered by the Enlighteners for having moved from the ghetto to modern society without abandoning the Jewish tradition or the Jewish people. However, Mendelssohn was criticized for having paved the way to the loss of Jewish distinctiveness and, therefore, to assimilation. In retrospect, his thought and life can be seen to have posed some of the fundamental issues of Jewish religious survival in secular, liberal society (Mendelssohn 1983).

Business Plan & Product

| ‘November 2012| | | | | | | | | | | | BUSINESS PLAN & PRODUCTSCertificate IV in Business: TAFE Sydney Institute| Teacher: Henry Forte Teacher: Henry Forte | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | SWASTI ARIANI| BUSINESS PLAN & PRODUCTS 1. BUSINESS PROFILE 2. 1 Business Activity Retail fashion is through times has gone through so many rapid changes with constant demand for new clothing products created by fashion designers.However in a clothing line business, the specifications and descriptions of the designs and clothes are so general that they can fit more than one costume, which actually are quite different in nature from each other and this is solely dependent on the taste of people. We look this fact as a good opportunity to set up a fashion line especially in Sydney where the women and girls have the sexiness angle covered. The proposed business will be a fashion line. This proposed business is a start-up retail of uptown fashion line that reflects edgy but glamorou s style.The apparel is designed with individual sophistication with a modern spin. Targeted for women and girls, the brand includes styles such as Tops, Dresses, Pants, Shirts, Skirts, Jackets and accessories with a glamorous touch. While our initial goal is to open one boutique, expansion plans include potentially franchising our retail store and/or building a well-recognized brand name. In turn, we would hope to penetrate a sizable portion of the online retail market. 2. 2 Ownership Structure The business will be operated as a partnership with Swasti Ariani and Richard D. Kitts as co-owners of fashion line.The proprietors have chosen to operate as a partnership to gain benefits by combining their different skills and financial resources. And both are agreed to hold equal shares of ownership in the company. 2. 3 Business Name The business will trade under registered name of â€Å"Gritty Glam†. 2. 4 Business Location Gritty Glam fashion line will be located at 471 Kent St, Sy dney. Our company is a retail establishment selling fashionable women's clothing. Our business operates within the retail industry and is classified under Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) Class 4251 – Clothing Retailing.The gorgeous area includes numerous restaurants, an art gallery, coffee shop, candy store and a picturesque park in the town square. We have signed a one-year lease for a 120 square meters building. Also we have signed a one-year lease for Stitching Unit Building for warehouse ; production. Working with the property owner Interior Design consultant, we have secured a $4,000 to beautify the facade of the building to include painting, signage and a new awning. Only slight internal renovations will be required – such as the installation of dressing rooms and decorative items.When considering the addition of wall mounts for merchandise, multi-level clothing displays as well as creative floor planning, this facility is l arge enough to support future growth. Additionally, we will be able to conduct all aspects of our business from this location. This includes deliveries and shipments, inventory management and administrative duties such as finance, buying and marketing 2. 5 Entry Strategy The business will be started up as a new operation. The reason for starting up as a new business is because we believe there are few uptown fashion lines that reflect edgy but glamorous styles in Sydney.Gritty Glam fashion line recognizes the importance of marketing. And to that end, we plan to promote our retail business with an ambitious, targeted marketing campaign, which will include a grand opening event, local media coverage, print advertising and a direct-mail campaign. Our goal is to keep our marketing budget to no more than 3% of our gross annual sales, and we will partner with some Rising new-comers Band and artist in Entertainment Industry to endorse them in events as often as possible. 2. 6 Legal Require ments The legal requirements to operate the business are: . Business name registration with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission(ASIC) b. Home business use permit from the local council c. Registration for GST with the Australian Taxation Office d. Registration for Australian Business Number (ABN) with Australian taxation office (ATO). e. Business account with Commonwealth Bank Legal requirements will continue to be met during the course of operation. 2. 7 Business Objectives Gritty Glam line aim is to offer a great quality of clothes for women and girls that have an edgy but classy personal style.Gritty glam store will cater women and girls in Sydney area, and position ourselves as a boutique store servicing in particular market specifically in range of age 18 – 30 yet affordable for their pocket. Our objectives in set up Gritty glam line are: a. Become only store with unique styles currently not found in Sydney b. Strong competitive advantage on quality and pricing c. Committed to make a positive impact on our customers through Monthly Online updates. d. To receive a 30% profit margin within the first year 2. Environment and Workplace Health ; Safety (WHS) We responsible to ensure the workplace are safety for all staffs and customers. Some of our responsibilities to support this are by: a. Provide training for all staffs, including warehouse staffs (Stitching Unit, Ironing Unit ; Merchandising) also Store staffs on how to use machines, materials, process ; how to report incidents. b. Provide regular evacuation training for staff so they understand emergency procedures, including evacuation instructions, assembly point locations and use of fire alarms and equipment. c.Provide Fire Extinguishers in both store building ; stitching unit building. 2. 9 Financial aspects Gritty Glam fashion line requires $149,950 to launch successfully. We've already raised $70,000 through personal investments of the co-owners. We are currently seeking addit ional funding from outside angel investors and business loan. Start-up funds will be used store interior design, inventory (fabrics, accessories), stitching machines, and operating expenses such as rent & business registration. Our company will earn revenue from our customers' purchases of our products.Gritty Glam’s first-year income statement (see appendix) illustrates a profit margin of at least 35%, with a net income of $71,543 per annum – before taxes. We project our annual profits to reach $200,000 by year three. Our company will generate revenue from the retail sale of clothing and other accessories. First year sales are projected at $81 63,860, and we expect sales to surpass $1. 6 million by the end of year three. We will achieve month-to-month profitability within the first year. Our business will collect immediate payment from customers, so our cash flow statement will be substantially similar to our income statement.Our cash flow statement clearly demonstrate s our ability to cover all bills 2. 10 Monitoring To monitor our business, co-owners will directly handle day to day business at store and at the warehouse. As a retail establishment, Gritty Glam store will conduct business seven days a week from 9 am. to 7 pm. During the holiday seasons and during special events, store hours will be extended. In addition to the two full-time co-owners, two part-time employees will be hired to serve customers during those seasons. Our company will secure fabrics and accessories local manufacturer ; international manufacture located in Indonesia.We'll also have access to Fabrics Elsegood, which is the largest wholesale textiles and fabrics in Australia. Additionally, we will work closely with our regional sales representative, endorse rising new comer artist & band on events as often as possible. We will also attend relevant pre-season fashion trade shows. To control costs, track inventory and manage stock levels, an inventory control system will be set in place. This will include the standard bar code with its related equipment and software. Staff will conduct annual inventory audits and hire outside auditors when necessary.Accounting & Finance matters will be maintained using MYOB software. 2. MARKETING STRATEGY Gritty Glam fashion line will solely focusing on sell an edgy glamorous clothing product for young and women. We will closely follow generational fashion trends as well as our own customers purchasing preferences. Moreover, we will tailor our inventory to meet the needs of our special clientele. Our main staples are tops, dresses, jackets, Skirts, Shorts, and pants, but we will also offer some accessories such as belts, scarves, and hats. Profits will be earned via the sale of our products.Our pricing structure will utilize a value-based pricing structure, which measures the value of our products to our customers such as easy access, quality, customer service and styles flattering to our target consumer. End of season sales, holiday and overstock sales, multi-buy savings and promotional coupons will be implemented at strategic intervals. 2. 1. SWOT ANALYSIS We have identified the opportunities, challenges for the business in the next two years as following: Strengths * Experience and understanding of the fashion industry for women and girls Unique shopping experience with exceptional customer service * Great downtown location * Large and growing consumer base * Competitive prices with a special & made from good quality fabrics * Provide products tailored to all shapes and sizes of women Weaknesses * New line, could be unrecognized by customers at the first time * Must follow the fashion trends & changes all the times * Original ideas of design Opportunities * Outstanding shopping experience by customers will lead to repeat business * Expand the business into others apparel for example, Men’s Apparels, Shoes & bags. * Establish online store Endorse rising new comers artist will rise brand public awareness Threats * High Competitions, New retail shops that may or may not open in the future * Ideas/products copy by another competitors * Lower prices given by competitors 2. 2. INDUSTRY CONDITIONS Direct observation shows Sydney fashion retailer is dominated by megastores such as MYERS, DAVID JONES, ZARA, etc. Even the product prices offered by those multinational company is higher than other small company & the quality is sometimes not worth the price, but for the sake of brand image people don’t mind to spent lot of money shop on that place.Brand Awareness is the main important in promoting Gritty Glam fashion line. Market growth is in an upward motion, despite some of the latest economic downturns Statistics analysis reported by ABS show negative trends on clothing Industry. However, this business will always exist and will always be high on demand. By make a good promotion and marketing strategy, Gritty Glam fashion line will be able to compete with multinatio nal retailer as mentioned above because the retail fashion industry is a solid business with ever-changing styles and ever-present consumer demands. . 3. PROMOTIONS Gritty Glam will follow an aggressive yet creative promotional plan but keep the marketing budget no more than 5% of our gross annual sales. This will allow us to focus directly on our target customer. Below are some promotions strategies we will do; a. Select Magazines that most read by women and girls to promote our product, b. Partner with top 10 most view by women and young TV programs to endorse the actress as often as possible. These strategic partnerships will allow us to piggyback on publicity for local events. c.Social Media, to keep our customers aware with our new arrival products & our promo programs d. Participate in fashion exhibitions events to promote our products and sell in the same time. e. Print out brochures and distributed throughout every houses/apartments in particular areas by Direct mail strateg y every 4 months/ new seasons. Manage a direct mail program that will focus on our top 50% customers spotlighting any in-house sales and promotions f. Spot radio advertisements on two local FM radio stations that most heard by women and girls. . Posting sale flyers on community bulletin boards. 2. 4. STRATEGIES Since Co-owners have marketing backgrounds and recognize the significance of effective marketing. We expect our strategy to draw consumers into Gritty Glam from the very beginning. Strategies we will propose are: a. Hire a local Public Relation firm to help us develop and implement a strategic marketing plan and guide our publicity efforts in a cost-effective manner. b. Offer a 100 day return/exchange policy to build trust with our customers and maintain retention and loyalty. c.Hold a drawing for a $50 shopping spree and fashion consultation. Entry collection will start at the grand opening and continue throughout the week. Names and contact information will be utilized for follow up marketing initiatives. d. Give 10% discounts for birthday member who shopping at Gritty Glam store. Finally, marketing opportunities will be continually utilized as we expand our business and our consumer numbers grow. 2. 5. COSTS See Appendix 2. 6. RESOURCES Gritty Glam fashion line is a small business and therefore requires a simple organizational structure.Swasti Ariani & Richard D. Kitts will act as Co-Owners. Richard D. Kitts will manage the day-to-day operations including supervising staff, maintaining inventory and bookkeeping. He will be helped by one Part time Accounting Staff, Swasti Ariani will oversee the merchandise buying for the store as well as maintain a keen awareness of trends within the industry. Swasti Ariani will also work with public relations firm to ensure superior marketing plans are in place and implemented.Gritty glam will employ 1 designer, 2 pattern Makers & 2 Dress Makers that will be directly supervised by Swasti, a Store manager & 3 part-ti me associates. These positions are still vacant. Our sales associates will be paid an hourly wage, plus commission. Bonuses will be provided with each year of service following an annual review to encourage employee retention. All decisions are made in-line with the company objectives. Employee tasks are delegated based upon their level of expertise, creativity, strengths and weaknesses. Resources| Quantity| Who to consult|Designer| 1| Fashion School career centre or Job Agency| Store Manager| 1| Friends| Associate| 3| Advertise on Job Seeker Website| Accountant-Part time| 1| Advertise on Job Seeker Website| Pattern Maker| 2| Fashion School career centre| Dress Maker| 2| Fashion School career centre| Press/Iron man/Finishing| 1| Advertise on Job Seeker Website| Total| 11| -| REFERENCES 1. Writing your plan for small business success. Ian Birt. Prentice Hall. 2007 2. Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification – http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/[email  pro tected] nsf/0/D23C85FE73B2A765CA25711F00146EF3? pendocument 3. Business & Industry Portal – http://www. business. qld. gov. au/business/employing/employee-rights-awards-entitlements/personal-safety-workplace 4. Clothing Retailing in Australia: Market Research Report – http://www. ibisworld. com. au/industry/default. aspx? indid=407 5. Australian Bureau Statistics. Analysis by industry – http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/[email  protected] nsf/Latestproducts/8501. 0Main%20Features3Sep%202012? opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=8501. 0&issue=Sep%202012&num=&view= APPENDIX – FINANCIAL PLAN Business Plan & Product | ‘November 2012| | | | | | | | | | | | BUSINESS PLAN & PRODUCTSCertificate IV in Business: TAFE Sydney Institute| Teacher: Henry Forte Teacher: Henry Forte | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | SWASTI ARIANI| BUSINESS PLAN & PRODUCTS 1. BUSINESS PROFILE 2. 1 Business Activity Retail fashion is through times has gone through so many rapid changes with constant demand for new clothing products created by fashion designers.However in a clothing line business, the specifications and descriptions of the designs and clothes are so general that they can fit more than one costume, which actually are quite different in nature from each other and this is solely dependent on the taste of people. We look this fact as a good opportunity to set up a fashion line especially in Sydney where the women and girls have the sexiness angle covered. The proposed business will be a fashion line. This proposed business is a start-up retail of uptown fashion line that reflects edgy but glamorou s style.The apparel is designed with individual sophistication with a modern spin. Targeted for women and girls, the brand includes styles such as Tops, Dresses, Pants, Shirts, Skirts, Jackets and accessories with a glamorous touch. While our initial goal is to open one boutique, expansion plans include potentially franchising our retail store and/or building a well-recognized brand name. In turn, we would hope to penetrate a sizable portion of the online retail market. 2. 2 Ownership Structure The business will be operated as a partnership with Swasti Ariani and Richard D. Kitts as co-owners of fashion line.The proprietors have chosen to operate as a partnership to gain benefits by combining their different skills and financial resources. And both are agreed to hold equal shares of ownership in the company. 2. 3 Business Name The business will trade under registered name of â€Å"Gritty Glam†. 2. 4 Business Location Gritty Glam fashion line will be located at 471 Kent St, Sy dney. Our company is a retail establishment selling fashionable women's clothing. Our business operates within the retail industry and is classified under Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) Class 4251 – Clothing Retailing.The gorgeous area includes numerous restaurants, an art gallery, coffee shop, candy store and a picturesque park in the town square. We have signed a one-year lease for a 120 square meters building. Also we have signed a one-year lease for Stitching Unit Building for warehouse ; production. Working with the property owner Interior Design consultant, we have secured a $4,000 to beautify the facade of the building to include painting, signage and a new awning. Only slight internal renovations will be required – such as the installation of dressing rooms and decorative items.When considering the addition of wall mounts for merchandise, multi-level clothing displays as well as creative floor planning, this facility is l arge enough to support future growth. Additionally, we will be able to conduct all aspects of our business from this location. This includes deliveries and shipments, inventory management and administrative duties such as finance, buying and marketing 2. 5 Entry Strategy The business will be started up as a new operation. The reason for starting up as a new business is because we believe there are few uptown fashion lines that reflect edgy but glamorous styles in Sydney.Gritty Glam fashion line recognizes the importance of marketing. And to that end, we plan to promote our retail business with an ambitious, targeted marketing campaign, which will include a grand opening event, local media coverage, print advertising and a direct-mail campaign. Our goal is to keep our marketing budget to no more than 3% of our gross annual sales, and we will partner with some Rising new-comers Band and artist in Entertainment Industry to endorse them in events as often as possible. 2. 6 Legal Require ments The legal requirements to operate the business are: . Business name registration with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission(ASIC) b. Home business use permit from the local council c. Registration for GST with the Australian Taxation Office d. Registration for Australian Business Number (ABN) with Australian taxation office (ATO). e. Business account with Commonwealth Bank Legal requirements will continue to be met during the course of operation. 2. 7 Business Objectives Gritty Glam line aim is to offer a great quality of clothes for women and girls that have an edgy but classy personal style.Gritty glam store will cater women and girls in Sydney area, and position ourselves as a boutique store servicing in particular market specifically in range of age 18 – 30 yet affordable for their pocket. Our objectives in set up Gritty glam line are: a. Become only store with unique styles currently not found in Sydney b. Strong competitive advantage on quality and pricing c. Committed to make a positive impact on our customers through Monthly Online updates. d. To receive a 30% profit margin within the first year 2. Environment and Workplace Health ; Safety (WHS) We responsible to ensure the workplace are safety for all staffs and customers. Some of our responsibilities to support this are by: a. Provide training for all staffs, including warehouse staffs (Stitching Unit, Ironing Unit ; Merchandising) also Store staffs on how to use machines, materials, process ; how to report incidents. b. Provide regular evacuation training for staff so they understand emergency procedures, including evacuation instructions, assembly point locations and use of fire alarms and equipment. c.Provide Fire Extinguishers in both store building ; stitching unit building. 2. 9 Financial aspects Gritty Glam fashion line requires $149,950 to launch successfully. We've already raised $70,000 through personal investments of the co-owners. We are currently seeking addit ional funding from outside angel investors and business loan. Start-up funds will be used store interior design, inventory (fabrics, accessories), stitching machines, and operating expenses such as rent & business registration. Our company will earn revenue from our customers' purchases of our products.Gritty Glam’s first-year income statement (see appendix) illustrates a profit margin of at least 35%, with a net income of $71,543 per annum – before taxes. We project our annual profits to reach $200,000 by year three. Our company will generate revenue from the retail sale of clothing and other accessories. First year sales are projected at $81 63,860, and we expect sales to surpass $1. 6 million by the end of year three. We will achieve month-to-month profitability within the first year. Our business will collect immediate payment from customers, so our cash flow statement will be substantially similar to our income statement.Our cash flow statement clearly demonstrate s our ability to cover all bills 2. 10 Monitoring To monitor our business, co-owners will directly handle day to day business at store and at the warehouse. As a retail establishment, Gritty Glam store will conduct business seven days a week from 9 am. to 7 pm. During the holiday seasons and during special events, store hours will be extended. In addition to the two full-time co-owners, two part-time employees will be hired to serve customers during those seasons. Our company will secure fabrics and accessories local manufacturer ; international manufacture located in Indonesia.We'll also have access to Fabrics Elsegood, which is the largest wholesale textiles and fabrics in Australia. Additionally, we will work closely with our regional sales representative, endorse rising new comer artist & band on events as often as possible. We will also attend relevant pre-season fashion trade shows. To control costs, track inventory and manage stock levels, an inventory control system will be set in place. This will include the standard bar code with its related equipment and software. Staff will conduct annual inventory audits and hire outside auditors when necessary.Accounting & Finance matters will be maintained using MYOB software. 2. MARKETING STRATEGY Gritty Glam fashion line will solely focusing on sell an edgy glamorous clothing product for young and women. We will closely follow generational fashion trends as well as our own customers purchasing preferences. Moreover, we will tailor our inventory to meet the needs of our special clientele. Our main staples are tops, dresses, jackets, Skirts, Shorts, and pants, but we will also offer some accessories such as belts, scarves, and hats. Profits will be earned via the sale of our products.Our pricing structure will utilize a value-based pricing structure, which measures the value of our products to our customers such as easy access, quality, customer service and styles flattering to our target consumer. End of season sales, holiday and overstock sales, multi-buy savings and promotional coupons will be implemented at strategic intervals. 2. 1. SWOT ANALYSIS We have identified the opportunities, challenges for the business in the next two years as following: Strengths * Experience and understanding of the fashion industry for women and girls Unique shopping experience with exceptional customer service * Great downtown location * Large and growing consumer base * Competitive prices with a special & made from good quality fabrics * Provide products tailored to all shapes and sizes of women Weaknesses * New line, could be unrecognized by customers at the first time * Must follow the fashion trends & changes all the times * Original ideas of design Opportunities * Outstanding shopping experience by customers will lead to repeat business * Expand the business into others apparel for example, Men’s Apparels, Shoes & bags. * Establish online store Endorse rising new comers artist will rise brand public awareness Threats * High Competitions, New retail shops that may or may not open in the future * Ideas/products copy by another competitors * Lower prices given by competitors 2. 2. INDUSTRY CONDITIONS Direct observation shows Sydney fashion retailer is dominated by megastores such as MYERS, DAVID JONES, ZARA, etc. Even the product prices offered by those multinational company is higher than other small company & the quality is sometimes not worth the price, but for the sake of brand image people don’t mind to spent lot of money shop on that place.Brand Awareness is the main important in promoting Gritty Glam fashion line. Market growth is in an upward motion, despite some of the latest economic downturns Statistics analysis reported by ABS show negative trends on clothing Industry. However, this business will always exist and will always be high on demand. By make a good promotion and marketing strategy, Gritty Glam fashion line will be able to compete with multinatio nal retailer as mentioned above because the retail fashion industry is a solid business with ever-changing styles and ever-present consumer demands. . 3. PROMOTIONS Gritty Glam will follow an aggressive yet creative promotional plan but keep the marketing budget no more than 5% of our gross annual sales. This will allow us to focus directly on our target customer. Below are some promotions strategies we will do; a. Select Magazines that most read by women and girls to promote our product, b. Partner with top 10 most view by women and young TV programs to endorse the actress as often as possible. These strategic partnerships will allow us to piggyback on publicity for local events. c.Social Media, to keep our customers aware with our new arrival products & our promo programs d. Participate in fashion exhibitions events to promote our products and sell in the same time. e. Print out brochures and distributed throughout every houses/apartments in particular areas by Direct mail strateg y every 4 months/ new seasons. Manage a direct mail program that will focus on our top 50% customers spotlighting any in-house sales and promotions f. Spot radio advertisements on two local FM radio stations that most heard by women and girls. . Posting sale flyers on community bulletin boards. 2. 4. STRATEGIES Since Co-owners have marketing backgrounds and recognize the significance of effective marketing. We expect our strategy to draw consumers into Gritty Glam from the very beginning. Strategies we will propose are: a. Hire a local Public Relation firm to help us develop and implement a strategic marketing plan and guide our publicity efforts in a cost-effective manner. b. Offer a 100 day return/exchange policy to build trust with our customers and maintain retention and loyalty. c.Hold a drawing for a $50 shopping spree and fashion consultation. Entry collection will start at the grand opening and continue throughout the week. Names and contact information will be utilized for follow up marketing initiatives. d. Give 10% discounts for birthday member who shopping at Gritty Glam store. Finally, marketing opportunities will be continually utilized as we expand our business and our consumer numbers grow. 2. 5. COSTS See Appendix 2. 6. RESOURCES Gritty Glam fashion line is a small business and therefore requires a simple organizational structure.Swasti Ariani & Richard D. Kitts will act as Co-Owners. Richard D. Kitts will manage the day-to-day operations including supervising staff, maintaining inventory and bookkeeping. He will be helped by one Part time Accounting Staff, Swasti Ariani will oversee the merchandise buying for the store as well as maintain a keen awareness of trends within the industry. Swasti Ariani will also work with public relations firm to ensure superior marketing plans are in place and implemented.Gritty glam will employ 1 designer, 2 pattern Makers & 2 Dress Makers that will be directly supervised by Swasti, a Store manager & 3 part-ti me associates. These positions are still vacant. Our sales associates will be paid an hourly wage, plus commission. Bonuses will be provided with each year of service following an annual review to encourage employee retention. All decisions are made in-line with the company objectives. Employee tasks are delegated based upon their level of expertise, creativity, strengths and weaknesses. Resources| Quantity| Who to consult|Designer| 1| Fashion School career centre or Job Agency| Store Manager| 1| Friends| Associate| 3| Advertise on Job Seeker Website| Accountant-Part time| 1| Advertise on Job Seeker Website| Pattern Maker| 2| Fashion School career centre| Dress Maker| 2| Fashion School career centre| Press/Iron man/Finishing| 1| Advertise on Job Seeker Website| Total| 11| -| REFERENCES 1. Writing your plan for small business success. Ian Birt. Prentice Hall. 2007 2. Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification – http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/[email  pro tected] nsf/0/D23C85FE73B2A765CA25711F00146EF3? pendocument 3. Business & Industry Portal – http://www. business. qld. gov. au/business/employing/employee-rights-awards-entitlements/personal-safety-workplace 4. Clothing Retailing in Australia: Market Research Report – http://www. ibisworld. com. au/industry/default. aspx? indid=407 5. Australian Bureau Statistics. Analysis by industry – http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/[email  protected] nsf/Latestproducts/8501. 0Main%20Features3Sep%202012? opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=8501. 0&issue=Sep%202012&num=&view= APPENDIX – FINANCIAL PLAN