Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 2

The next afternoon, I found myself sitting on a stiff, low-backed velvet chair in the Cartwrights' sitting room. Every time I shifted, trying to find a spot of comfort on the hard seat, I felt the gaze of Mrs. Cartwright, Rosalyn, and her maid fall upon me. It was as though I was the subject in a portrait at a museum or a character in a drawing room drama. The entire front room reminded me of a set for a play–it was hardly the type of place in which to relax. Or talk, for that matter. During the first fifteen minutes of my arrival, we'd haltingly discussed the weather, the new store in town, and the war. After that, long pauses reigned, the only sound the hollow clacking of the maid's knitting needles. I glanced at Rosalyn again, trying to find something about her person to compliment. She had a pert face with a dimple in her chin, and her earlobes were small and symmetrical. From the half centimeter of ankle I could see below the hem of her dress, it seemed she had delicate bone structure. Just then a sharp pain shot up my leg. I let out a cry, then looked down at the floor, where a tiny, copper-colored dog about the size of a rat had embedded its pointed teeth in the skin of my ankle. â€Å"Oh, that's Penny. Penny's just saying hi, isn't she?† Rosalyn cooed, scooping up the tiny animal into her arms. The dog stared at me, continuing to bare its teeth. I inched farther back in my seat. â€Å"She's, uh, very nice,† I said, even though I didn't understand the point of a dog that small. Dogs were supposed to be companions that could keep you company on a hunt, not ornaments to match the furniture. â€Å"Isn't she, though?† Rosalyn looked up in rapture. â€Å"She's my very best friend, and I must say, I'm terrified of her going outside now, with all the reports of animal murders!† â€Å"I'm telling you, Stefan, we're so frightened!† Mrs. Cartwright jumped in, running her hands over the bodice of her navy dress. â€Å"I don't understand this world. It's simply not meant for us women to even go outside.† â€Å"I hope whatever it is doesn't attack us. Sometimes I'm scared to step foot outdoors, even when it's light,† Rosalyn fretted, clutching Penny tightly to her chest. The dog yelped and jumped off her lap. â€Å"I'd die if anything happened to Penny.† â€Å"I'm sure she'll be fine. After all, the attacks have been happening on farms, not in town,† I said, halfheartedly trying to comfort her. â€Å"Stefan?† Mrs. Cartwright asked in her shrill voice, the same one she affected when she used to chide Damon and me for whispering during church. Her face was pinched, and her expression looked like she had just sucked on a lemon. â€Å"Don't you think Rosalyn looks especially beautiful today?† â€Å"Oh, yes,† I lied. Rosalyn was wearing a drab brown dress that matched her brownish blond hair. Loose ringlets fell about her skinny shoulders. Her outfit was a direct contrast to the parlor, which was decorated with oak furniture, brocade chairs, and dark-colored Oriental rugs that overlapped on the gleaming wood floor. In the far corner, over the marble mantel, a portrait of Mr. Cartwright stared down at me, a stern expression on his angular face. I glanced at him curiously. In contrast to his wife, who was overweight and red-faced, Mr. Cartwright was ghostly pale and skinny–and slightly dangerous-looking, like the vultures we'd seen circling around the battlefield last summer. Considering who her parents were, Rosalyn had actually turned out remarkably well. Rosalyn blushed. I shifted on the chair's edge, feeling the jewelry box in my rear pocket. I'd glanced at the ring last night, when sleep wouldn't come. I recognized it instantly. It was an emerald circled by diamonds, made by the finest craftsmen in Venice and worn by my mother until the day she died. â€Å"So, Stefan? What do you think of pink?† Rosalyn asked, breaking me out of my reverie. â€Å"I'm sorry, what?† I asked, distracted. Mrs. Cartwright shot me an irritated look. â€Å"Pink? For the dinner next week? It's so kind of your father to plan it,† Rosalyn said, her face bright red as she stared at the floor. â€Å"I think pink would look delightful on you. Y ou'll be beautiful no matter what you wear,† I said woodenly, as though I were an actor reading lines from a script. Mrs. Cartwright smiled approvingly. The dog ran to her and jumped onto a pillow next to her. She began stroking its coat. Suddenly the room felt hot and humid. The cloying, competing scents of Mrs. Cartwright's and Rosalyn's perfumes made my head spin. I sneaked a glance at the antique grandfather clock in the corner. I'd been here for only fifty-five minutes, yet it might as well have been fifty-five years. I stood up, my legs wobbling beneath me. â€Å"It has been lovely visiting with you, Mrs. and Miss Cartwright, but I'd be loath to take up the rest of your afternoon.† â€Å"Thank you.† Mrs. Cartwright nodded, not rising from her settee. â€Å"Maisy will show you out,† she said, lifting her chin toward their maid, who was now dozing over her knitting. I breathed a sigh of relief as I left the house. The air was cool against my clammy skin, and I was happy that I hadn't had our coachman wait for me; I would be able to clear my head by walking the two miles home. The sun was beginning to sink into the horizon, and the smell of honeysuckle and jasmine hung heavily in the air. I glanced up at Veritas as I strode up the hill. Blooming lilies surrounded the large urns flanking the path to the front door. The white columns of the porch glowed orange from the setting sun, the pond's mirror-like surface gleamed in the distance, and I could hear the faraway sound of the children playing near the servants' quarters. This was my home, and I loved it. But I couldn't imagine sharing it with Rosalyn. I shoved my hands in my pockets and angrily kicked a stone in the curve of the road. I paused when I reached the entrance to the drive, where an unfamiliar coach was standing. I stared with curiosity–we rarely had visitors–as a white-haired coachman jumped out of the driver's seat and opened the cab. A beautiful, pale woman with cascading dark curls stepped out. She wore a billowing white dress, cinched at her narrow waist with a peach-colored ribbon. A matching peach hat was perched atop her head, obscuring her eyes. As if she knew I was staring, she turned. I gasped despite myself. She was more than beautiful; she was sublime. Even from a distance of twenty paces, I could see her dark eyes flickering, her pink lips curving into a small smile. Her thin fingers touched the blue cameo necklace at her throat, and I found myself mirroring the gesture, imagining what her small hand would feel like on my own skin. Then she turned again, and a woman, who must have been her maid, stepped out of the cab and began fussing with her skirts. â€Å"Hello!† she called. â€Å"Hello †¦,† I croaked. As I breathed, I smelled a heady combination of ginger and lemon. â€Å"I'm Katherine Pierce. And you are?† she asked, her voice playful. It was as if she knew I was tongue-tied by her beauty. I wasn't sure whether I should be mortified or thankful that she was taking the lead. â€Å"Katherine,† I repeated slowly, remembering. Father had told me the story of a friend of a friend down in Atlanta. His neighbors had perished when their house caught fire during General Sherman's siege, and the only survivor had been a sixteen- year-old girl with no relations. Immediately, Father had offered to board the girl in our carriage house. It had all sounded very mysterious and romantic, and when Father told me, I saw in his eyes how much he enjoyed the idea of serving as rescuer to this young orphan. â€Å"Y es,† she said, her eyes dancing. â€Å"And you are †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Stefan!† I said quickly. â€Å"Stefan Salvatore. Giuseppe's son. I am so sorry for your family's tragedy.† â€Å"Thank you,† she said. In an instant, her eyes became dark and somber. â€Å"And I thank you and your father for hosting me and my maid, Emily. I don't know what we would have done without you.† â€Å"Yes, of course.† I felt suddenly protective. â€Å"You'll be in the carriage house. Would you like me to show you?† â€Å"We shall find it ourselves. Thank you, Stefan Salvatore,† Katherine said, following the coachman, who carried a large trunk toward the small guest house, which was set back a bit from the main estate. Then she turned around and stared at me. â€Å"Or should I call you Savior Stefan?† she asked with a wink before turning on her heel. I watched her walk into the sunset, her maid trailing her, and instantly I knew my life would never be the same.

Sen No Rikyu Sen

Sen No Rikyu The most influential Japanese tea master in Japan’s history is considered to be Sen No Rikyu. He made the tea ceremony Chanoyu (Way of tea) into an art form. Sen no Rikyu was born in 1522 to the name of Yoshiro in the merchant city of Sakai. Rikyu was born to a prominent family, his father, Yohei, was a city council member (The Japanese Way, 1998) as well as an accomplished merchant. (Above) Sen No Rikyu Developing of Wabi-Cha Wabi-Cha is a Japanese discipline of drinking tea. As stated in the article â€Å"Two for Tea†: The â€Å"Wabi† refers to the beauty that is found in simple things and Cha means tea. Japan Journal) At a young age Sen No Rikyu began to study tea ceremony under Kitamuki Dochi. During his time with kitamuki Dochi, he studied the elegant tea traditions of Higashiyama, which resembles that of a traditional Chinese tea ceremony and is best suited for a shoin room. (Fujimori, 2007) See link for a brief description of a Shoin Room: htt p://www. metmuseum. org/toah/works-of-art/shoin_room At the age of 19 Sen No Rikyu began to study under Takeno Jo-o, where he learned the contemporary style of tea ceremony.This type of tea ceremony was best suited for a smaller room, known as thatched tea house. In the Daitoku-ji temple, located northwest of Kyoto, Rikyu underwent Zen training as a Zen-Buddhist. After his training he changed his name to Sen Soueki (Japanese). By combining these two different methods of tea ceremonies, he was able to create a new foundation for tea ceremonies as declared in the article â€Å"Rikyu and the Fruition of the way of tea†: As this indicates, Rikyu first studied with Kitamuki Dochin, who practiced the Higashiyama style of tea that had come down from Noami.Thereafter, he studied with Joo in the Juko tradition, and by conjoining these two strands, he was able to construct a new basis for the success of Chanoyu. (The Japanese Way, 1998) (Above) Daitoku-Ji temple Daitoku-ji temple Video : http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=XlurloSuiC0 Sen no Rikyu continue to perfect his tea ceremonial style of Wabi and by 1580 he had fashioned what we know today as Wabi-Cha. As acknowledged in â€Å"Three Chanoyou and Momoyama: Conflict and transformation in Rikyu art†: A number of tea gatherings were recorded which suggest further development of his inclination toward Wabi sensitivities.In the summer of 1577 he held a gathering to open his tea room, probably in Sakai, and invited Matsue Ryusen, Tennojiya Doshitsu, and Tsuda Sogyu; apart from the Koshima bowl, all his tea articles were common and plain, and the meal (kaiseki) was quite simple. The next year he again held a simple gathering in his small room (kozashiki). He continued also to host tea gatherings at which he used the daisu stand, but by 1580 it is clear that he had developed a strong Wabi style. (Tea in Japan, 1998) Thatched tea house Entrance of a Thatched tea houseTea ceremony For a full description a of That ched tea house build by Sen no Rikyu see the first three minutes of this YouTube video: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=WboHExBcKSg Success as tea master From a young age Sen No Rikyu was a talented tea ceremony host, this is known through the evidence of people writing about his tea ceremonial talent. As stated in the article: â€Å"Tea and council: The political role of Sen Rikyu†: A rich Nara merchant recorded in his diary that he had attended a tea ceremony hosted by the fifteen-year-old Rikyu.This shows that the boy must have been sufficiently accomplished to serve tea to such an important man and that already at this age he had successfully entered the exclusive circle of the powerful commercial elite. (Bordat, 1977) There isn’t a great deal of information about Rikyu middle years. What it’s know is that he continue to developed his tea ceremony methods and became popular among other tea masters of Sakai.As stated in the article â€Å"Three Chanoyu and Momoyama: Conflict and Transformation in Rikyu’s Art†: When Rikyu invited his teacher Joo to a gathering in 1544, just seven months before Joo's death, he used a Korean tea bowl, a kettle with a pattern of clouds and dragons, a Hotei incense container, a Kinrinji tea caddy, and a water jug of Shigaraki earthenware, and displayed a painting by Mu Ch'i with his own inscription in the alcove. These were all suitably valuable articles to show that Rikyu was in the first rank of Sakai tea men.A decade later Rikyu hosted a gathering with Imai Sokyu as the only guest, and Sokyu's account shows that Rikyu continued to collect and use famous and valuable articles; he placed a Semehimo kettle in the hearth, narcissus flowers in the highly-prized Tsuru no Hitokoe flower vase, and used a Shigaraki water jug, a Korean tea bowl, and the celebrated Narashiba Katatsuki tea caddy which had been beloved by Torii Insetsu and was afterward passed to Shimai Soshitsu of Hakata and, finally, to Hideyoshi (I should discuss about him later on).The available records thus make clear that Rikyu from an early age shared with the other Sakai tea men a liking for the collection and display of valuable articles, and he developed his aesthetic sense in accordance with his training in the Higashiyama tradition. (Ludwig, 1989) Below are two of Sen No Rikyu best saying: Though many people drink tea, if you do not know the Way of Tea, tea will drink you up. and The Way of Tea is naught but this: first you boil water, then you make the tea and drink it. Sen No Rikyu and his political rise.Even though Sen No Rikyu was a well known tea master, he never serve tea to the most powerful Daimyo of the region Oda Nobunaga, as stated in the article â€Å"Three Chanyu and Momoyama: Conflict and Transformation Rikyu’s Art†: Rikyu never attained such importance with Nobunaga, perhaps because his merchant family was not as powerful in Sakai. Approximately in 1570 Sen no Rikyu was int roduced to Oda Nobunaga, during this period Nobunaga was attempting the unification of Japan. Nobunaga who popularized Sen no Rikyu tea ceremony used it originally as a way to talk politics and business. Oda Nobunaga Biography) Rikyu along with Imai Sokyu, and Tsuda Sogyu, were placed in charge of tea ceremonies for Nobunaga. By 1575 Rikyu was acting tea master for Nobunaga as stated in the article â€Å"Three Chanoyou and Momoyama: Conflict and transformation in Rikyu art†: At a victory celebration after in 1575, Nobunaga turned to chanoyu and hosted a deluxe gathering at Myokoji Temple, inviting seventeen tea men from Kyoto and Sakai to display and use his many treasured tea articles.Rikyu's role in this sumptuous ceremony is indicated in Shincho Koki by the phrase â€Å"sado wa Soeki,† showing that Rikyu acted as tea master for Nobunaga. (Ludwig, 1989). (Above) Oda Nobunaga Rikyu continue to gain prestige above the other two tea master, mostly due to Nobunagaâ€℠¢s preference for Rikyu as he had become his secretary and highly trusted middleman. (Bodart, 1977) During this same period Rikyu was an established merchant that supported Nobunaga’s campaign as stated in the essay â€Å"Tea in Japan†: In a letter from Nobunaga address to Rikyu there is this note of thanks for a thousand musket balls.As Nobunaga continue to gain land he wanted to transform Chanoyu into his own possession (Kamakura, 1989), causing it to become a national practice, as it was way of showing Nobunaga’s supremacy. In 1582 Oda Nobunaga was assassinated, after a power struggle Toyotomi Hideyoshi claim most of Nobunaga’s clan and land. During this period Rikyu ingenuity ascended to new heights as well as his political power.In 1585 for the first time tea was formally presented to the Emperor, Emperor Ogimachi, at the Imperial Palace. As Rikyu didn’t posses rank or status he could not attend the ceremony, this issue was solve and is best d escribe in the essay â€Å"Sen No Rikyu: Inquiries into his life†: In order to be admitted into the palace either to have such as high rank and office, or alternatively, to assume the status of a priest who transcendent lay distinctions.Thus Rikyu took the priestly designation of Koji (Buddhist Layman) It is also believe that at this time Rikyu rose from one of many tea master to become Tenka Gosado â€Å"the tea master of Japan. (Bodart, 1977) (Above) Toyotomi Hideyoshi During Hideyoshi reign Rikyu political power increase so much so that he played a central role as stated in the article â€Å"Three Chanyu and Momoyama: Conflict and Transformation Rikyu’s Art†:With Hideyoshi in control, the political use of the leading tea masters continued, and Rikyu played a central role.This can be seen from his letters of 1584 and 1585, which show he was well informed of Hideyoshi's plans in the campaign against Oda Nobukatsu's and Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces and the Etchu ca mpaign against the Sassa, took a deep interest in these military affairs, and was even given responsibility in the custody of Osaka. (Ludwig, 1989) (Above) Osaka Castle Sen No Rikyu Death Rikyu became more than a tea master to Hideyoshi, he was often an advisor on other matters. Hideytoshi allow Rikyu to maintain his independence, but disagreements cause their relationship to fail.It is believe that when Rykyu refused Hideyoshi’s request to take Rikyu’s daughter as a concubine, the relationship broke and never recovered. (Zen)In 1591 Hideyoshi eventually order Rikyu to commit Seppuku (Ritual suicide) the true reasons are not know but according to the Article â€Å"Zen stories of Samurai†: Tradition holds that Hideyoshi was infuriated when he entered the gate of Daitoku-ji temple (whose construction he had funded) and saw that he was walking under a statue of Rikyu   Just before his death, Rikyu called together his family and disciples.He then composed his deat h poem. I raise the sword. This sword of mine; Long in my possession. The time is come at last. Skyward I throw it up! Sen No Rikyu Legacy Sen No Rikyu legacy can still be seen today in Japanese tea ceremonies. As he perfected the â€Å"Way of Tea† this cause all of the earlier styles of tea ceremonies to vanished with Rikyu death. Today all modern styles of tea ceremonies can be traced directly or indirectly to Rikyu. After his death Rikyu family scattered and when into hiding as stated in the article â€Å"A rief History of Chanoyu†: Though the family had been scattered and were in hiding in the residences of various generals , his son Shoan and grandson Sotan, succeeded in reestablishing the family name and reassembling their possessions. They began their task by rebuilding the Zangetsutei and Fushinan tea houses at Ogawa Teranouchi in Kyoto. Today three Sen families exists, this families continue the tradition of holding a memorial service every month at the mutual family temple. (A Brief) (Above) Sen No Rikyu Grave A timeline of the Chonoyu can be view at this link: ttp://www. tea-passage. com/timeline. html Reference A Brief history of chanoyu. (n. d. ). Retrieved from  http://cla. calpoly. edu/~bmori/syll/Hum310japan/Tea%20History. html Bodart, B. M. (1977). Tea and counsel. the political role of sen rikyu. Monumenta Nipponica,  32(1), FUJIMORI, T. (2007, August). Two for tea. Retrieved from http://www. japanjournal. jp/tjje/show_art. php? INDyear=07;INDmon=08;artid=f163e1f847cf981422ef0f1ccc Kumakura, Isao. (1989). Sen no rikyu: inquiries into his life and tea. Tea in Japan: Essays on the History of Chanoyu, 33.Ludwig, T. M. (1989). Tea in japan: essays on the history of chanoyu.. Honolulu HI: University of Hawaii Press. Oda nobunaga biography. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. biographybase. com/biography/Oda_Nobunaga. html The Japanese way of tea: from its origins in china to sen rikyu. (1998). Honolulu HI: University of Hawaii P ress. Tea in Japan: essays on the history of chanoyu. (1998). Honolulu HI: University of Hawaii Press. Zen stories of the samurai  . (n. d. ). Retrieved from  http://www. zenstoriesofthesamurai. com/Characters/Sen%20no%20Rikyu. htm

Chapter 8 The Quidditch World Cup

Clutching their purchases, Mr. Weasley in the lead, they all hurried into the wood, following the lantern-lit trail. They could hear the sounds of thousands of people moving around them, shouts and laughter, snatches of singing. The atmosphere of feverish excitement was highly infectious; Harry couldn't stop grinning. They walked through the wood for twenty minutes, talking and joking loudly, until at last they emerged on the other side and found themselves in the shadow of a gigantic stadium. Though Harry could see only a fraction of the immense gold walls surrounding the field, he could tell that ten cathedrals would fit comfortably inside it. â€Å"Seats a hundred thousand,† said Mr. Weasley, spotting the awestruck look on Harry's face. â€Å"Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again†¦bless them,† he added fondly, leading the way toward the nearest entrance, which was already surrounded by a swarm of shouting witches and wizards. â€Å"Prime seats!† said the Ministry witch at the entrance when she checked their tickets. â€Å"Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go.† The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. They clambered upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands to their left and right. Mr. Weasley's party kept climbing, and at last they reached the top of the staircase and found themselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goal posts. About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows here, and Harry, filing into the front seats with the Weasleys, looked down upon a scene the likes of which he could never have imagined. A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at Harry's eye level, was a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand were scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping it off again; watching it, Harry saw that it was flashing advertisements across the field. The Bluebottle: A Broom for All the Family – safe, reliable, and with Built-in Anti-Burgler Buzzer†¦Mrs. Shower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover: No Pain, No Stain!†¦Gladrags Wizardwear – London, Paris, Hogsmeade†¦ Harry tore his eyes away from the sign and looked over his shoulder to see who else was sharing the box with them. So far it was empty, except for a tiny creature sitting in the second from last seat at the end of the row behind them. The creature, whose legs were so short they stuck out in front of it on the chair, was wearing a tea towel draped like a toga, and it had its face hidden in its hands. Yet those long, batlike ears were oddly familiar†¦. â€Å"Dobby?† said Harry incredulously. The tiny creature looked up and stretched its fingers, revealing enormous brown eyes and a nose the exact size and shape of a large tomato. It wasn't Dobby – it was, however, unmistakably a house-elf, as Harry's friend Dobby had been. Harry had set Dobby free from his old owners, the Malfoy family. â€Å"Did sir just call me Dobby?† squeaked the elf curiously from between its fingers. Its voice was higher even than Dobby's had been, a teeny, quivering squeak of a voice, and Harry suspected though it was very hard to tell with a house-elf – that this one might just be female. Ron and Hermione spun around in their seats to look. Though they had heard a lot about Dobby from Harry, they had never actually met him. Even Mr. Weasley looked around in interest. â€Å"Sorry,† Harry told the elf, â€Å"I just thought you were someone I knew.† â€Å"But I knows Dobby too, sir!† squeaked the elf. She was shielding her face, as though blinded by light, though the Top Box was not brightly lit. â€Å"My name is Winky, sir – and you, sir -† Her dark brown eyes widened to the size of side plates as they rested upon Harry's scar. â€Å"You is surely Harry Potter!† â€Å"Yeah, I am,† said Harry. â€Å"But Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!† she said, lowering her hands very slightly and looking awestruck. â€Å"How is he?† said Harry. â€Å"How's freedom suiting him?† â€Å"Ah, sir,† said Winky, shaking her head, â€Å"ah sir, meaning no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, sir, when you is setting him free.† â€Å"Why?† said Harry, taken aback. â€Å"What's wrong with him?† â€Å"Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir, † said Winky sadly. â€Å"Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir.† â€Å"Why not?† said Harry. Winky lowered her voice by a half-octave and whispered, â€Å"He is wanting paying for his work, sir.† â€Å"Paying?† said Harry blankly. â€Å"Well – why shouldn't he be paid?† Winky looked quite horrified at the idea and closed her fingers slightly so that her face was half-hidden again. â€Å"House-elves is not paid, sir!† she said in a muffled squeak. â€Å"No, no, no. I says to Dobby, I says, go find yourself a nice family and settle down, Dobby. He is getting up to all sorts of high jinks, sir, what is unbecoming to a house-elf. You goes racketing around like this, Dobby, I says, and next thing I hear you's up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, like some common goblin.† â€Å"Well, it's about time he had a bit of fun,† said Harry. â€Å"House-elves is not supposed to have fun, Harry Potter,† said Winky firmly, from behind her hands. â€Å"House-elves does what they is told. I is not liking heights at all, Harry Potter† – she glanced toward the edge of the box and gulped – â€Å"but my master sends me to the Top Box and I comes, sir.† â€Å"Why's he sent you up here, if he knows you don't like heights?† said Harry, frowning. â€Å"Master – master wants me to save him a seat, Harry Potter. He is very busy,† said Winky, tilting her head toward the empty space beside her. â€Å"Winky is wishing she is back in master's tent, Harry Potter, but Winky does what she is told. Winky is a good house-elf.† She gave the edge of the box another frightened look and hid her eyes completely again. Harry turned back to the others. â€Å"So that's a house-elf?† Ron muttered. â€Å"Weird things, aren't they?† â€Å"Dobby was weirder,† said Harry fervently. Ron pulled out his Omnioculars and started testing them, staring down into the crowd on the other side of the stadium. â€Å"Wild!† he said, twiddling the replay knob on the side. I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again†¦and again†¦and again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hermione, meanwhile, was skimming eagerly through her velvetcovered, tasseled program. â€Å"‘A display from the team mascots will precede the match,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ she read aloud. â€Å"Oh that's always worth watching,† said Mr. Weasley. â€Å"National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show.† The box filled gradually around them over the next half hour. Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with people who were obviously very important wizards. Percy jumped to his feet so often that he looked as though he were trying to sit on a hedgehog. When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, arrived, Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered. Highly embarrassed, he repaired them with his wand and thereafter remained in his seat, throwing jealous looks at Harry, whom Cornelius Fudge had greeted like an old friend. They had met before, and Fudge shook Harry's hand in a fatherly fashion, asked how he was, and introduced him to the wizards on either side of him. â€Å"Harry Potter, you know,† he told the Bulgarian minister loudly, who was wearing splendid robes of black velvet trimmed with gold and didn't seem to understand a word of English. â€Å"Harry Potter†¦oh come on now, you know who he is†¦the boy who survived You-Know-Who†¦you do know who he is -â€Å" The Bulgarian wizard suddenly spotted Harry's scar and started gabbling loudly and excitedly, pointing at it. â€Å"Knew we'd get there in the end,† said Fudge wearily to Harry. â€Å"I'm no great shakes at languages; I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat†¦.Good job too, these Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places†¦ah, and here's Lucius!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned quickly. Edging along the second row to three still-empty seats right behind Mr. Weasley were none other than Dobby the house-elf's former owners: Lucius Malfoy; his son, Draco; and a woman Harry supposed must be Draco's mother. Harry and Draco Malfoy had been enemies ever since their very first journey to Hogwarts. A pale boy with a pointed face and white-blond hair, Draco greatly resembled his father. His mother was blonde too; tall and slim, she would have been nice-looking if she hadn't been wearing a look that suggested there was a nasty smell under her nose. â€Å"Ah, Fudge,† said Mr. Malfoy, holding out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic. â€Å"How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?† â€Å"How do you do, how do you do?† said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs. Malfoy. â€Å"And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk – Obalonsk – Mr. – well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else – you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?† It was a tense moment. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy looked at each other and Harry vividly recalled the last time they had come face-to-face: It had been in Flourish and Blotts' bookshop, and they had had a fight. Mr. Malfoy's cold gray eyes swept over Mr. Weasley, and then up and down the row. â€Å"Good lord, Arthur,† he said softly. â€Å"What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?† Fudge, who wasn't listening, said, â€Å"Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest.† â€Å"How – how nice,† said Mr. Weasley, with a very strained smile. Mr. Malfoy's eyes had returned to Hermione, who went slightly pink, but stared determinedly back at him. Harry knew exactly what was making Mr. Malfoy's lip curl like that. The Malfoys prided themselves on being purebloods; in other words, they considered anyone of Muggle descent, like Hermione, second-class. However, under the gaze of the Minister of Magic, Mr. Malfoy didn't dare say anything. He nodded sneeringly to Mr. Weasley and continued down the line to his seats. Draco shot Harry, Ron, and Hermione one contemptuous look, then settled himself between his mother and father. â€Å"Slimy gits,† Ron muttered as he, Harry, and Hermione turned to face the field again. Next moment, Ludo Bagman charged into the box. â€Å"Everyone ready?† he said, his round face gleaming like a great, excited Edam. â€Å"Minister – ready to go?† â€Å"Ready when you are, Ludo,† said Fudge comfortably. Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said â€Å"Sonorus!† and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen†¦welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!† The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans – A Risk With Every Mouthful!) and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0. â€Å"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce†¦the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!† The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval. â€Å"I wonder what they've brought,† said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat. â€Å"Aaah!† He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes. â€Å"Veela!† â€Å"What are veel -?† But a hundred veela were now gliding out onto the field, and Harry's question was answered for him. Veela were women†¦the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen†¦except that they weren't – they couldn't be – human. This puzzled Harry for a moment while he tried to guess what exactly they could be; what could make their skin shine moon-bright like that, or their white-gold hair fan out behind them without wind†¦but then the music started, and Harry stopped worrying about them not being human – in fact, he stopped worrying about anything at all. The veela had started to dance, and Harry's mind had gone completely and blissfully blank. All that mattered in the world was that he kept watching the veela, because if they stopped dancing, terrible things would happen. And as the veela danced faster and faster, wild, half-formed thoughts started chasing through Harry's dazed mind. He wanted to do something very impressive, right now. Jumping from the box into the stadium seemed a good idea†¦but would it be good enough? â€Å"Harry, what are you doing?† said Hermione's voice from a long way off. The music stopped. Harry blinked. He was standing up, and one of his legs was resting on the wall of the box. Next to him, Ron was frozen in an attitude that looked as though he were about to dive from a springboard. Angry yells were filling the stadium. The crowd didn't want the veela to go. Harry was with them; he would, of course, be supporting Bulgaria, and he wondered vaguely why he had a large green shamrock pinned to his chest. Ron, meanwhile, was absentmindedly shredding the shamrocks on his hat. Mr. Weasley, smiling slightly, leaned over to Ron and tugged the hat out of his hands. â€Å"You'll be wanting that,† he said, â€Å"once Ireland have had their say.† â€Å"Huh?† said Ron, staring openmouthed at the veela, who had now lined up along one side of the field. Hermione made a loud tutting noise. She reached up and pulled Harry back into his seat. â€Å"Honestly!† she said. â€Å"And now,† roared Ludo Bagman's voice, â€Å"kindly put your wands in the air†¦for the Irish National Team Mascots!† Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd oooohed and aaaaahed, as though at a fireworks display. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it – â€Å"Excellent!† yelled Ron as the shamrock soared over them, and heavy gold coins rained from it, bouncing off their heads and seats. Squinting up at the shamrock, Harry realized that it was actually comprised of thousands of tiny little bearded men with red vests, each carrying a minute lamp of gold or green. â€Å"Leprechauns!† said Mr. Weasley over the tumultuous applause of the crowd, many of whom were still fighting and rummaging around under their chairs to retrieve the gold. â€Å"There you go,† Ron yelled happily, stuffing a fistful of gold coins into Harry's hand, â€Å"for the Omnioculars! Now you've got to buy me a Christmas present, ha!† The great shamrock dissolved, the leprechauns drifted down onto the field on the opposite side from the veela, and settled themselves cross-legged to watch the match. â€Å"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome – the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you – Dimitrov!† A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters. â€Å"Ivanova!† A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out. â€Å"Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand – Krum!† â€Å"That's him, that's him!† yelled Ron, following Krum with his Omnioculars. Harry quickly focused his own. Viktor Krum was thin, dark, and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He looked like an overgrown bird of prey. It was hard to believe he was only eighteen. â€Å"And now, please greet – the Irish National Quidditch Team!† yelled Bagman. â€Å"Presenting – Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand – Lynch!† Seven green blurs swept onto the field; Harry spun a small dial on the side of his Omnioculars and slowed the players down enough to read the word â€Å"Firebolt† on each of their brooms and see their names, embroidered in silver, upon their backs. â€Å"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!† A small and skinny wizard, completely bald but with a mustache to rival Uncle Vernon's, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the field. A silver whistle was protruding from under the mustache, and he was carrying a large wooden crate under one arm, his broomstick under the other. Harry spun the speed dial on his Omnioculars back to normal, watching closely as Mostafa mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open – four balls burst into the air: the scarlet Quaffle, the two black Bludgers, and (Harry saw it for the briefest moment, before it sped out of sight) the minuscule, winged Golden Snitch. With a sharp blast on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls. â€Å"Theeeeeeeey're OFF!† screamed Bagman. â€Å"And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!† It was Quidditch as Harry had never seen it played before. He was pressing his Omnioculars so hard to his glasses that they were cutting into the bridge of his nose. The speed of the players was incredible – the Chasers were throwing the Quaffle to one another so fast that Bagman only had time to say their names. Harry spun the slow dial on the right of his Omnioculars again, pressed the play-by-play button on the top, and he was immediately watching in slow motion, while glittering purple lettering flashed across the lenses and the noise of the crowd pounded against his eardrums. HAWKSHEAD ATTACKING FORMATION, he read as he watched the three Irish Chasers zoom closely together, Troy in the center, slightly ahead of Mullet and Moran, bearing down upon the Bulgarians. PORSKOFF PLOY flashed up next, as Troy made as though to dart upward with the Quaffle, drawing away the Bulgarian Chaser Ivanova and dropping the Quaffle to Moran. One of the Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov, swung hard at a passing Bludger with his small club, knocking it into Moran's path; Moran ducked to avoid the Bludger and dropped the Quaffle; and Levski, soaring beneath, caught it – â€Å"TROY SCORES!† roared Bagman, and the stadium shuddered with a roar of applause and cheers. â€Å"Ten zero to Ireland!† â€Å"What?† Harry yelled, looking wildly around through his Omnioculars. â€Å"But Levski's got the Quaffle!† â€Å"Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed, you're going to miss things!† shouted Hermione, who was dancing up and down, waving her arms in the air while Troy did a lap of honor around the field. Harry looked quickly over the top of his Omnioculars and saw that the leprechauns watching from the sidelines had all risen into the air again and formed the great, glittering shamrock. Across the field, the veela were watching them sulkily. Furious with himself, Harry spun his speed dial back to normal as play resumed. Harry knew enough about Quidditch to see that the Irish Chasers were superb. They worked as a seamless team, their movements so well coordinated that they appeared to be reading one another's minds as they positioned themselves, and the rosette on Harry's chest kept squeaking their names: â€Å"Troy – Mullet – Moran!† And within ten minutes, Ireland had scored twice more, bringing their lead to thirty-zero and causing a thunderous tide of roars and applause from the green-clad supporters. The match became still faster, but more brutal. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them from using some of their best moves; twice they were forced to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks; dodge the Keeper, Ryan; and score Bulgaria's first goal. â€Å"Fingers in your ears!† bellowed Mr. Weasley as the veela started to dance in celebration. Harry screwed up his eyes too; he wanted to keep his mind on the game. After a few seconds, he chanced a glance at the field. The veela had stopped dancing, and Bulgaria was again in possession of the Quaffle. â€Å"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova – oh I say!† roared Bagman. One hundred thousand wizards gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, plummeted through the center of the Chasers, so fast that it looked as though they had just jumped from airplanes without parachutes. Harry followed their descent through his Omnioculars, squinting to see where the Snitch was – â€Å"They're going to crash!† screamed Hermione next to Harry. She was half right – at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiraled off. Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium. A huge groan rose from the Irish seats. â€Å"Fool!† moaned Mr. Weasley. â€Å"Krum was feinting!† â€Å"It's time-out!† yelled Bagman's voice, â€Å"as trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch!† â€Å"He'll be okay, he only got ploughed!† Charlie said reassuringly to Ginny, who was hanging over the side of the box, looking horror-struck. â€Å"Which is what Krum was after, of course†¦.† Harry hastily pressed the replay and play-by-play buttons on his Omnioculars, twiddled the speed dial, and put them back up to his eyes. He watched as Krum and Lynch dived again in slow motion. WRONSKI DEFENSIVE FEINT – DANGEROUS SEEKER DIVERSION read the shining purple lettering across his lenses. He saw Krum's face contorted with concentration as he pulled out of the dive just in time, while Lynch was flattened, and he understood – Krum hadn't seen the Snitch at all, he was just making Lynch copy him. Harry had never seen anyone fly like that; Krum hardly looked as though he was using a broomstick at all; he moved so easily through the air that he looked unsupported and weightless. Harry turned his Omnioculars back to normal and focused them on Krum. He was now circling high above Lynch, who was being revived by mediwizards with cups of potion. Harry, focusing still more closely upon Krum's face, saw his dark eyes darting all over the ground a hundred feet below. He was using the time while Lynch was revived to look for the Snitch without interference. Lynch got to his feet at last, to loud cheers from the green-clad supporters, mounted his Firebolt, and kicked back off into the air. His revival seemed to give Ireland new heart. When Mostafa blew his whistle again, the Chasers moved into action with a skill unrivaled by anything Harry had seen so far. After fifteen more fast and furious minutes, Ireland had pulled ahead by ten more goals. They were now leading by one hundred and thirty points to ten, and the game was starting to get dirtier. As Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again, clutching the Quaffle tightly under her arm, the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, flew out to meet her. Whatever happened was over so quickly Harry didn't catch it, but a scream of rage from the Irish crowd, and Mostafa's long, shrill whistle blast, told him it had been a foul. â€Å"And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbing – excessive use of elbows!† Bagman informed the roaring spectators. â€Å"And – yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!† The leprechauns, who had risen angrily into the air like a swarm of glittering hornets when Mullet had been fouled, now darted together to form the words â€Å"HA, HA, HA!† The veela on the other side of the field leapt to their feet, tossed their hair angrily, and started to dance again. As one, the Weasley boys and Harry stuffed their fingers into their ears, but Hermione, who hadn't bothered, was soon tugging on Harry's arm. He turned to look at her, and she pulled his fingers impatiently out of his ears. â€Å"Look at the referee!† she said, giggling. Harry looked down at the field. Hassan Mostafa had landed right in front of the dancing veela, and was acting very oddly indeed. He was flexing his muscles and smoothing his mustache excitedly. â€Å"Now, we can't have that!† said Ludo Bagman, though he sounded highly amused. â€Å"Somebody slap the referee!† A mediwizard came tearing across the field, his fingers stuffed into his own ears, and kicked Mostafa hard in the shins. Mostafa seemed to come to himself; Harry, watching through the Omnioculars again, saw that he looked exceptionally embarrassed and had started shouting at the veela, who had stopped dancing and were looking mutinous. â€Å"And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots!† said Bagman's voice. â€Å"Now there's something we haven't seen before†¦Oh this could turn nasty†¦ It did: The Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov and Vulchanov, landed on either side of Mostafa and began arguing furiously with him, gesticulating toward the leprechauns, who had now gleefully formed the words â€Å"HEE, HEE, HEE.† Mostafa was not impressed by the Bulgarians' arguments, however; he was jabbing his finger into the air, clearly telling them to get flying again, and when they refused, he gave two short blasts on his whistle. â€Å"Two penalties for Ireland!† shouted Bagman, and the Bulgarian crowd howled with anger. â€Å"And Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms†¦yes†¦there they go†¦and Troy takes the Quaffle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Play now reached a level of ferocity beyond anything they had yet seen. The Beaters on both sides were acting without mercy: Volkov and Vulchanov in particular seemed not to care whether their clubs made contact with Bludger or human as they swung them violently through the air. Dimitrov shot straight at Moran, who had the Quaffle, nearly knocking her off her broom. â€Å"Foul!† roared the Irish supporters as one, all standing up in a great wave of green. â€Å"Foul!† echoed Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice. â€Å"Dimitrov skins Moran – deliberately flying to collide there – and it's got to be another penalty – yes, there's the whistle!† The leprechauns had risen into the air again, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field. At this, the veela lost control. Instead of dancing, they launched themselves across the field and began throwing what seemed to be handfuls of fire at the leprechauns. Watching through his Omnioculars, Harry saw that they didn't look remotely beautiful now. On the contrary, their faces were elongating into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and long, scaly wings were bursting from their shoulders – â€Å"And that, boys,† yelled Mr. Weasley over the tumult of the crowd below, â€Å"is why you should never go for looks alone!† Ministry wizards were flooding onto the field to separate the veela and the leprechauns, but with little success; meanwhile, the pitched battle below was nothing to the one taking place above. Harry turned this way and that, staring through his Omnioculars, as the Quaffie changed hands with the speed of a bullet. â€Å"Levski – Dimitrov – Moran – Troy – Mullet – Ivanova – Moran again – Moran – MORAN SCORES!† But the cheers of the Irish supporters were barely heard over the shrieks of the veela, the blasts now issuing from the Ministry members' wands, and the furious roars of the Bulgarians. The game recommenced immediately; now Levski had the Quaffle, now Dimitrov – The Irish Beater Quigley swung heavily at a passing Bludger, and hit it as hard as possible toward Krum, who did not duck quickly enough. It hit him full in the face. There was a deafening groan from the crowd; Krum's nose looked broken, there was blood everywhere, but Hassan Mostafa didn't blow his whistle. He had become distracted, and Harry couldn't blame him; one of the veela had thrown a handful of fire and set his broom tail alight. Harry wanted someone to realize that Krum was injured; even though he was supporting Ireland, Krum was the most exciting player on the field. Ron obviously felt the same. â€Å"Time-out! Ah, come on, he can't play like that, look at him -â€Å" â€Å"Look at Lynch!† Harry yelled. For the Irish Seeker had suddenly gone into a dive, and Harry was quite sure that this was no Wronski Feint; this was the real thing†¦ â€Å"He's seen the Snitch!† Harry shouted. â€Å"He's seen it! Look at him go!† Half the crowd seemed to have realized what was happening; the Irish supporters rose in another great wave of green, screaming their Seeker on†¦but Krum was on his tail. How he could see where he was going, Harry had no idea; there were flecks of blood flying through the air behind him, but he was drawing level with Lynch now as the pair of them hurtled toward the ground again – â€Å"They're going to crash!† shrieked Hermione. â€Å"They're not!† roared Ron. â€Å"Lynch is!† yelled Harry. And he was right – for the second time, Lynch hit the ground with tremendous force and was immediately stampeded by a horde of angry veela. â€Å"The Snitch, where's the Snitch?† bellowed Charlie, along the row. â€Å"He's got it – Krum's got it – it's all over!† shouted Harry. Krum, his red robes shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand. The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 across the crowd, who didn't seem to have realized what had happened. Then, slowly, as though a great jumbo jet were revving up, the rumbling from the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight. â€Å"IRELAND WINS!† Bagman shouted, who like the Irish, seemed to be taken aback by the sudden end of the match. â€Å"KRUM GETS THE SNITCH – BUT IRELAND WINS – good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!† â€Å"What did he catch the Snitch for?† Ron bellowed, even as he jumped up and down, applauding with his hands over his head. â€Å"He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!† â€Å"He knew they were never going to catch up!† Harry shouted back over all the noise, also applauding loudly. â€Å"The Irish Chasers were too good†¦He wanted to end it on his terms, that's all†¦. â€Å"He was very brave, wasn't he?† Hermione said, leaning forward to watch Krum land as a swarm of mediwizards blasted a path through the battling leprechauns and veela to get to him. â€Å"He looks a terrible mess†¦.† Harry put his Omnioculars to his eyes again. It was hard to see what was happening below, because leprechauns were zooming delightedly all over the field, but he could just make out Krum, surrounded by mediwizards. He looked surlier than ever and refused to let them mop him up. His team members were around him, shaking their heads and looking dejected; a short way away, the Irish players were dancing gleefully in a shower of gold descending from their mascots. Flags were waving all over the stadium, the Irish national anthem blared from all sides; the veela were shrinking back into their usual, beautiful selves now, though looking dispirited and forlorn. â€Å"Vell, ve fought bravely,† said a gloomy voice behind Harry. He looked around; it was the Bulgarian Minister of Magic. â€Å"You can speak English!† said Fudge, sounding outraged. â€Å"And you've been letting me mime everything all day!† â€Å"Veil, it vos very funny,† said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging. â€Å"And as the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!† roared Bagman. Harry's eyes were suddenly dazzled by a blinding white light, as the Top Box was magically illuminated so that everyone in the stands could see the inside. Squinting toward the entrance, he saw two panting wizards carrying a vast golden cup into the box, which they handed to Cornelius Fudge, who was still looking very disgruntled that he'd been using sign language all day for nothing. â€Å"Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers – Bulgaria!† Bagman shouted. And up the stairs into the box came the seven defeated Bulgarian players. The crowd below was applauding appreciatively; Harry could see thousands and thousands of Omniocular lenses flashing and winking in their direction. One by one, the Bulgarians filed between the rows of seats in the box, and Bagman called out the name of each as they shook hands with their own minister and then with Fudge. Krum, who was last in line, looked a real mess. Two black eyes were blooming spectacularly on his bloody face. He was still holding the Snitch. Harry noticed that he seemed much less coordinated on the ground. He was slightly duck-footed and distinctly round-shouldered. But when Krum's name was announced, the whole stadium gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar. And then came the Irish team. Aidan Lynch was being supported by Moran and Connolly; the second crash seemed to have dazed him and his eyes looked strangely unfocused. But he grinned happily as Troy and Quigley lifted the Cup into the air and the crowd below thundered its approval. Harry's hands were numb with clapping. At last, when the Irish team had left the box to perform another lap of honor on their brooms (Aidan Lynch on the back of Confolly's, clutching hard around his waist and still grinning in a bemused sort of way), Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and muttered, â€Å"Quietus.† â€Å"They'll be talking about this one for years,† he said hoarsely, â€Å"a really unexpected twist, that†¦.shame it couldn't have lasted longer†¦.Ah yes†¦yes, I owe you†¦.how much?† For Fred and George had just scrambled over the backs of their seats and were standing in front of Ludo Bagman with broad grins on their faces, their hands outstretched.

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Remove Uncertainty for Iraqi Translators - Essay Example Tariq informed that after withdrawal of the US forces, he prefers to stay at home and spends most of his time in cultivating hobbies such as gardening, until the time he receives his visa to migrate to the US. Tariq is much dismayed at the delay in getting the visa and he feels that senior officers in the command that he worked for are also helpless in speeding up the visa process because of the several formalities and processes that have to be completed. Despite the validity of an American law that provides for expedited visas under provisions of the Special Immigrant Visa Program to almost 20,000 Iraqi citizens that worked for the US in Iraq, not much headway has yet been made in making it possible for these Iraqis to relocate to the US (US Immigration, 2011). Tariq is disappointed because despite having excellent recommendations from the US army officers with whom he worked, the State Department simply takes the plea that it is helpless because a number of security checks have to be carried out by several departments. During the talk on the radio, Marie from Rhode Island was the first to join in. Marie informed she too was in Baghdad for about one year and was required to work with interpreters. She was in agreement that interpreters often received threats and informed that two of them were shot dead while she was in Baghdad. She was aware that there is a great deal of paper work and red tape involved in getting these interpreters to migrate to the US, which is obviously very depressing.

Safety of pedestrians and bicycles Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Safety of pedestrians and bicycles - Term Paper Example Over the period of last 20 years, these countries have taken some major steps to ensure safety like better facilities, better urban planning and traffic education for all those who use the road, be it pedestrian, cyclist or motor driven. The implementation of road safety laws has played a key role in this statistic. Other countries may imply the very same rules and models applied in Europe to have a better safety record for the coming future where more highways and road networks will be established for all kinds of commuters (Pucher, 2000). Introduction In the modern era; where fast cars, busses and sub-ways swell our urban and sub-urban lifestyle, people still prefer simple means to travel which includes the earliest mode of travel which is â€Å"walking† and a the use of two-wheel un-powered vehicle known as the bicycle. This trend has recently increased, especially in the metro-cities due to the limitation of traveling in powered vehicles. Some of the problems include parki ng space, fuel cost and taxes. The increase in technology has made sure that a network of roads and highway is established due to the nature and speed requirements of the motorists. This very fact has made modern urban planners to think about the safety of pedestrians and cyclists traveling on the road; especially the ones which they share with high speed cars, busses and other engine driven vehicles. This report helps in understanding the very danger faced by pedestrians and the people saving fuel on bicycles. The safety precautions taken by states and other agencies involved in the welfare of people on the road, be it any mode of travel. The report gives an insight of the future of pedestrian and bicycle riders with respect to change in historical terms or accident avoidance and self education of the people using highways and roads. Trends in Walking and Cycling The 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) shows us that the trips taken on foot were around 11 percent of all the trips reported where as trips on bicycle were recorded to a bare 1 percent. This accounts for a total of 12 percent. Although these stats do not show a healthy sign, but in comparison to the stats in 2001, show n increase of 25 percent overall. The total number for commuters on foot has almost doubled from 18 billion in 1990 to 24.5 billion in 2009. A similar trend was noticed in the area of bikes, where the numbers rose from 1.7 billion to 4 billion in the same time frame. Still, the required numbers in ratio with the current population are not being met to reduce engine driven vehicle related issues on a daily basis (Clifton, 2004). The method of data collection for reaching these trends has also turned into an efficient system by replacing the old system. The use of telephone to carry out the survey was later replaced by recovering data from travel logs. The National Household Travel Survey included another key assessment for calculating the number of people walking or riding a bicycle in a prescribed time frame. The survey asked people about the number of

Management and Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Management and Accounting - Assignment Example Breakeven analysis of the results has also been prepared to determine the volume of sales at which the company will be able to cover its fixed costs. There are a number of financial tools and techniques available to assist business managers to monitor and control their operations. They include budgeting, ratio analysis, breakeven analysis and sensitivity analysis. 2.0 Budgeting Budgets are useful methods of monitoring and controlling costs and organisations prepare a number of them in order to monitor and control expenditure. They include revenue budget, material budget, labour budget, cash budget, budgeted income statement, and budgeted financial statements. The revenue budget is normally the first budget to be prepared. The revenue requirements are determined and a forecast is done of the revenues that the company will generate over a period and when the actual amounts will be received (See Appendix A). The material budget and the labour budget is then prepared based on the informa tion in the revenue budget. These budgets indicate the cost of materials that are required in each period in order to achieve the targeted revenues. The material budget indicates when materials are purchased and the quantity in which they are purchased (See Appendix B). The labour budget includes a description of the labour required and the cost of labour for each period included in the budget. A cash budget is then produced based on the information in the revenue budget, material budget and labour budget (See Appendix C). The cash budget includes a section for inflows (receipts) and another for outflows (payments) (See Appendix D). The receipts in the cash budget are linked to information in the revenue budget and the payments are linked to information in the materials budget and the labour budget. The revenue, material, labour and cash budgets are shown in Appendix A, B, C and D. In order to forecast the total income, expenditure and profits for the period a projected income state ment is prepared. This statement draws cumulative information from the revenue budget, the material budget, the labour budget and the cash budget. The projected retained earnings from the projected income statement is then used in the preparation of the forecast balance sheet along with capital items in the cash budget, prepaid and unpaid expenses which are determined by comparing the information in the income statement with the cash budget. The projected income and financial position statements are shown in Figure 1 and 2 respectively. Famished! Limited Forecast Income Statement for the year ending March 31, 2012 ? ? ? Gross sales revenue 592,000 Less direct material costs after deduction of closing inventory 124,320 Gross margin 467,680 Less expenses: Lease 24,000 Refit depreciation 7,000 Equipment depreciation 5,148 Business rates 24,300 Water 1,712 Electricity 4,508 Gas 6,050 Internet for business use 360 telephone 909 Cleaning 10,944 Promotional expenditure 600 Salaries 241,661 327,191 Operating profit 140,489 Interest payable 902 Retained profit 139,587 Figure 1 Famished! Limited Projected STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION as at March 31, 2012 ? ? ? Non current assets Cost Dep'n Net Refit of premises 35,000 7,000 28,000 Equipment 28,600 5,148 23,452 51,452 Current assets Inventories 1,800

The End of the Ottoman Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The End of the Ottoman Empire - Essay Example The Ottoman Empire had been established by the mid of the fifteenth century in the wake of the conquest of Constantinople at the hands of Sultan Mehmet II in 1453 A.D., which lasted for over five and half centuries till the armed forces of the empire had to surrender before the Allies in the Armistice of Mudros in October 1918 (19). The critics pertinently blame the Ottoman caliphs and their inefficiency and unruliness to be one of the most significant reasons behind the empire’s growing weaker and unstable, leading to its ultimate fall eventually. The theorists also view the caliph’s irrational decision to participate in WWI on the German side to be the most effective cause of the empire ruination. Somehow, vested political and economic interests established by Great Britain, Russia and France, and the difference of the religious ideology emulated by the Christian Allies and the Muslim Empire, respectively, could be stated to be the turning point behind the abolishment of the caliphate and the partition of its territories into several sovereign states ultimately in the aftermath of the First World War. There is no doubt in the bitter reality that the empire had turned out to be the sick man of Europe by the end of the nineteenth century; therefore, the four small states appeared on the horizon to inflict a humiliating defeat on the empire during the Balkan War of 1911. However, the sympathetic inclinations demonstrated by the Christian nations, including England, France, Italy and Russia, towards Greece and against the Ottomans in Asia Minor also added their share in the rise of the Greeks and destruction of the Muslim empire (20). The British-led alliance appeared to be determined to exert its influence in different parts of the Ottoman Empire, which could only be possible through launching a formidable attack on the unity of the Muslim community. As a result, the ethnic and racial sentiments were projected and promoted in the hearts and minds o f the Arabs belonging to the Middle East and North Africa, who raised a decisive revolt against the Turkish supremacy and made demands for the separate and independent states to be established on the foundations of absolute sovereignty, where there would be no chances of any interference from the Turkish political domination altogether. Consequently, the sentiments of ethno-racial and regional hatred and prejudice were harboured with the aim of adding fuel to the fire of the Arab nationalism that could lead to the eventual disintegration of the Ottoman Empire (23). Kedourie (22) seems to be justified in making his argument that the caliph ruling over the Ottoman Empire was thought to be the religious and political leader of the entire Muslim community. Consequently, all the Muslim states not only revered him as their religious patron, but also traditionally used to seek spiritual and political guidance from him. Therefore, the certificate issued by the caliph in favour of a ruler wa s considered to be the final

UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP PROJECT OF YEMEN Research Paper

UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP PROJECT OF YEMEN - Research Paper Example The Joshua Project uses two percent of an indigenous population as the minimum percentage of a population that can impact an entire nation (Hoskins, 2005). Yemen unreached status stems from their topography which varies from hot coastal plains to cool mountains, and scorching deserts. This climatically challenges missionaries willing to spread the gospel there (Joshua, 2009). Secondly, their social and tribal structure has prevented penetration by Christians since all persons and goods passing through their towns are strictly controlled. They have various tribes which are ruled by Arab Chiefs who often fight each other. The belief system is the third reason for their unreached status. Despite being predominately influenced by Islam religion, the different Islamist sects complicate evangelism even further. Zaydis which is the largest sect is obsessive and warrior-like. They view all wars as a crusade against all non-Muslim believers to the extent that any Muslim converting and professing faith in Jesus Christ can be killed (McCarthy, 2004). This belief system and antagonism towards the Gospel creates major challenges to any evangelizati on efforts to this unreached group of people. The Great Commission forms the basis of missions in the Christian faith. Christ Himself commanded his followers in the Great Commission to go out and spread the gospel to the ends of the world. In a bid to obey this commandment, Christian missionaries travel to the furthest corners of the world so as to reach the unreached groups with the gospel message (The Yemeni Arabs, 2012). They have devised creative ways of reaching such groups for example extending hospitality, sinking boreholes, providing health care amongst other ways. Despite all this well intended cause, the missionaries experience unspeakable challenges as they try to reach out. They face rejection, persecution, battle with doubt and even death. On the

THE NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT Essay - 1

THE NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT - Essay Example Through such a level of engagement understanding, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more informed and relevant understanding as to why the New Testament exists, how it came to be, and what overall relevance this has to the believer/nonbeliever within the current time. Firstly, in seeking to answer the question of what defines the Old Testament, the reader can and should engage with the understanding that it is far more than a mere continuation of the books of the Old Testament. Instead, it is the direct fulfillment of prophecy that was alluded to from the book of Genesis; when God promised that the circuit would be dealt a mortal wound. Naturally, this mortal wound was with reference to the fact that price, God’s own son, would come to the earth and serve as atonement for the sins of all mankind. This particular theme of salvation, atonement, and a savior is represented throughout the Old Testament and a litany of different prophecies and levels of foreshadowing. In such a way, rather than merely interpreting the New Testament as a continuation of doctrine and religious belief, the individual should approach it as the fulfillment of ancient prophecy and the proof that the prior Scriptures had come to be fulfilled. As compared to the Old Testament, the New Testament was written in a relatively short period of time; approximately 50 years. As a result of the fact that the early churches received the writings of the apostles, they began to be distributed, copied, and studied by these early groups of Christians. This naturally led the entire process to one in which the early church fathers, including Clement, Polycarp, and Ignatius, began to readily combine and distribute all of these as a means of providing a thorough overview of the way in which doctrine, belief, and understanding be represented among the early believers. Not surprisingly, a great deal of controversy arose with respect to what should be included and what should not.

Blackout Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Blackout - Article Example This is the case even during my studies and classes as I find things that I will discuss or funny anecdotes I will send them of events that took place during the lecture or family meetings. The need to connect and be a celebrity is too great what with all the friends being in the same position and the lack of need for solitude. I simply did not relate with solitude. For the first like seven hours, I enjoyed being alone without any distractions and I even caught a lot of sleep which I rarely do because I am either surfing on the net, texting or watching television even in the middle of the night or during my study time. After the seven or so hours, I got bored and I could not think of anything to do. Anxiety started kicking in and this was closely followed by anger for even agreeing to do this. Panic was the next reaction as I started concocting these weird visions of how everything would go wrong in the world and I would be left out and I hate being a social outcast which is the feeling I was experiencing once the panic eased after discussions and long family talks of childhood memories. After that, I could not believe it but I started enjoying the solitude and I have to agree with the author that I could actually think and enjoying the intimacy of the solitude planning my future and thinking of all the goals I would like to achieve as well as things I would like to change in my life. The rest of the 48 hours passed rather too soon and I have to repeat that exercise at some point in future and do it more often as I felt very relaxed for the first time since I discovered the internet. It depends on the news. Serious news about politics, insecurity, violence and hunger create solitude as one tends to recline in this alone space to think about the present and future of oneself and others and the role one can play to

End of Poverty Guide Essay Example for Free

End of Poverty Guide Essay Sachs throws out the normal ways of thinking about the causes of poverty in countries, for instance that people are lazy or stupid, or the countries are not democratic, and that corruption is wide-spread. Fifty percent of the world’s population exists on less than one dollar per day. He believes that much of the problem is structural, which can only be dealt with through the help of the rich countries. Sachs believes, first of all, that all current debt owed by the poor countries should be cancelled. Secondly, if the rich countries would increase their development aid from .2% to .7% there would be enough money available to increase the economic growth so that all countries would no longer be extremely poor. If MAI is to become known as an agency which teaches a new way of dealing with poverty, then we need to become aware of this book and Sachs understanding and approach to poverty. Chapter Twelve really speaks to CHE. I have tried to review what has appeared to me to be the most salient points, chapter by chapter. All chapters are not treated equally. I primarily do this exercise for myself to help me understand the key points from the book. If they are of any help to others, then that is a plus. I have gone into more detail in the other synopsis I have done because of the possible guidance this book can give us for a new paradigm for dealing with poverty individually, locally, nationally and globally (which in reality we are already on the road in doing). Some things are both structural and governmental issues and I am not suggesting that we get involved in these, but change must begin at the village level and then we can scale up our strengths from there. Chapter OneA Global Family Portrait Sachs sets the stage for his thesis and book using examples of Malawi, Bangladesh, India, and China to show different levels of poverty. He talks abut the ascending ladder of economic development for countries. †¢ Lowest are those who are too ill, hungry, or destitute to get even a foot on the bottom rung of the development ladder. They make up the bottom 1/6 of the world’s population, or one billion people. They are the poorest of the poor and live on less than $1 a day. †¢ A few rungs up the ladder at the upper end of the low-income countries are another 1.5 billion people. They live just above the subsistence level. These two groups make up 40% of the world’s population. CHE targets both of these groups, and especially with the first group. †¢ Another 2.5 billion include the IT workers of India. Most of them live in the cities and are moderately poor. †¢ One billion or one-sixth of the world come from the rich developed countries. Sachs says the greatest tragedy of our time is that one-sixth of the world’s population is not even on the first rung of the ladder. A large number of the extremely poor in level one are caught in the poverty trap and cannot escape it. They are trapped by disease, physical isolation, climate stress, environmental degradation, and extreme poverty itself. He breaks poverty into three levels: †¢ Extreme poverty means households cannot meet basic needs for survival. This only occurs in developing countries. World Bank says their income is less than $1 a day. †¢ Moderate poverty is where needs are generally just barely met. World Bank says this represents countries where their income falls between $1 and $2 per day. †¢ Relative poverty generally describes household income level at being below a given percentage of the average national income. You find this in developed countries. He then presents the Challenge of our Generation which includes: †¢ Helping the poorest of the poor escape the misery of extreme poverty and help them begin their climb up the ladder of economic development. †¢ Ensuring all who are the world’s poor, including moderately poor, have a chance to climb higher in economic development. He believes that the following can be done: †¢ Meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. †¢ End extreme poverty by 2025. †¢ To ensure well before 2025, that all of the world’s poor countries can make reliable progress up the ladder of economic development. †¢ To accomplish this with modest financial help from the riches countries, which will be more than is now provided per capita. Chapter TwoThe Spread of Economic Prosperity Sachs uses several graphs in this chapter. I will not go into detail on these, but I will point out some salient points: †¢ All regions of the world were poor in 1820. †¢ All regions experienced economic progress, though some much more than others. †¢ Today’s richest regions experienced by far the greatest economic progress. As an example, Africa has only grown at .7% a year while the USA at 1.7%. This may not seem much, but when compounded year-by-year, it results in the great differences between the two. †¢ The key fact today is not the transfer of income from one region to another, but rather that the overall increase in the world’s income is happening at different rates in different regions. Until the 1700’s, the world was remarkably poor by today’s standards. A major change was the industrial revolution coming to certain regions and not to others. The steam engine was a decisive turning point because it mobilized the vast store of primary energy which unlocked the mass production of goods and services. Modern energy fueled every aspect of the economic takeoff. As coal fueled industry, industry fueled political power. Britain’s industrial breakthrough created a huge military and financial advantage. But Britain also had existing individual initiative and social mobility than most other countries of the world. They also had a strengthening of institution and liberty. Britain also had a major geographical advantageone of isolation and protection of the sea, in addition to access to the oceans for worldwide transportation for their goods and importation of other countries’ goods. Sachs then goes on to outline what has fostered major economic growth: †¢ Modern economic growth is accompanied by people moving to the cities, or urbanization. This means fewer and fewer people produce the food that is required for the country. Hopefully, food price per farmer decreases as larger plots are farmed more productively. This also means sparsely populated land makes good sense when many farms are needed to grow the crops, but sparse land makes little sense when more and more people are engaged in manufacturing in the cities. †¢ Modern economic growth fostered a revolution in social mobility which affected social ranking of people. A fixed social order depends on status quo and agrarian population. †¢ There is a change in gender roles with economic development. This affects living conditions as well as family structure. The desired number of children decreases. †¢ The division of labor increases. By specializing in one activity instead of many, producti vity increases. The diffusion of economic growth occurred in three main forms: †¢ From Britain to its colonies in North America, Australia and New Zealand. (It was therefore relatively straight-forth to transfer British technologies, food crops and even legal institutions.) †¢ A second diffusion took place within Europe that ran from Western Europe to Eastern Europe, and from Northern Europe to Southern Europe. †¢ The third wave of diffusion was from Europe to Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Sachs believes that the single most important reason for prosperity spread is the transmission of technology and the ideas underlying it. The technological advances came at different times. †¢ The first wave revolved around the invention of the steam engine which led to factory-producing goods. †¢ The second wave in the 19th century was led by the introduction of the rail and telegraph. It also included the introduction of steam ships instead of sailing ones, and the construction of the Suez Canal. †¢ The third wave was initiated by electrification of industry and urban society. Along with this came the development of the internal combustion engine. †¢ The fourth wave came in the 20th century with the globalization of the world due to new methods of communication starting in Europe. †¢ There came a time of a great rupture which took place with the start of World War I, and sidetracked economic development for awhile. This led to the Great Depression which led to World War II. †¢ A fifth wave took place right after World War II, and in 1991. It began with the massive efforts of reconstruction of Europe and Japan right after World War II. Trade barriers began to come down. There were three worlds: the first was the developed West, the second was comprised of Socialist countries, and the third was made up of undeveloped countries (which were made up of the old colony countries). The world therefore progressed on three tracks. The problem was that the second and third worlds did not share in economic growth and actually went backward. By closing their economies, they closed themselves off from economic development. So what did this mean to the poorest of the poor countries? †¢ They did not begin their economic growth until decades later. †¢ They faced geographical barriers of being land-locked †¢ They faced the brutal exploitation of the colonial powers. †¢ They made disastrously bad choices in their national policies. Chapter ThreeWhy Some Countries Fail In this chapter, Sachs looks at the cause of poverty and possible solutions. He first deals with, how a family’s per-capita income might increase: †¢ The first way is through savings either in cash or similar assets like animals, etc. †¢ The second way is shifting to crops that bring a higher yield per hectare, and then adding value to the crop (which is what we teach in our PAD training). †¢ The third way is adopting new technology, which improves their productivity. †¢ The fourth way is resource boom, which means to move to a much larger and more fertile farm. The flip side of increasing their economic growth is by decreasing their per capita income which is more than just the opposite of the above factors: †¢ Lack of savings is of course one way to reduce per capita income. †¢ Lack of trade, meaning that a household hears of the new crop but cannot take advantage of it and stays with what they have. †¢ Technological reversal is when something like HIV hits an area and children lose their parents etc. †¢ Natural resource decline is where the land becomes less and less fertile producing less and less crops. †¢ Adverse Productivity Shock is where a natural disaster hits like a drought, tsunami, earthquake, typhoon, etc. †¢ Population growth lessens per capita income where the father has two hectares of land and it is divided among his five sons at his death. Now Sachs begins to get into the true heart of poverty on a country level: †¢ The poverty trap itself is where poverty is so extreme that the poor do not have the ability by themselves to get out of the mess. †¢ Physical geography plays a major role where countries are land-locked with poor or no roads, a lack of navigable rivers, or situated in mountain ranges or deserts with an extremely high transportation cost. The low productivity of the land is another factor in the geography. †¢ The fiscal trap is where the government lacks the resources to pay for the necessary infrastructure on which economic growth depends. †¢ Government failure happens when the government is not concentrating on high priority infrastructure and social service projects. †¢ Cultural or religious barriers especially as it relates to gender inequality play a significant role in dampening economic growth. †¢ Geopolitics such as trade barriers can impede economic growth. †¢ Lac k of innovation and technology plays a role if people cannot try new things because they cannot risk failure, or because they do not have funds to do so. Sachs believes that over the span of two centuries, the lack of using new technology is why the richest and poorest countries have diverged. †¢ He shows a scatter-gram graph showing there is a demographic trap as well. The higher the fertility rate, the lower rate of economic growth there is in a country. When they have too many children, they cannot invest in education, nutrition, or health, except maybe for the oldest male. One of the best ways to lower the number of children per family is through the education of the girls. Sachs then goes into detail in putting countries into different classes. He points out that none of the rich countries in North American, Western Europe or East Asia have failed to grow economically. All the problems lie in the developing world where 45 of these countries had a fall in GDP. Not all of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa. He also points out that the oil-exporting and ex-Soviet countries, all high income countries, did not increase their economic growth evenly, primarily because of their authoritarian political structure. He also points out that the most important factor is agriculture. Those countries that used high yield cereals per hectare and that used high levels of fertilizers are the poor countries that tended to experience economic growth. In Africa, the land is much less densely populated but they use neither high yield cereals nor fertilizers and they had falling food production per capita. But they also have far less roads for transporting extra crops to markets and they depend on rainfall which is generally more erratic than high-producing agricultural countries. He also goes on to point out the following: †¢ Economic growth is rarely uniformly distributed across a country. †¢ Governments also fail in their role in allowing growth that might enrich the rich households, while the poorest living in the same area seldom seem to benefit. †¢ Another detriment to growth can be culture especially as it relates to women inequality. Chapter FourClinical Economics (CE) Sachs compares clinical economics to clinical medicine. He lays out five parameters for Clinical Economics: †¢ CE is made up of complex systems. The failure in one system can lead to cascades of failures in other parts of the economy. You therefore need to deal with very broad and multiple issues. †¢ CE practitioners need to learn the art of clinical diagnosis. The CE practitioner must hone-in on the key underlying causes of economic distress and prescribe appropriate remedies that are tailor-made to each country’s condition. †¢ Treatment needs to be viewed in family terms, not individual terms. The entire world is part of each country’s family. If countries work together they can have far more impact than working in isolation. †¢ Good CE practice requires monitoring and evaluation. More than just asking if the goals are being achieved, but also asking â€Å"why?† and â€Å"why not?† †¢ The development community lacks the requisite ethical and professional standards. Economic development does not take its work with the sense of responsibility that the task requires. It demands that honest advice be given. He points out where economic development practice has gone wrong: †¢ The rich countries say, â€Å"Poverty is your own fault. Be like us, have a free market, be entrepreneurial, fiscally responsible and your problems will be gone†. †¢ The IMF period of structural adjustment which supposedly dealt with the four maladies of poor governance, excessive government intervention in the markets, excessive government spending, and too much state ownership were not solved by the IMF prescription of belt tightening, privatization, liberalization, and good governance. †¢ The responsibility for poverty reduction was assumed to lie entirely with poor countries themselves. He then lays out his differential diagnosis for poverty reduction. He believes the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) goes a long way in reducing poverty. Once the diagnosis is completed, a proper treatment regime must be carried out. In doing differential diagnosis, questions must be asked in each one of the following areas: †¢ Identify and map the extent of extreme poverty from the household level all the way up through the community to the country to the state in all areas of life. †¢ The second set of questions deals with the economic policy framework. †¢ The third set deals with the fiscal framework. †¢ Fourth deals with physical geography and human ecology. †¢ Fifth, the questions deal with the patterns of governance. History has shown that democracy is not a prerequisite for economic development. †¢ Sixth are questions which deal with cultural barriers that hinder economic development. †¢ The last are questions that are related to geopolitics which involves a country’s security and relationship with the rest of the world. The next six chapters, five through ten, deal with specific countries that have gone through this process, and their results. His results are quite impressive. I will not deal much with each country, but an individual chapter might be of interest to the RC involved if he is interested in such things. Chapter FiveBolivia’s High Rate of Inflation Problem: A hyperinflation rate of 3000% (30 times) between July 1984 and July 1985 with a longer term hyperinflation rate of 24,000%. Lessons Learned: †¢ Stabilization is a complex process. Ending a large budget deficit may be the first step but controlling the underlying forces that cause the budget deficit is much more complex. †¢ Macroeconomics tools are limited in their power. †¢ Successful change requires a combination of technocratic knowledge, bold political leadership, and broad social participation. †¢ Success requires not only bold reforms at home, but also financial help from abroad. †¢ Poor countries must demand their due. Chapter SixPoland’s Return to Europe Problem: By the end of 1989, Poland had partially suspended its international debt payments. The economy was suffering from high rate of rising inflation and there was a deepening political crisis. Sachs’ approach in Poland, as in other countries, was built on five pillars: †¢ Stabilizationending the high rate of inflation, establishing stability and convertible currency. †¢ Liberalizationallowing markets to function by legalizing private economic activity (ending price controls and establishing necessary laws). †¢ Privatization identifying private owners for assets currently held by the state. †¢ Social netpensions and other benefits for the elderly and poor were established. †¢ Institutional Harmonizationadopting, step-by-step, the economic laws, procedures, and institutions. Lessons Learned: †¢ He learned how a country’s fate is crucially determined by its specific linkages to the rest of the world. †¢ Again the importance of the basic guidance concept for broad-based economic transformation, not to stand alone with separate solutions. †¢ Saw again the practical possibilities of large-scale thinking †¢ He learned not to take â€Å"no† for an answer, press on with your guidance. †¢ By the time a country has fallen into deep crisis, it requires some external help to get back on track. †¢ This help may be in the form of getting the basics right which includes debt cancellation and help to bolster confidence in the reforms. Chapter SevenRussia’s Struggle for Normalcy Problem: The Soviet Union relied almost entirely on its oil and gas exports to earn foreign exchange, and on its use of oil and gas to run its industrial economy. In the mid- 1980’s, the price of oil and gas plummeted and the Soviet Union’s oil production began to fall. Sachs suggested three actions of the West (but generally they were ignored by the West): †¢ A stabilization fund for the ruble. †¢ Immediate suspension of debt repayment followed by cancellation of their debts. †¢ A new aid program for transformation focusing on the most vulnerable sectors of the Russian economy. Lesson Learned: †¢ Despite much turmoil and rejection much went right so that eventually Russia became a lopsided market economy, still focused on oil and gas. †¢ Russia has a gigantic land mass which causes it to have few linkages with other nations of the world. †¢ Their population densities are low and agrarian and food production per hectare remains low. Over history, 90% of the population has been rural, with cities few and far between. This hinders economic growth. †¢ Without adequate aid, the political consensus around the reforms was deeply undermined, thereby compromising the reform process. Chapter EightChina Catching Up after a Half Millennium Being Isolated Problem: China lost its economic and cultural lead that it had in its early history. Sachs points out five dates which caused this: †¢ 1434 China had been the technological superpower. This year Emperor Ming closed China to the rest of the world and stopped their advanced ship fleets from going out to the world. †¢ 1839 China finally ended its economic isolation. †¢ 1898 Several young reformers tried to gain power and were stopped. †¢ 1911 Ching Dynasty collapsed and by 1916 China was falling into civil unrest. Their military took control of the empire. †¢ 1949 the rise of the Maoist Movement. He then compares China to Russia: †¢ The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe had massive foreign debt while China did not. †¢ China has a large coastline that supported its export growth, while Russia and Eastern Europe do not. †¢ China had the benefit of large off-shore Chinese business communities which acted as foreign investors, while Russia and Eastern Europe did not. †¢ The Soviet was experiencing a drastic decline on their main export product, oil and gas. †¢ The Soviet Union had gone further down the industrialization road than China. Chapter NineIndia Market Reform Which Was the Triumph of Hope Over Fear Problem: India was controlled by a business, British East India Company, which was driven by greed, and it did everything to maximize profit for the company at the expense of the country. Though India’s population throughout history has been Hindu, vast numbers of Muslims and Christians lived in and sometimes dominated the land. India had poor political and social structures because the land was broken into many small kingdoms governed by many different leaders. In addition, India has the caste-system of stratification of peoples. With independence from the British in 1947, Nehru looked for a path to self- sufficiency and democratic socialism. The Green Revolution had a major impact on the country as high yield crops were introduced. By 1994, India now faced four major challenges: †¢ Reforms needed to be extended especially in liberalization and the development of new and better systems. †¢ India needed to invest heavily in infrastructure †¢ India needed to invest more in health and education of its people, especially the lower castes. †¢ India needed to figure out how to pay for the needed infrastructure. Lessons Learned: †¢ The 21st century is likely to be the era when this poor country’s economic development is substantially reversed. †¢ The country has announced electricity for all as well as essential health services and drinking water for everyone. These are achievable goals and the basis for much-needed investment. †¢ The Hindus did not stifle growth. The Green Revolution and then market reforms overrode the rigidness of the caste-system and the slow growth of the 1950’s and 1960’s. †¢ India has become increasingly urbanized, thereby further weakening the caste-system. †¢ Democracy is wearing away age-old social hierarchies. †¢ India has grabbed the potential of the internet and IT and is leading the way for developing nations in this regard. †¢ India’s varied geography and its miles and miles of shoreline fosters its market position for the manufacture of products. Chapter TenAfrica and the Dying Problem: Three centuries of slave trade were followed by a century of colonial rule which left Africa bereft of educated citizens and leaders, basic infrastructure, and public health facilities. The borders followed arbitrary lines, not historic tribal lines which now divided former empires, ethnic groups, ecosystems, watersheds, and resource deposits. The West was not willing to invest in African economic development. Corruption was not the central cause for their economic failure as he showed. In the 1980’s, HIV became the worse killer of mankind. In 2001, life expectancy stood at 47 years, while East Asia stood at 69 years, and developed countries at 78 years. Sachs spends time looking at the major diseases of malaria, TB, diarrhea, and HIV. He says poverty causes disease and disease causes poverty. Lessons Learned: †¢ Good governance and market reform alone are not sufficient to generate growth if a country is in a poverty trap. †¢ Geography has conspired with economics to give Africa a particularly weak hand. Africa lacks navigable rivers with access to the ocean for easy transport and trade. †¢ Africa lacks irrigation and depends on rainfall for their crops. †¢ Farmers lack access roads, markets, and fertilizers, while soils have been long depleted of their nutrients. Chapter ElevenThe Millennium, 9/11, and the United Nations. The beginning part of this chapter deals with the Millennium Development Goals. Sachs says that the goals and commitment to reach them by 2015 convey the hope that extreme poverty, disease, and environmental degradation could be alleviated with the wealth, the new technologies, and global awareness with which we entered the 21st century. He says the first seven goals call for sharp cuts in poverty, disease, and environmental degradation, while the eighth goal is essentially a commitment to global partnership. Because you have all seen them, I am not including them here. Regarding 9/11, he says we need to keep it in perspective. On 9/11, 3000 people died for once and for all, but 10,000 people die each day from diseases that are preventable. He believes we need to address the deeper roots of terrorism of which extreme poverty is an important element. The rich world needs to turn its efforts to a much greater extent from military strategies to economic development. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke of freedoms we were fighting for in WWII and for which we still should be attempting to accomplish: †¢ Freedom of speech and expression everywhere in the world. †¢ Freedom for every person to worship God in his own way everywhere in the world. †¢ Freedom from want which translates into economic development. †¢ Freedom from fear which translates into a worldwide reduction in armament, a reduction to such a point that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor. One major thing he is suggesting is that the rich countries elevate their giving to .7% of their GNP from the average of .2% it is today. The rest of the chapter is about President Bush and the USA policies and actions. Chapter TwelveOn-The-Ground Solutions for Ending Poverty This chapter is really talking about CHE, but Sachs does not realize it. He says that the world’s challenge is not to overcome laziness and corruption but rather to take on geographic isolation, disease, vulnerability to climate shocks, etc. with new systems of political responsibility that can get the job done. He talks about a village of less than 1,000 in western Kenya, in a Sauri sub-location (in Siaya district in Nyanza province) that he visited, which opened his eyes. He found what we find place after place that they are impoverished, but they are capable and resourceful. Though struggling to survive, presently they are not dispirited but determined to improve their situation. He then goes on to describe the needs of a rural African community, the same type of community that we deal with every day, as shown in the abundance of applications we receive for CHE. A major problem, he feels, is that the farmers do not have the money to buy fertilizer that would impact their crop productivity drastically. Also they have no school or clinic. He then begins to calculate what it would cost per person to bring a school and teachers, simple clinic and staff, medicines, agriculture inputs such as seed and fertilizer, safe drinking water and simple sanitation, and power transport and communication services. The total cost for Sauri is about $350,000 a year, which converts to $70 a person per year, which could revolutionize the community. If he did CHE, the total cost and per person cost would be greatly reduced. He then goes ahead and extrapolates this up for the country of Kenya to $1.5 billion. At the same time he points out that Kenya’s debt service is $600 million a year and that it needs to be cancelled. But one problem that donors talk about is corruption needing to be eliminated. If countries do not eliminate corruption, they would not be eligible for relief. Also, a budget and management system need to be designed that will reach the villages and be monitorable, governable, and scalablea set of interventions to ensure good governance on such a historic project. The key to this is to empower village-based community organizations to oversee village services. Most of what he says in this chapter sounds like CHE to me, but we can do it at even a lower cost and we have the experience to implement it. That is why I said earlier that we need to talk to Sachs about CHE. He then goes on with this theme but changes the venue from rural to urban in Mumbai, India in a slum community built smack up against the railroad tracks, one-house deep. He points out the outstanding needs are not latrines, running water, nor safety from trains, but empowerment so they can negotiate with the government. He then mentions that several groups have been found and empowered to do this in this community. Again sounds like CHE for urban poor. Sachs says what this community needs is investments in the individual and basic infra-structure that can empower people to be healthier, better educated, and more productive in the work force. CHE deals with the individual side of the equation. He ends this chapter by discussing the problem of scale. He says everything must start with the basic village. The key is connecting these basic units together into a global network that reaches from impoverished communities to the very centers of power and back again. This, too, is what we are talking about when we describe scaling-up and creating a movement and then forming it into councils and collaborative groups. He believes the rich world would readily provide the missing finances but they will wonder how to ensure that the money made available would really reach the poor and that there would be results. He says we need a strategy for scaling up the investments that will end poverty, including governance that empowers the poor while holding them accountable. I believe CHE fits his prescription. Chapter ThirteenMaking the Investments Needed to End Poverty Sachs says the extreme poor lack six kinds of capital: †¢ Human Capital: health, nutrition, and skills needed for each person to be productive. †¢ Business Capital: the machinery, facilities, and motorized transport used in agriculture, industry and services. †¢ Infrastructure Capital: water and sanitation, airports and sea ports, and telecommunications systems that are critical inputs for business productivity. †¢ Natural Capital: arable land, healthy soils, biodiversity, and well- functioning ecosystems that provide the environmental services need by human society. †¢ Public Institutional Capital: commercial law, judicial systems, government services, and policing, that underpin the peaceful and prosperous division of labor. †¢ Knowledge Capital: the scientific and technological know-how that raises productivity in business output and the promotion of physical and natural capital. He spends several pages on charts showing income flow. He also uses the example of child survival and how it applies to the six kinds of capital. He makes the point that even in the poorest societies, primary education alone is no longer sufficient. He says all youth should have a minimum of 9 years of education. He says technical capacity must be in the whole of society from the bottom up. He talks about trained community health workers and the role they can play. Villages around the world should be helped in adult education involving life and death issues such as HIV. The main challenges now is NOT to show what works in small villages or districts but rather to scale up what works to encompass a whole country, even the world. Again sounds like CHE and where we are going. He goes through several examples where major diseases are being dealt with such as malaria, river blindness, and polio, as well as spread of family planning. He also briefly talks about the cell phone revolution by the poor in Bangladesh and how East Asia has established Export Processing Zones, all of which are improving the life of the poorest of poor nations. Chapter FourteenA Global Compact to End Poverty He says the poorest countries themselves must take seriously the problem of ending poverty and need to devote a greater share of their national resources to accomplish this. Many poor countries pretend to reform while rich countries pretend to help them. The chronic lack of donor financing robs the poor countries of their poverty-fighting zeal. We are stuck in a show play that is not real. There are two sides in a compact. In this compact, there should be the commitment in the rich countries to help all poor countries where the collective will to be responsible partners in the endeavor is present. For the other poor countries where authoritarian or corrupt regimes hold sway, the consequences for the population are likely to be tragic but the rich countries have their limits also. He spends time looking at several countries that have Poverty Reduction Strategies where some are working and some not. Ghana is a star in his book. He says a true MDG-based poverty reduction strategy would have five parts: †¢ A Differential Diagnosis which includes identifying policies and investments that the country needs to achieve the MDGs. †¢ An Investment Plan which shows the size, timing and costs of the required investments. †¢ A Financial Plan to fund the Investment Plan, including the calculation of the MDG financing gap, the portion of the financial needs that donors will have to fill. †¢ A Donor Plan which gives multi-year commitments from donors for meeting the MDGs. †¢ A Public Management Plan that outlines the mechanisms of governance and public administration that will help implement the expanded public investment plan. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, the IMF forced Structural Readjustment on the poor countries which did not work. The poor were asked to pay all the expenses for new services. They then moved to a compromise called Social Marketing where the poor were asked to pay a portion of the expense. But neither plan worked because the poor did not have enough even to eat, much less pay for electricity. He says a sound management plan should include the following: †¢ Decentralize. Investments are needed in all the villages and the details for what is needed needs to be established at the village level through local committees, not the national capitol or Washington DC. †¢ Training. The public sector lacks the talent to oversee the scaling up process. Training programs for capacity building should be part of the strategy. †¢ Information Technology. The use of information technologycomputers, e-mail and mobile phones needs to increase drastically because of the dramatic increase of knowledge that needs to be transmitted. †¢ Measurable Benchmarks. Every MDG based poverty reduction strategy should be supported by quantitative benchmarks tailored to national conditions, needs, and data availability. †¢ Audits. No country should receive greater funding unless the money can be audited. †¢ Monitoring and Evaluation. Each country must prepare to have investments monitored and evaluated. He then goes through the following Global Policies for Poverty Reduction: †¢ The Debt Crisis. The poorest countries are unable to repay their debt, let alone carry the interest. Therefore, for each country that agrees to the guidelines noted previously, their debt must be cancelled if there is to be true poverty reduction. †¢ Global trade Policy. Poor countries need to increase their exports to the rich countries and thereby earn foreign exchange in order to import capital goods from the rich countries. Yet trade is not enough. The policy must include both aid and trade. The end of agriculture subsidies is not enough for this to happen. †¢ Science for Development. The poor are likely to be ignored by the international scientific community unless special effort is made to include things that help the poor. It is more critical to identify the priority needs for scientific research in relation to the poor than to mobilize the donor community to spur that research forward. That would include research in tropical agriculture, energy systems, climate forecasting, water management, and sustainable management of ecosystems. †¢ Environmental stewardship. The poorest of poor nations are generally innocent victims of major long-term ecosystem degradation. The rich countries must live up to the ecology agreements they have signed. The rich countries will have to give added financial assistance to the poor countries to enable them to deal with the ecosystem problems. The rich countries will have to invest more in climate research. Chapter FifteenCan The Rich Afford to Help the Poor? He asks the question â€Å"Can the rich countries help the poor?†, and his answer is â€Å"Can they afford not to do so?† He gives five reasons that show that the current effort is so modest. †¢ The numbers of extremely poor have declined close to 50% two generations ago to 33% a generation ago to 20% today. †¢ The goal is to end extreme poverty, not all poverty, and to close the gap between the rich and the poor. †¢ Success in ending the poverty trap will be much easier than it appears. Too little has been done to identify specific, proven, low-cost interventions that can make a difference in living standards and economic growth (CHE does this). †¢ The rich world is vastly rich. What seemed out of reach a generation or two ago is now such a small fraction of the vastly expanded income of the rich world. †¢ Our tools are more powerful than ever, including computers, internet, mobile phones, etc. He then spends time in doing calculations to show how this can be accomplished. First he starts with the World Bank. They estimate that meeting basic needs requires $1.08 per person per day. Currently, the average income of the extremely poor is 77 cents per day, creating a shortfall of 31 cents per day or $113 per person per year. He then shows that this represents only .6% of a nation’s GNP. The MDG target which many countries have agreed to is .7% of their GNP. Later on, he shows that the USA is only spending .15% for aid to the world. Sachs then spends time on a six-step process to do a needs assessment to come up with the real number needed: †¢ Identify the package of basic needs. †¢ Identify for each country the current unmet needs of the population. †¢ Calculate the costs of meeting the unmet needs through investments, taking into account future population growth. †¢ Calculate the part of the investments that can’t be financed by the country itself. †¢ Calculate the MDG financing gap that must be covered by donors. †¢ Assess the size of the donor contribution relative to donor income. He proposes that interventions are required to meet the following basic needs: †¢ Primary education for all children with a designated target ratio of pupils to teachers. †¢ Nutrition program for all vulnerable populations. †¢ Universal access to anti-malarial bed nets for all households in regions of malaria transmission. †¢ Access to safe drinking water and sanitation. †¢ One-half kilometer of paved roads for every thousand population. †¢ Access to modern cooking fuels and improved cooking stoves to decrease indoor air pollution. He states extreme poverty (a lack of access to basic needs) is very different from relative poverty (occupying a place at the bottom of the ladder of income distribution) within rich countries, and goes through a more detailed approach of implementing the six steps. He points out that not all donor assistance is for development. Much is used for emergency relief, care for resettlement of refugees, geopolitical support of particular governments, and help for middle-income countries that have largely ended extreme poverty in their country. Also, only a small portion of development aid actually helps to finance the intervention package. Much of it goes for technical assistance which is not part of the MDG numbers. He spends time on the question, â€Å"Can the USA afford the .7% of their GNP?† He responds with a deafening â€Å"Yes!† He does this in multiple ways, one of which is to show that the increase is only .55%, which would be hardly noticed in the US’s average 1.9% increase year-by-year of its GNP. Chapter SixteenMyths and Magic Bullets This is an interesting chapter because Sachs shoots down commonly held beliefs concerning the causes and solutions for poverty. He uses Africa as his case to do so:. †¢ Contrary to popular conception, Africa has not received great amounts of aid. They receive $30 per person per year but only $12 of that actually went to be used in development in Africa. $5 went to consultants of donor countries, $3 went to food and emergency relief, $4 for servicing Africa’s debt and $5 for debt relief. In reality, in 2002, only six cents per person went to development. †¢ Corruption is the problem which leads to poor governance. By any standard of measure Africa’s governance is low, but not due to corruption. African countries’ governance is no different than other poor countries in the rest of the world. Governance improves as the people become more literate and more affluent. Secondly, a more affluent country can afford to invest more in governance. †¢ There is a democracy deficit. This is also not true. In 2003, 11 countries in Africa were considered free, with 20 more partially free, and 16 not free. This is the same as is found in other regions of the world. Democracy does not translate into faster economic growth. †¢ Lack of modern values. Again, this is also false. Virtually every society that was once poor has been castigated for being unworthy until its citizens became rich and then their new wealth was explained by their industriousness. He traces this trend in multiple countries. One major factor that does cause change is the change in women’s position in society as their economic situation improves, which accelerates the growth. †¢ The need for economic freedom is not fully true. Generally market societies out perform centrally planned economies. This leads to the thought that all is needed is that the people must have the will to liberalize and privatize which is too simplistic. He shows that there is no correlation between the Economic Freedom Index and annual growth rate of GDP. †¢ The single idea of Mystery of Capital put forth by Hernando de Soto which relates to the security of private property including the ability to borrow against it is also incorrect. Most poor hold their assets such as housing and land. †¢ There is a shortfall of morals which is thought to be the main cause of HIV in Africa. A study shows that Africa men are no different in the average number of sexual partners they have than any other part of the world. †¢ Saving children only to become hungry adults leads to population explosion. Actually it has been shown that the best way to reduce the fertility rate is to increase the economic status. In all parts of the world (except the Middle East) where the fertility rate is over 5 children, those countries are the poorest ones. As children survive, the parents feel less of a need to have more children which is a result of improved economic conditions. †¢ A rising tide lifts all boats. This means extreme poverty will take care of itself because economic development will pull all countries along to improvement. A rising improvement does not reach the hinder lands or mountain tops. †¢ Nature red in tooth and claw means that economic improvement is based on survival of the fittest and those who cannot compete fall behind. This is a Darwin thought which seems to still prevail throughout the world. Competition and struggle are but one side o f the coin which has the other side of trust, cooperation, and collective action. He rejects the doomsayers who saying that ending poverty is impossible. He believes he has identified specific interventions that are needed as well as found ways to plan and implement them at an affordable rate. Chapter SeventeenWhy We Should Do It There are several fallacies which affect the USA’s giving: †¢ The American public greatly overestimates the amount of federal funds spent on foreign aid. The US public believes that the government is providing massive amounts of aid. A 2001 survey by the University of Maryland showed that people felt that US aid accounted for 20% of the federal budget versus the actual of .15%. That is 24 times smaller than the actual figure. †¢ The American public believes that the US military can achieve security for Americans in the absence of a stable world. This has been proven untrue especially with 9/11. †¢ There is a fallacy in belief that there is a war of cultures. For many, this relates to Biblical prophesy of Armageddon and end times. The problem in the US is not opposition to increased foreign aid but a lack of political leadership to inform the public how little the US does supply, and then asking the US public to supply more. Hard evidence has established a strong linkage between extreme poverty abroad and threats to national security. As a general proposition, economic failure (an economy stuck in a poverty trap, banking crisis, debt default or hyper-inflation) often leads to a state failure. A CIA Task force looked at state failures between 1954 and 1994 and found that the following three factors were most significant in state failure: †¢ Very high infant mortality rate suggested that overall low levels of material well-being are a significant factor in state failure. †¢ Openness of the economy showed the more economic linkages a country had with the rest of the world, the lower chance of state failure. †¢ Democratic countries showed fewer propensities to state failure than authoritarian regimes. He then reviews what the US government has committed to since 9/11: †¢ Provide resources to aid countries that have met national reform. †¢ Improve effectiveness of the World Bank and other development banks in raising living standards. †¢ Insist on measurable results to ensure that development assistance is actually making a difference in the lives of the world’s poor. †¢ Increase the amount of development assistance that is provided in the form of grants, not loans. †¢ Since trade and investment are the real engines of economic growth, open societies to commerce and investment. †¢ Secure public health. †¢ Emphasize education. †¢ Continue to aid agricultural development. In reality, little progress has been done by the US to the accomplishment of these goals. But he does spend time discussing where plans were established and that funds were flowing where massive amounts of aid were provided by the USA: †¢ End of World War II with the Marshall Plan which revitalized Europe and Japan. †¢ Jubilee 2000 Drop the Debt Campaign started slow but ended up with large amount of national debt being cancelled in the poorest of countries. †¢ The Emergency Plan for HIV is providing $15 billion to fight this pandemic. The bottom line of this chapter is, â€Å"OK, USA and other rich countries, you are saying good things, now step-up to the plate and do what you have agreed to do.† Chapter EighteenOur Generation’s Challenge Our generation is heir to two and a half centuries of economic progress. We can realistically envision a world without extreme poverty by the year 2025 because of technological progress which enables us to meet basic needs on a global scale. We can also achieve a margin above basic needs unprecedented in history. Until the Industrial Revolution, humanity had known only unending struggles against famine, pandemic disease, and extreme povertyall compounded by cycles of war, and political despotism. At the same time, Enlightenment thinkers began to envision the possibility of sustained social progress in which science and technology could be harnessed to achieve sustained improvements in the organization of social, political, and economic life. He proposes four thinkers which led this movement: †¢ Thomas Jefferson and other founders of the American Republic led the thought that political institutions could be fashioned consciously to meet the needs of society through a human-made political system. †¢ Adam Smith believed that the economic system could similarly be shaped to meet human need and his economic design runs parallel to Jefferson’s political designs. †¢ Immanuel Kant called for an appropriate global system of governance to end the age-old scourge of war. †¢ Science and technology, fueled by human reason can be a sustained force for social improvement and human betterment led by Francis Bacon and Marie-Jean-Antoine Condorcet. Condorcet put much emphasis on public education to accomplish the goals. One of the most abiding commitments of the Enlightenment was the idea that social progress should be universal and not restricted to a corner of Western Europe. He said now it is our generation’s turn to help foster the following: †¢ Political systems that promote human well-being †¢ Economic systems that spread the benefits of science, technology, and division of labor to all parts of the world. †¢ International cooperation in order to secure a perpetual peace. †¢ Science and technology, grounded in human rationality, to fuel the continued prospects for improving the human condition. He then spends three or four pages discussing the good and bad points of the Anti-globalization Movement which is taking place. He also spends time discussing three movements which made these kind of changes in the world in their time: †¢ The end of Slavery †¢ The end of Colonization †¢ The Civil Rights and Anti-Apartheid Movement He closes with discussing the next steps which are: †¢ Commit to ending poverty †¢ Adopt a plan of action built around the Millennium Development Goals †¢ Raise the voice of the poor †¢ Redeem the role of the United States in the world †¢ Rescue the IMF and World Bank †¢ Strengthen the United Nations †¢ Harness global science †¢ Promote sustainable development †¢ Make a personal commitment to become involved Summary This is an interesting book with new perspectives for me, and which is beginning to be taken seriously by the world. I believe, as stated earlier, that MAI’s role is on-the-ground solutions for ending poverty through CHE which is spelled out in Chapter 12. But, as also noted, we can do it at a far lower cost than he estimates because of our commitment to empowering people to do things on their own and primarily with their own funds.