What does Tiberius' life and death tell us about Roman society at that Essay

What does Tiberius' life and death tell us about Roman society at that time - Essay Example Tiberius throughout his life fought for one cause; to eliminate the line of discrimination between rich and poor through a revolutionary change in law. Yet, Rich gentry of Rome depicted how ‘influence’ deciphers power and law. The bright Tiberius was educated in ‘Augurs College’, which was embarked as a supreme institution for excellence in academics. Upon inspecting his skills and talent, Appius Claudius offered him his daughter ‘Claudia’ in marriage. Fortitude and determination in armed conflicts was observed in Tiberius, whilst he served in Africa for ‘Young Scipio’s Army’ (Kishlansky et al., 142-146). ‘War against Numantines’ provided an opportunity to Tiberius; to resolve frenzy conflicts in the presence of senior generals. Twenty thousands and more were saved due to his successful dialogues with the victor Numantines. In the times of Tiberius’ rule, literacy was valued most and due to his love for tomes; he went back to the defeated zone and requested only for his literary treasure. He was offered to take back more from his personal possessions, but Tiberius only chose his esteemed collection of books. Humiliating punishments (stripping captors in public) were imposed by victors; as it was a common practice in the past, but Numantines did not practice it for Roman consul officers due to prestigious Tiberius presence. This event setup benchmark in Tiberius’s administration career and he eventually became a legislator. The conquered regions of neighbour-state were allotted to deprived citizens on meagre rents, yet; wealthy Romans drove away the poor and paid huge rents. These illicit actions became the stepping stone for ‘five hundred acre-property ownership law’. Yet, through false-name-ownership act influential people violated law and poor farmers became more deprived and eventually, were not able to pay heed towards education or warfare. Subsequently, Tiberius

Research Paper about Digital Collection in library Essay

Research Paper about Digital Collection in library - Essay Example It occurred to me that the invention of new technologies such as e-readers may provide a solution. Some informal personal research I did revealed that, as you are, no doubt, aware Rutgers University has undergone significant budget cuts in 2010. I discovered that it costs $4.26 per annum to store a print book in a university library as opposed to $0.15 fro an electronic volume. . In addition, The Rutgers University Libraries are essentially filled to capacity – some of the most critical space shortages exist in the Alexander Library. The attached document is a detailed version of an oral presentation that I recently delivered, proposing that comprehensive changes within the Rutgers University Library System can be enacted by the implementation of a digital collection and electronic reader program, at a cost that would not be prohibitive. A saving of upwards of $25 million dollars annually could be saved by not having to extend the libraries physically and by reducing storage c osts. Surveys have shown that this move to digital format is something that the students and staff of Rutgers woul welcome. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this project and will make myself available at any time. Please feel free to contact me via email at tufkte@eden.rutgers.edu, or by phone at 201-835-9098. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Tae-Eung Kim Going Digital: The Adoption of a Digital Collection within Archibald S. Alexander Library & Electronic Reader Program Submitted by: Tae- Eung Kim Submitted to: Marianne Gaunt Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian Archibald S. Alexander Library Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 169 College Avenue, CAC New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1163 Submitted on: Jan 11, 2011 Scientific and Technical Writing Course Number: 355:302:01 W11 Abstract This report is a qualitative deconstruction of the concept of the library and argues that contemporary solutions are possib le to enhance the library experience and address the changing nature of library space. Connections are made between the changing nature of this library space and physical shortages of space in Archibald S. Alexander Library. The rising costs of tuition and textbooks are considered, as well as the cost of housing a digital book collection versus a print collection (ARL Statistics 2007-2008). Logistical shortcomings of a print collection in isolation are considered in relation to access to research material and Rutgers’ Special Collections. Overarching technological trends are considered insofar as they demonstrate the public’s growing reliance on and acceptance of handheld devices. Trends in media are also considered and sources are cited that forecast the ‘death of print media’ – even the more radical views of for example, Arthur Sulzberger, owner and chairman of the New York Times, are considered. A plan is formulated that is paradigmatically linke d to developments made at Northwest Missouri University, the Google Books Program, and the Gutenburg Project, as well as successful local initiatives reported on in the Rutgers University’s The Daily Targum.. The plan includes a three part structure and is designed for students in Rutgers’ Graduate Program in English at the New Brunswick campus to form a pilot study group as precursor to a more general university-wide

Divorce In The United Arab Emirates

Divorce In The United Arab Emirates Nowadays, divorce is considered as one of the most important issues that we face in our modern society where it deeply affects the social and financial structures of the country. Our religion has always considered the stability of the marriage as one of its main goals; in other words, marriage should be held in high regards. In addition, the sanctity of marriage must be protected forever unless there are problems that come across a couples life for which there is no solution beside divorce. Statistical reports show that the divorce rate is quiet high in the gulf region which proves that governments are not finding sufficient solutions for this problem. However, the United Arab Emirates governments realized the seriousness of this phenomenon on the families and society and began working on the problem especially in the recent years since divorce rates have increased radically and continue to rise; Divorce has become a vital issue as it affects the lives of families, causing pain, damages and destroying relationships. In other words divorce aftermaths are so serious that it could change your life drastically. These are some of the reasons that made me choose this sensitive topic. Why is divorce happening nowadays more commonly, even in the first years of marriage? What will happen if divorce rates continue to rise? Are there new reasons for divorce which are related to the country development? In this research paper, I will analyze this problem while searching for answers to such questions that will help to find solution in order to decrease the rate of divorce and to improve people lives. In addition, I will examine each part of this problem and the different views from the parents, the children and the family. Moreover, I will suggest some methods that may help avoid this problem. Literature Reviews: Abdualrazeq Maliki(2001) states that divorce phenomenon in the UAE society has interacting factors that may vary in their severity and impact on divorce problem. Maliki believes that some of the factors which help increased the divorce rates were changes that have taken place in the social and economic field; modernization. He Points out that modernization created a new side in our society which made a divergence between its members, especially member of a Family as husband and wife. Halim Barakat (1993) agrees with Maliki as the modernization has a deep effect in our society as he says Old patterns of marriage and divorce are being slowly replaced by new ones. Different sets of relationships are developing between family and society. He adds However, young men and women show less alienation from the family than from any other social institution, is it religious, political, or social. 2-Divorce Reasons: In our modern time statics proved that divorce is increasing year by year although the rates didnt reach the highest registered rate in the last 30 years, but in recent years it is increasing rapidly. For example, the first graph shows the total divorce rates as a percentage of marriages in Gulf countries, where United Arab Emirates has a 34.84% in 1995 which is one of the highest percentages in gulf. While in 2006 it recorded 18.88% which was a great development in almost 10 years, but unexpectedly it shoots up to 25.62% in 2007 and continues to rise in 2008 to 25.74% as the second graph shows. Such an increase made us search for eligible reason for it although the reasons may vary from every individual but the main common reasons are different background, arranged marriage and early marriage, modernization. Different Background: One of the most common causes of divorce that the people are not aware of is the different backgrounds of the married couple this is due to their belief that love can conquer all obstacles. The Emirates Economist also reported that mixed marriages (i.e., marrying a foreigner) are considered as one of the causes of high rate of divorce in the UAE ( ). In other words, people who are different in culture, economic class and religious believe, in addition to social status. The culture background is a big hurdle in every marriage and essentially ità ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s the first reason for disputes, this comes from the difference of opinion between the couple were each one think they are right because of the way their parents raised them which ultimately affected the way the behave and think, for instance, when an emarati marries a woman from Europe they would often fight about cultural matters like how she should dress, be more conservative towards strangers and many more problems arises which finally can lead only to divorce. Although the wealth of a person is usually said that its not important in front of love but the sad truth is its an important factor that can make life easy or hard, this often is present when two different person with different lifestyles marries, where one partner cant keep with the other financially satisfied and starts to complain about it which in turns will lead to many disagreements where money is involved and a situation of unrest follows. Also this difference may affect their children, for instance, If the husband came from a poor family which had to struggle for everything, and the mother came from a wealthy family, then they might have different ways that they want to raise their children. The father may want to be tougher on the children and enforce strict rules on them. This is the way he was raised by his parents. The mother may be less strict and have completely different views on how to raise children. As a result, each parent may struggle to have their own way over the children. It would turn into a fight over power. It could eventually lead to divorce(). Some may argue that parents from different background will have a good effective on their children since they get to know more than one culture. However, if the parents have a good communication they will able to avoid problems that may end with divorce. Religion plays a vital role in everyones spiritual and mental health, where faith can make a person strong to face the difficulties of life and continue to accept the challenges presented to them, this being said a couple with different religion can cause lots and lots of various problems mainly the faith of the child or even the certain necessities of a religion like wearing hijab for women, if such problem were not resolved in time the marriage would definitely collapse and a family would break with divorce. The difference in social status between the couples is a major problem which often leads to family complications where both families donà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t accept the marriage that will occur or even after marriage, where the family decides to cut all relations between the couples, this will leave the couples with a big challenge because no matter who you love nothing can beat the love of your family and losing it will make you resort to the last solution to return your family ties which is divorce. Arranged Marriage: Marriage is Early Marriage: One of the important causes of divorce in the United Arab Emirates is early marriage, which remains as one of the countrys tradition. Although the education level has risen in the UAE, but this didnt prevent the practice of early marriage in the country. However, Many researches disagree as they say Universal, early marriage is no longer the Standard it once was in Arab countries: The average age at marriage for both men and women is generally rising, and more Arab women are staying single longer or not marrying at all ( ). Its true that early marriage is on decline but it still continues to occur and contribute in raising divorce , according to boozco journal, Our society is partly responsible for the high divorce rates as a lot of couples marry quickly without any chance to know each other, so in reality they are like strangers and there is no communication between them Furthermore, early marriage can affect couples life causing divorce for many reasons such as, the lack of commun ication and experience, also lack of independence. Early marriage is one of the reasons that lead girls to leave school and start a new life in which they dont have enough responsibilities in addition to limited awareness of what marriage is and how to deal with it, which lead to miscommunication with the other partner. Many researches agree that lack of communication is the main cause of divorce, communication is the revealing of thoughts or ideas and is an important aspect of all relationships().As in our society the reason of the bad communication between the couples is that many boys and girls need to interact with the opposite sex, since their upbringing and schooling have in most instances been strictly gender segregated(boozco). Furthermore, marriage in a young age may lack the experience that is required in dealing with problems that couples may face, since these young couples dont have a lot of things to experience and learn from it before getting married. In addition, in our region many families support their married sons financially which will encourage them to depend on their parents without realizing that marriage represent independence. Also it will reduce their responsibility award their new life. In contrast other families may not help their sons with money, which will leave the new couple facing debts in a very early age. Consequently, money problems resulting from premature marriages can also cause divorce( ). Modernization: Modernization is the Transformation of a society from a rural and agrarian condition to a secular, urban, and industrial one ( ). In other words, modernization means the great development that happened suddenly to change a country from many ways. For example, the United Arab Emirates witnessed a huge improvement in many sectors such as economy, education and medication fields. Although these changes have a positive impact on the society, but it also have a harmful influence that can contribute to high divorce rates. According to ( ) Modernization and economic development have been cited as one of the factors leading to divorce in Western societies (Heaton, Cammack, Young). Similarly, the economic boom in the UAE, which is associated with rapid modernization and globalization has affected individual lifestyles and family values as well. So the impact of modernization has been proofed through the increasing numbers of families that have changed their lifestyle to have more urbane lif e than traditional one. Furthermore, this changing affects the society as it adds new reasons for divorce like women seeking independence in addition to the increase of demands of a marriage. First of all, the greatest change that occur through modernization is the female education and Conclusion: In conclusion, there are many reasons for getting divorce but the most common one is the lack of communication between the married couples; lack of communication can destroys any kind of relationships in which will impact the socity as a whole.

Freedom And The Constitution :: essays research papers

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. Freedom of expression is made up of the explicit rights of freedom of speech, press, assembly and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the implied right of association and belief contained in the First Amendment. The Supreme Court interprets the extent of the protection afforded to these rights. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Court as applying to the entire federal government although it is only expressly applicable to Congress. Furthermore, the Court has interpreted the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as protecting the rights in the First Amendment from interference by state governments. Two clauses in the First Amendment guarantee freedom of religion. The establishment clause prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish an official religion or preferring one re ligion over another. It enforces the "separation of church and state. Some governmental activity related to religion has been declared constitutional by the Supreme Court. For example, providing bus transportation for parochial school students and the enforcement of "blue laws" is not prohibited. The free exercise clause prohibits the government, in most instances, from interfering with a persons practice of their religion. The most basic component of freedom of expression is the right of freedom of speech. The right of freedom of speech allows an individual to express themselves without interference or constraint by the government. The Supreme Court requires the government to provide substantial justification for the interference with the right of free speech if it attempts to regulate the content of the speech. A less stringent test is applied for content-neutral legislation. The Supreme Court has also recognized that the government may prohibit some speech that may cause a breach of the peace or cause violence. The right of free speech includes other mediums of expression that communicates a message. Despite popular misunderstanding the right of freedom of the press guaranteed by the first amendment is not very different from the right of freedom of speech. It allows an individual to express themselves through publication and dissemination. It is part of the constitutional protection of freedom of expression. It does not afford members of the media any special rights or privileges not afforded to citizens in general. The right to assemble allows people to gather for peaceful and lawful purposes. Freedom And The Constitution :: essays research papers The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. Freedom of expression is made up of the explicit rights of freedom of speech, press, assembly and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the implied right of association and belief contained in the First Amendment. The Supreme Court interprets the extent of the protection afforded to these rights. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Court as applying to the entire federal government although it is only expressly applicable to Congress. Furthermore, the Court has interpreted the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as protecting the rights in the First Amendment from interference by state governments. Two clauses in the First Amendment guarantee freedom of religion. The establishment clause prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish an official religion or preferring one re ligion over another. It enforces the "separation of church and state. Some governmental activity related to religion has been declared constitutional by the Supreme Court. For example, providing bus transportation for parochial school students and the enforcement of "blue laws" is not prohibited. The free exercise clause prohibits the government, in most instances, from interfering with a persons practice of their religion. The most basic component of freedom of expression is the right of freedom of speech. The right of freedom of speech allows an individual to express themselves without interference or constraint by the government. The Supreme Court requires the government to provide substantial justification for the interference with the right of free speech if it attempts to regulate the content of the speech. A less stringent test is applied for content-neutral legislation. The Supreme Court has also recognized that the government may prohibit some speech that may cause a breach of the peace or cause violence. The right of free speech includes other mediums of expression that communicates a message. Despite popular misunderstanding the right of freedom of the press guaranteed by the first amendment is not very different from the right of freedom of speech. It allows an individual to express themselves through publication and dissemination. It is part of the constitutional protection of freedom of expression. It does not afford members of the media any special rights or privileges not afforded to citizens in general. The right to assemble allows people to gather for peaceful and lawful purposes.

Benefits of a Healthy Workforce Essay

Organisational health programmes are essential to the survival of companies. Undoubtedly, a healthy workforce would work wonders for any business by reducing absenteeism and turnover, and increasing employee motivation, productivity and revenues. Lowe (2004) writes that hundreds of studies have already documented the direct as well as indirect advantages of â€Å"healthy work environments† to employees in addition to their organisations (p. 7). Indeed, healthy workplaces as well as jobs contribute to the well-being of employees. These benefits may be realized by the whole organisation through lower absenteeism, lower turnover, higher job satisfaction, improved performance on the job, lower rates of accident, in addition to â€Å"reduced health benefit and worker compensation costs (Lowe, p. 7). † Moreover, research has revealed that the largest gains in productivity may be realized by the organisation that changes the entire work environment to make it healthier for all employees (Lowe). Research has also revealed that the impact of poor health is keenly felt in the work environment, so therefore managers require an improved understanding of the dangers of allowing minor symptoms to escalate. Four in ten managers who participated in a recently conducted survey related to workplace health complained that they often become angry with others and feel humorless due to pressure. More than fifty percent of the managers complained of physical pain, at the same time as forty four percent reported experiencing frequent headaches. Moreover, fifty five percent complained of constant tiredness, fifty seven percent complained of insomnia, while twenty percent simply stated that they found it difficult to make decisions because of ill health (Poor Health 2006). Unsurprisingly, these results demand organisations to put effective health programmes in place for all employees. Sick employees are not likely to be highly productive in any case. In the United States, businesses are known to spend at least U. S. $450 billion every year on direct health care. Poor health costs around U. S. $225. 8 billion to American businesses each year through absenteeism as well as productivity losses that are related to the health problems of employees and their families. Hence, insurers as well as employers have started to create a large number of health promotion and prevention programmes that have already started to pay handsome dividends. According to a study, American employers may â€Å"reap the average of [U. S. ] $3. 48 in reduced health care costs and [U. S. ] $5. 82 in lower absenteeism costs for every dollar invested in employee wellness (Toomey 2006, p. 13). † Of course, these benefits can be realized anywhere in the world. In the United Kingdom, three quarters of a million workers are known to take time off work each year due to work-related illnesses (Firman 2006). These illnesses are further known to cost businesses as much as ten percent of their total payroll costs. Indeed, by promoting health in the workplace and preventing illnesses through effective health programmes in the organisation, absenteeism and costs related to the same may be drastically lowered. The money that is saved thus may be used by the organisation to update its equipment; on marketing; as well for the provision of training to employees. Organisations may also be able to increase the number of employees with the cost savings realized through effective health programmes (Jim 2006). Indeed, the benefits of health management programmes in the organisation are aplenty. Healthy employees add value to the organisation. The care shown by employers can boost the morale of the workers. The entire organisation benefits from this, as it becomes more efficient with a healthy and therefore productive workforce. REFERENCES Firman, C. 16. 11. 2006 â€Å"Health Matters. † Motor Transport available at EBSCO Host database. Jim, N. 9. 6. 2006 â€Å"Health and Safety Assessments Cut Costs and Boost Productivity. † Electronics Weekly 2256 available at EBSCO Host database. Lowe, G. S. 2004 â€Å"Healthy Workplace Strategies: Creating Change and Achieving Results. † The Graham Lowe Group available at http://www. grahamlowe. ca/documents/93/Hlthy%20wkpl%20strategies%20report. pdf. Poor Health 2006: â€Å"Poor Health Leads to a Humorless, Angrier Workforce† article in Occupational Health (Jun 2006), 58(6) available at EBSCO Host database. Toomey, D. 18. 12. 2006 â€Å"Wellness and Prevention Programs Generate Healthy Outcomes. † Executive Health & Wellness Guide available at EBSCO Host database.

Dont Actually Use This Crap Essay

I have decided to research and discuss how we can use heritage to build a nation in order to promote our understanding of a common humanity. In order to discuss and debate the abovementioned question we need to understand some key phrases in the question. In my opinion, that would include the following key concepts, namely; * heritage, * nation and * a common humanity. South Africa has come from a turbulent past where terms such as heritage, nation building and a common humanity meant different things to various population groups and realistically these concepts were worlds apart for the majority of South Africans. In order to achieve a common humanity, we need to respect all the cultures and religions within our country. People learn and are influenced by the place and the people around them. In a country like South Africa many people have learned from stories told to them. These stories carry information and ideas about life and living and shared customs, traditions and memories from parents to children. A person’s heritage is made up of the practices, and traditions that are passed on from parents to children. Heritage is also about what has been passed on from the family, community and place where people have been raised. For example a person may have grown up in a family of medical professionals or in a proudly Zulu family where the old customs are still followed. This is part of their heritage. People also have a national heritage. A person who was born in South Africa has a South African heritage. This also means they have an African heritage because they were born on this continent. There are many South Africans who do not know what our Coat of Arms represents or the meaning of our flag and anthem. In order to be a truly successful nation we need to become more aware of these national symbols. If we achieve this it will contribute to a more powerful form of nation-building. In countries with a huge variety of cultural, ethnic, racial, religious and other social identities, nation-building is a big challenge. This challenge has led governments to take numerous steps to create a peaceful and workable country. In Africa the situation is made more difficult by the fact that there are many identities and cultures. Mandaza describes such states as ‘nation-states-in-the-making’, which are characterised by a lack of essence, weakness and dependency. I think that the role of the curriculum in schools plays an essential role in promoting an understanding of a common humanity in all young people. Researchers often make reference to the neglected role of the history curriculum in the debate on nation-building and the process of forging general citizenship in Africa. In this context, the concept ‘curriculum’ is understood from many people to be the point of view of the political party in power. The curriculum emerges directly from society and is an ideological tool as well as a vehicle of social change driven by the dominant social group. As such, it plays a central role in the development and reproduction of society over time and geographical area. Seen from this perspective, it is no wonder that the curriculum is driven by political regimes in an endeavour to promote common values and form a particular type of citizen. We most certainly can, but it takes a lot of hard work. Each of our many cultures must get a little space in the sun. What we must also realise though is that some cultures are very different from others and that some people might find the things we may want to defend offensive. The question we should ask is whether our practices are more likely to cause division and friction, or whether it is going to bring people of different cultures together. What we should perhaps work on is getting our country to a point where there is loyalty to the flag no matter what. We must be able to really be proud of our achievements as a nation, and not vote people into office that will embarrass us. If we can all stand behind the flag, I think it will be one thing that can unite us. Look what the Rugby World Cups and the recent 2010 Soccer World Cup did for our nation. The whole nation standing for a common cause and goal. There was a real sense of nation-building. Culture is not something you are born with. It is learned from family, school, religious teachings, television and media and the government of a country. Advertisements, magazines and movies are also powerful guides. For example American music videos promote a certain style of dress, values, expression and attitude for young people. Many young people like the cool speak of American pop music rather than talking in their home language. Schools and religious organisations also play a big role. Religion has many rituals that symbolise belonging to a particular culture. South Africa has been called the rainbow nation because it has so many cultural practices. Cultural practices are how we talk and behave, the ways in which we pray, the special things we do when we have festivals, births and deaths. We have groups with different languages, religions, race, customs and traditions e. . Zulu, Ndebele, Khoisan, Hindu, Muslim and Afrikaner people. All of these people are united by being South African and all of their ways of life form part of our country’s identity and culture. It is important to promote and be proud of our South African culture and identity. This helps South Africans to understand and respect each other and to learn from each other’s cultural practices. This is part of the healing that demo cracy has brought after culture was used to divide South Africans in the past. For this reason the government has a project called â€Å"Proudly South African† that encourages South Africans to value each other and the country. The past is all around us. We live our lives against a rich backdrop of historic buildings, landscapes and other physical survivals of our past. But the historic environment is more than just a matter of material remains. It is central to how we see ourselves and to our identity as individuals, communities and as a nation. It is a physical record of what our country is and how it came to be. Building materials and styles can define region’s localities and communities. Historic landscapes or iconic buildings can become a focus of community identity and pride. At a more local level a historic church or park can help define a neighbourhood and create a sense of identity and belonging. The importance that we attach to our ‘heritage’ is growing each year, and that is why events such as Heritage Day are important in enabling people to value and appreciate their local, regional and national heritage. I encourage people of all ages to take this opportunity to visit, tour and experience the buildings and streets on your doorstep and learn a little about the rich heritage of the region in which you live. Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Cape is full of heritage. Nation building enables history to be rewritten, and the apartheid legacy of devaluing and erasing the heritage of black South Africans from the consciousness of the nation to be reversed, facilitating healing and further weakening the feelings of â€Å"better† citizenship of one population group over the other. Attempts to reverse this and give back pride to the African, Indian and Coloured South Africans receive support from many people. This includes government efforts to teach children about African heroes and Africa’s contributions to world history and culture. Nation building is necessary to build trust, which is directly linked with stronger economic performance. If all South Africans were passionate and believed in each other and were not divided on many issues as we are, our country would perform better financially and this would improve international investments and job opportunities. We (South Africans) need to develop the same patriotism and passion that the Americans show to their flag and anthem. We can continue to rebuild our nation with our heritage by raising awareness. There are a lot of South Africans who do not know anything about the Heritage of our country, therefore, by having exhibitions, distributing leaflets, organising work groups (community and schools), quarterly newsletters distributed within the community, media exposure or maybe even raising awareness by means of radio shows , talks and shows, we can continue to build our nation. Only when all Africans own and cherish their cultural heritage, when they identify and embrace the majesty of Mapungubwe, when they speak and learn through their languages and can therefore dream, sing and dance in their own languages, shall we see rapid social economic development of the people of Africa. A nation needs a history. History buys you time to get rid of emotional responses and see things rationally. The English civil war, for example, has taught people of Royalist descent that a ruler who leeches the country for his/her personal benefits shouldn’t be tolerated. On the other hand, descendants of Parliamentarians can see that it’s not enough just to chop off a bad king’s head. You need something good to replace him with. England had eleven years of misery after beheading Charles 1, and couldn’t wait to get another king. Nobody could understand that at the time because they were emotionally involved with one side or the other. It took time for both sides to overcome the hurts and prejudices, and to understand what happened, but eventually, they grew as a nation from the lessons learned. Heroes fall into two categories. They can either be people of great achievement (like Newton or Darwin) or they can reflect some aspect of national character (like Robin Hood or Scotland’s William Wallace). Heroes are people that kids can look up to, people who inspire kids to achieve something, and that all helps to form a single national identity. A common identity – the need to preserve it, promote it and keep it alive is a struggle of both individuals and many nations. Your identity is not only a current thing. It is originates from and is dependent upon the sum-total of your cultural heritage. All the things that your ancestors have done on the cultural front, i. e. their language, dances, rituals, dress, food and all that, contribute towards your present identity. As a young South African I feel that the youth of today need to learn and understand the events of the past so we can understand how to move forward in the best interests of all South Africans. I consider it essential for our future that we all stand behind a common identity namely our flag and anthem. Nation building is important and imperative to create a feeling of belonging and with it accountability and responsible behaviour. Efforts must be made to ensure that all cultures are respected and equal citizenship for all guaranteed. This is important because for centuries the dominant people in power aimed to diminish all culture and history of certain cultures and religions. This â€Å"past† obviously did not use heritage to build a nation in order to promote our understanding of a common humanity.