Investment Analysis in a New Hair Product Aroma Oil Assignment

Investment Analysis in a New Hair Product Aroma Oil - Assignment Example Consumer trend: buying smaller and proportionately more expensive packs. Consumer trend: buying smaller and proportionately more expensive packs. Brand loyalty: heavy promotion encourages consumer switching and hampers brand loyalty. Competitors: Spritz from Fructis, Procter & Gamble, L’Oreal group. Consumers: tend to shop for promotions and new products   The total initial investment for installation of Plant and Machinery to manufacture the AROMA hair oil is $ 150,000 and for working capital $50,000. A total investment of $ 200,000 is required for activation of the project. The Operating Expenditure for the year is estimated at $ 1,573,988. The Production capacity of machinery is estimated at 250,000 bottles per month The present value of an initial investment of $ 200,000 invested at 3% at the end of the year will become $ 200000(1+0.03) = $ 206,000. The net return is $ 6,000 only as against $ 205,997 estimated as net profit for the first year after depreciation. The initial investment for installation of this project is $200,000 and its operational cost for one year is as $ 1,573,988. The total cost comes to $1,773,988. The benefits from sales and operational activities are estimated at $ 1,809,985. This yields a net present value NPV of $ 35,997 which is 18% return on Investment. The return on a bank deposit is only 3% per annum whereas in this case, the return on investment is 18% within one single year. The return is very attractive and the scope of growth is very high. There also exist long-term benefits in terms of expansion and addition of new hair care products. It is therefore suggested that the investment for this venture is made for the benefits of  all!

Innovation of Asian films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Innovation of Asian films - Essay Example This paper illustrates Asia as a continent rich with history and culture. The countries here have basically experienced many things that has enriched their culture and filled their history with interesting anecdotes and stories worthy of retelling. China is probably one of the richest and oldest civilizations predating even that of the affluent west. It has been a dilemma then as to why there has been a slow progress in the Asian films and even on their actors whereby they have usually fallen prey to the stereotyping of Hollywood. It seems to point out that despite the rich culture and history of the countries in the continent as well as the world class artistry characteristic of the continent; people including actors have been relegated into sub roles, littered with stereotyping and basically with little or no speaking roles. There were even films wherein the roles that are supposedly portraying an oriental are played by Caucasians. However, it is from these humble roots that the As ian films have slowly gathered strength and over the past decade have shown increasing prominence in the global arena. True there have been Asians that have made big names during the past century in Hollywood but so far there has been an overwhelming preference towards western films and western actors during that time. But, through the years, the growing prominence of the countries in the region in terms of their economic prosperity seem to have helped in boosting the quality of the films that they are able to produce. Rampal (2005) recognizes the reinvention of the Asian film outfits in order to shed the past imagery of stereotyped Asians and take in new and brighter colors characteristic of taking their respective leads on the big screen. Moreover, the improvements in the economies of these Asian nations have also brought in a more educated audience. These intellectual audiences have also been influenced greatly, quite ironically, by the west such as the democracy as well as the a llure and the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. The Abyss The world of films and cinemas has been filled with the myriad of manipulative directors attempting to delineate from reality in their attempts to depict the things that they want. The early development of the world of films seems to have taken a strong parallelism to the real world events. This can be seen with the problem of racism which has been a strong theme back in the early 90’s for the western films. Also, there has been the stereotyping of the Asians as mere second-class citizens. As mentioned, there were even oriental roles ironically being played by western actors. This shows how strongly most Asians are being sidelined as mere supporting actors or even extras with no speaking lines (Associated Content.com 2011). To exacerbate the situation, the stereotyping has even gone beyond the second-class status to an almost three hundred sixty degree turn to make them the utmost bad guys. Many films truly made money on depicting the Japanese as brutal soldiers after the Second World War. This stereotyping has been a strong characteristic of the films preceding the war (Associated Content.com 2011). This has been the characteristic of Asian films which have been like an abyss that has seem to have swallowed the industry of the continent. This seems to have been a very dark chapter of the Asian films which has also coincided to the times when almost all of the countries in the continent are trying to rebuild after the devastation of the war. Most nations have been experiencing hardships and are generally poor. Hence, it seems easy to see as to why there the stereotyping has happened. However, at the turn of the century, Asian countries showed more economic strength and there has been a significant rise initially led by the newly industrialized Asian economies such as Singapore and Korea. At the turn of the century, communist China opened her doors which fuelled the rapid growth of the Chinese econo my. Thus, after sorting through the rubble of the Great

Ratio Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ratio Analysis - Essay Example The paper uses Profitability, efficiency, liquidity and shareholder ratios as the basic tools. The more complex tools like IRR, WACC etc are ignored to keep the analysis simple and meaningful. In addition, the paper identifies the Key Performance indicators (KPIs) of the company and highlights the basic steps taken by the company to achieve the KPI targets. The company’s current year’s results with respect to the KPI targets are also discussed and highlighted. To:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Board of Directors of Go Ahead group Plc. From:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Robert Frost, Accountant Re:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ratio Analysis and KPI discussion Date:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  February 25, 2013 With regard to your concerning the analysis of organizational financial performance and position, I would like to present this report which summarized, analyzes and properly interprets the basic financial ratios of the co mpany. I hope it will be of great help for you to understand and target the areas where improvement is required and further take strategic actions to improve and sustain the strong growth areas of our business. Introduction Go Ahead Group Plc is a leading company in the public transport industry. The company has a high regard in the industry for having social, financial and environmental aims working together at its core strategic plans. The company aims at providing transportation in the urban and other areas with less delays, high environmental targets and social responsibility. The company has captured the highest share of the transportation industry by focusing on the KPIs it has set. The company has also improved its efficiency and effectiveness in operations by reducing waiting times, increasing punctuality, spending more on security and comfort of the people and availability of their services with proper schedules and plans. The company’s financial analysis and discuss ion on its core competences is given below. Ratio Analysis Current & Previous Year The Return on Net Assets ratio reveals that the company is using the net assets very efficiently in carrying out its operations. The company is employing and making higher than expected profits by properly allocating the assets. The Return on Shareholders’ Funds in 2011 and 2012 shows significant returns to meet the company’s profit demands. Moreover, it completely satisfies the shareholders on the use and allocation of their shareholdings as per the returns generated in the two years under consideration. The operating profit margin, although slightly lower than previous year, is satisfactory. Moreover, if the one-off benefit is eliminated, the company shows an increase of ?8.1m in operating profit. Hence, the actual operating profit margin is higher than the previous year further showing a strengthened financial position of the company. The ROCE of 17.6% and 19.2% is satisfactory in 201 2 and 2011 respectively (Appendix 1). The slight reduction is not worrying, yet it should be stopped from recurrence to maintain the position that the company holds. The net asset

East Asian History Essay Example for Free

East Asian History Essay In the year 1943, the allied forces made a Deceleration in Cairo pledging freedom for the Korean peninsula from Japan. The US, China and Great Britain were the main parties involved in this declaration, often known as the ‘Cairo Declaration’. In the Yalta Conference, Roosevelt made a proposal to the USSR leaders for having a four-power leadership of Korea. Although, Stalin took President Roosevelt points into consideration, no formal agreement was reached upon. President Roosevelt proposed that the US, USSR, Great Britain and China would take hold on Korea. Following these talks, the tension between the communist nations and the western nations began to rise. In the Postdam conference in July 1945, Independence was promised for Korea. The US asked the USSR to enter the war with Japan to free Korea. However, they also suggested that the Japanese could not be attacked from Korea, unless the Japanese mainlands were captured. The USSR army attacked the Japanese forces from the northern side after capturing Manchuria. Following the American bombing of the Japanese cities in August 8, 1945, the Japanese troops began to surrender. The 38th Parallel was utilized as a line of control. North of this line, the USSR troops took charge and south of this line, the American army had control. The Japanese forces actually surrendered to the US forces on September 8th in Seoul. The USSR forces began to seal the line of control. The USSR forces were however present in Korea earlier compared to the American forces. There are many reasons as to why the US government wanted to divide Korea. Some suggest that it was basically done to prevent the USSR army from occupying the entire Korea. Other felt that it was to increase the military presence (from several countries) in Korea, and in this way prevent any single power from taking control of Korea. Initially, the Korean division was proposed as a temporary measure (basically for military operations). However, the conflict between the Eastern and Western powers meant that no particular solution was reached for this issue. In this way Korea continued to be divided (Turner Learning, 2007 Britannica Encyclopedia, 2007). Once Korea was divided, the Americans began to have a Government under Korea under the rule of Syngman Rhee. This government was basically set up against communism. South Korea was called as ‘Republic of Korea’. In the northern side, the USSR government set up a communist government under the rule of Kim II Sung. This state was called as ‘Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’. Kim II Sung was actually a major of the Red Army. After the World War II he was considered the head of the North Korean communist party. He was appointed the head of a committee for settling administrative issues. In 1947, a legislative assembly was formed in North Korea, and Kim was elected the head. He had a strong military presence in North Korea. Initially, Stalin wanted to stop Kim from using communist influence in North Korea, but Kim was against this. Later, Stalin and Kim were planning to enforce communism throughout Korea. Kim II Sung’s army was known as the ‘North Korean Military Army’. This army included a few generals who had waged war against the Japanese. Kim was interested in developing a nation that was torn out of war. He brought all agricultural activities under the control of state. He also started developing the industry in Korea. On the other hand, the South Korean’s did not have a strong military presence under the US army. When the US army was withdrawing its troops in 1949, only about 100, 000 soldiers were trained in the South Korean Army. The Russians began to support an attack of South Korea in the year 1950. North Korea utilized Russian artillery, guns and tanks to launch an attack in South Korea. The South Koreans were unprepared by the attack from the North Koreans. The American aid was rather insufficient. The Americans and the UN had to support South Korea in its fight against North Korea during the Korean War (Turner Learning, 2007 Britannica Encyclopedia, 2007).

John Proctor Was Never Defeated English Literature Essay

John Proctor Was Never Defeated English Literature Essay Ernest Hemingway says, Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated (http://www.englishforums.com). In Arthur Millers play The Crucible, the court cannot defeat John Proctor. Although they take his life, they cant take his pride. John Proctor is a well-respected husband and citizen, but everything takes a turn in Proctors life when he commits a secret sin with Abigail Williams. His hamartia, or affair with Abigail, leads to his downfall. Proctor is seen as a tragic hero because he is well respected in Salem, he possesses a flaw, and he finds a way to overcome his flaw. As the trials begin in Salem, Proctor realizes he can put a stop to them. In fear of ruining his name and reputation, he keeps his adultery with Abigail to himself. His tragic flaw, or pride in his name, underscores his inability to let go. He makes an effort to bring down Abigail, but when he fails, Proctor reveals the sin he committed with Abigail publicly. The storys peripeteia comes when Proc tor is arrested. Proctor changes, realizing that the witch trials are his fault. In the last act, Proctor has a chance to confess that he is a witch in order to live. Instead, Proctor chooses to refuse the confession in hopes of saving his name. This is Proctors biggest turning point of the play. His catharsis is achieved because he dies being freed from his earlier sins. A proud and respected man, John Proctor possesses a flaw that changes him throughout the course of the story, but it is Johns ability to overcome his flaw that distinguishes him as the tragic hero of The Crucible. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is viewed as a highly appreciated individual. Proctors high authority, influence in the town, and good deeds demonstrate his respected position in society. Arthur Miller describes John Proctor as a farmer in his middle thirties who is respected and feared in Salem(19). He is respected and feared because of his large amount of land. When Proctor speaks to Mr. Putnam and Giles Corey in the beginning of Act I, Proctor asks Giles to help him carry the lumber to his home. When Mr. Putnam asks what lumber he is speaking of, Proctor says, My lumber. From out my forest by the riversideà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. I bought that tract from Good Nurses husband five months ago(30). Proctors wealth and position in society is proven when he describes his land to be a forest. It exemplifies his respect in the town, because, in the time of the Salem witch trials, a person with a large amount of land is regarded as a man with a high status in town. Proctors high opi nion is also shown through his influence on Salem. In Act IV Reverend Parris expresses his fear towards the riot that is occurring in Andover and heading towards Salem. In the midst of his terror, Parris realizes the influence that John Proctor has in the town. He says, John Proctor is not Isaac Ward that drank his family to ruin. I would to God it were not so, Excellency, but these people have great weight yet in town(118). Parris explains how Proctors influence in Salem is so immense that Proctors death would cause Salem to collapse. Parris suggests that if Proctor is hanged, people will start a rebellion in Salem. The people of high authority act as a basis in Salem, and their death would only cause more confusion. With this confusion the villagers will riot and overthrow the court. Proctors respect and influence is a result of his good deeds shown in Salem. As Hale is questioning Proctor, Proctor describes his kindness with a good deed he committed. He states, I nailed the roof upon the church, I hung the door-(62). This small deed shows that Proctor cares about the community, and not only himself. Proctor is respected by the townspeople because of his charitable actions in Salem. Although Proctor illustrates the characteristics of a well-rounded individual, his tragic flaw prevents him from forgetting his adultery with Abigail. Throughout The Crucible John Proctors flaw is portrayed when his reputation is jeopardized. Proctors flaw is first shown on page 52 when he is speaking to Elizabeth about the conversation he had alone with Abigail. Elizabeth believes that Proctors feelings for Abigail prevent him from going to the court and proving that the court is a fraud. Proctor then judges Elizabeth stating that she will not forget about the incident that happened with Abigail. Elizabeth responds by saying, The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man Johnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (52). Elizabeth introduces Johns flaw. His pride in his name is restricting him from entering the court and proclaiming that the court is corrupt. If it means he would have to confess about his adultery with Abigail and ruin his reputation, then he would not do it. As Reverend Hale is questioning the Proctors, he asks them if they believe in witches. When Hale asks if Elizabeth believes in the Gospel, Pro ctor says, She do not mean to doubt the Gospel, sir, you cannot think it. This be a Christian house, sir, a Christian house (66). Proctor tries to save his name by saying that Elizabeth believes in the Gospel. He is afraid that Hale will get the wrong impression from Elizabeth. This will put a mark on their familys name. Proctors pride in his name causes him to answer Hale and turn away any suspicion that Hale has against the Proctors. Reverend Hale shows another example of Proctors flaw. While Hale convinces Elizabeth to talk Proctor into confessing, he tells Elizabeth that Proctors life is worth more than his pride. He says, Life, woman, life is Gods most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Let him give his lieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. [F]or it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws away his life for pride (122). Hale explicitly points out Proctors flaw. He proves that Proctor is viewed as a prideful man, and Hale belie ves that Proctor is ruining his life for the goodness of his name. Hale believes that life is more important than ones reputation. Proctor, however, is more inclined towards his reputation than his life. On page 133 Proctor throws his life away to keep his name and save the lives of those that were accused. After signing the testimony that claims his witchery, Proctor asks that it remain private. When Danforth disagrees Proctor snatches the paper and says, Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name (133). Proctors flaw once again leads to his downfall. His pride in his name for both his family and people of Salem lead to his hanging; however, Proctor reaches a self-realization and discovers a way to overcome his flaw. As the play comes to an end, Proctor shows his ability to surpass his tragic flaw and distinguish himself as a tragic hero. Proctors first moment of self-realization appears on pages 72 to 73. When Elizabeth is being arrested, Proctor realizes that the witch trials are his fault. He understands that Abigail wants to destroy Elizabeth in hopes of getting back in bed with him. Proctor rips the warrant of Elizabeths arrest and says, Ill tell you whats walking Salem-vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom and common vengeance writes the lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Ill not give my wife to vengeance (73). John blames Abigail by saying that vengeance is walking Salem. Abigail is the vengeance. Proctor realizes that his pride has put others in danger. Because of the danger he has put on others, he decides to act against the court. Another moment of self-realization occurs when John publicly announces his adul tery with Abigail. He declares Abigail a whore and states that she must be stopped. He says, Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. She thinks to dance with me on my wifes grave! And well she might for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whores vengeance and you must see it (102). Proctor realizes that Abigail continues to gain power in the court. When all else fails, Proctor confesses to his adultery with Abigail. He destroys his reputation, not for his own sake, but for the sake of others. Proctors last lines show his final self-realization. Before his death, Proctor is able to overcome his flaw. He snatches the paper that includes his confession and crumples it. He says, You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs (133). Although Proctor has a chance of living, he understands that the rest of hi s life would continue as a lie. By denying that the confession be nailed to the church door, Proctor gives his life up in place of his name. He understands the importance of his name, but he sentences himself for the sake of others. By sacrificing himself, Proctor is able to achieve peace and to free himself of his past sins. Ultimately, John Proctor was never defeated. He died a man of strength and power to his name. Although his soul was taken, his legacy remained. Through all of Proctors struggles he was able to retain his name and die in peace. In the beginning of the play, Proctor is a dishonest character trying to rid himself of his past, but his self-pride makes it difficult for him to let things go. However, as the play comes to an end, Proctor realizes the evil in the witch trials, and he dies with a renewed goodness. John Proctor is seen as the protagonist of this tragedy because he demonstrates the characteristics of a typical tragic hero. Well respected in Salem, Proctor shows good traits of a common man. Eventually, Proctors hamartia and tragic flaw lead to his death. However, Proctor also undergoes a moment of self-realization. Proctor reaches his catharsis in the last few pages of the play when he realizes the goodness in what he has accomplished. Proctor decides to surrender himself to dea th, rather than live a life of lies. He realizes that a public confession will offend the accused that have risked their lives for their reputation. Although Proctors tragic flaw leads to his death, Arthur Miller ultimately concludes Proctor as a man who pertains to goodness rather than guilt.

Seven Samurai :: essays papers

Seven Samurai Kurosawa creates a masterpiece with the Seven Samurai. This film was created in 1954, it is a Japanese film and it has English subtitles. The Seven Samurai is a story about a small farming village in 16th century Japan that is under constant threat from traveling groups of outlaw bandits. The elders that live in the village decide to hire a defense force to protect them from these outlaws. They enlist a variety of samurai for hire and samurai are willing to work for their food. The mission of the seven samurai is to protect the village against almost impossible odds. These people who live in the village need the samurai, but they also fear the samurai. What is really interesting about this film is the difference between the simple farming people and the more experienced samurai. The samurai have lived a life of violence and confrontation and the farming people have lived a very simplistic lifestyle. The farmers and the samurai must now depend on one another to survive which forces them to have relationships that would not normally take place. This film had spectacular performances from the actors, especially Takashi Shimura, who plays Kanbei. Kanbei is a seasoned samurai and he was first chosen by the elders of the village. Toshiro Mifune’s plays Kikuchiyo who is an abrasive samurai who bridges the gap between the warriors and the people who live in the village. Kurosawa’s final battle scene is climatic. Kurosawa helps the audience to understand the battle. This film was completely filmed in black and white and the sets, costumes, acting and cinematography all created in this battle scene to show us how a battle scene should be portrayed.

Globalization in Sub-Saharan Africa Essay

ABSTRACT It is factual that globalization began before the industrial revolution was existent in the colonial period and continues to be a major influence on how governments worldwide operate. When analyzing the effects of globalization, a common controversial debate is whether globalization has maimed the society or has brought significant benefit. The African society is used severally by anti-globalists to defend their views. This paper explores the negative dynamics of globalization in Sub-saharan Africa e.g. undermining of state sovereignty and hastening of environmental degradation of the continent. However, it does not suggest that globalization is entirely bad nor does it say that globalization is the only cause of Africa’s problems. It proposes some measures that can be considered when globalizing the African market so that this negative effects can be minimized. INTRODUCTION The nations of the world have synchronized their trading goods and services, financial markets, Ideologies, innovations and cultures through globalization. The free flow market policy adopted by many countries has led to significantly positive outcomes in the broader African region for example, creating new job ventures and advancements in technology. However, globalization has also cast a dark shadow on some sectors of the African economy , an issue that this paper will put into perspective with a particular case study on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some proposed consequences of globalization addressed here include increased conflicts in the area, erosion of state sovereignty, imbalance in the ecosystem and income inequality. Sub-Saharan Africa is a term used to refer to all of Africa except the Northern region. Most of their economies are agricultural based and are not as stable as those in the Western world. The average income in sub-Saharan Africa is below the poverty line level. Nevertheless, this region enjoys a large comparative advantage on raw resources in the extractive industries for example minerals and oil. The demand for these minerals can perhaps explain why immediately before the great recession in 2008,there was the 27% increase in FDI; the highest ever seen(Jaja:3).Foreign companies can obtain these minerals at a very low cost in some African countries and reap huge marginal benefits. Some of the avenues they use to get them are questionable as is the case with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Congo Zaire) is a central African nation that borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its neighbouring countries include Central African Republic Southern Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola and Tanzania (the two are separated by Lake Tanganyika).It is the second largest nation by area with over 65 million people. It was a Belgian colony and gained independence in June 1960. DRCongo has the most variety in biodiversity in Africa and enviable amounts of rare natural resources such as diamond, copper, gold, cobalt, timber and coltan. With its resources one would expect that such a country would be awash with prime economic developments, projects to exploit all agricultural potential and high standards of living. On the contrary, most of the civilians in DRC live in poverty and have not benefited from the rich well of resources they have. They are victims of years of civil war, propelled by power- hungry, conniving national leaders and part of the international community. A sneak peak into the colonial history of DRCongo reveals that the exploitation of the minerals for self-intrests is not a recent phenomena. POLITICAL BACKGROUND OF THE DRC In the late 1800s, King Leopold of Belgium acquired full rights of ownership of the Congo territory at the Conference of Berlin. He governed it like private property and the area experienced some developments. However, this came at the expense of the local people because they were treated as slaves and could not reap any fruits from their labour. Intense pressure from the international community on the Belgian parliament led to the reclaiming of the Congo region from the king’s hands. It was renamed The Belgian Congo state from 1908. There was significant economic growth at the time but the indigenous people were on the losing end again, exploited and enslaved. The fight for independence was won on June 1960 with Patrice Lumumba as Prime Minister and Joseph Kasavubu as president. Lumumba would later be fired and Joseph Mobutu, chief of staff of the new army, aimed to ‘restore’ the relationship between the two leaders with the help of the USA and Belgium governments. In January 1961, Katanga forces and Belgian troops executed Patrice. The Katanga succession ended in 1963 with the help of UN forces. There were several governments afterwards; the most notable one being that of Mobutu Sese Seko. His ‘career’ as president began in 1971. He was largely dictatorial; for example he revoked the powers of the legislature, fired the prime minister and conducted an election where he was the only candidate. Funds were mismanaged, state cooperations collapsed and the country was in debt. He renamed the country several times but officially used Congo-Zaire. Note that he had several billions of US dollars in a Swiss Bank account and still had favour with the USA government. It is believed that he even had a world bank official as a personal assistant. This in turn gave him â€Å"confidential information about granting aid to Zaire†. (Reno 1998:152) In 1994, the DRC was a refuge for the many Rwandese Hutus fleeing the Rwandan genocide. Refugee camps a few kilometers from the border with Rwanda were planning zones for attacks into Rwanda. Mobutu cheered them on. However in 1996, Rwandan led forces backed by Uganda and the The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire, led by Laurent Kabila, advanced into Kinshasa to close down Hutu camps in Eastern DRC.As a result, Mobutu’s government was overthrown when he was away and Laurent Desire Kabila was declared president. Kabila’s leadership was no different from his predecessor’s. Conflict between his government and rebel groups ensued in August 1998 because Kabila saw the Rwandese rebels as threat to his government. The Ugandan group, led by Congolese warlord John Pierre Bemba, formed the Movement for the Liberation of Congo, joined the Rwandese and together they terrorized the citizens and the government .Kabila requested for military assistance from the international community but they hesitantly supported him since they did not know him enough to trust him. In 1999, the rebels and the government signed a peace accord and six other countries were witnesses. A new constitution was promulgated in May 2005 and in 2006 the first free and fair elections were held. Tension increased just before elections and the government, backed by the UN, disarmed all non- governmental factions to keep the nation stable. The trail of this civil war commonly equated to Africa’s first world war has left a trail of death, despair and pain amongst the people with over 5 million dead, several displaced, and thousands of women and children raped. It is interesting to question the ability of the rebel groups to oust governments sequentially. Could someone be funding them? Are there some hidden interests? The minerals in the DRC, and coltan in particular, are treasured gems in the technological era. When raw, coltan, which is composed of columbium and tantalum, looks like black mud or sand. It is used to produce capacitors. Capacitors are used to conduct electrical charge in high tech equipment for example cellular phones, computers and some jet engines. The DRC has the world’s largest reserves of the mineral. Four fifths of the world’s supply of coltan is in Africa and DRC has eighty percent of it. In the late 1900s,the sales of tantalum increased by three hundred percent. This time period coincided with the times of civil war in the DRC.As Dena Montague states in her article, â€Å"Stolen Goods: Coltan and Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo†, international cooperations such as Banro-resources cooperation, Finconcorde and Raremet imported DRC coltan via Rwanda for use in Asia, Europe and US A. In response to UN accusations of involvement in illegal trading H.C Stark, one of the largest producers of capacitors commented that they only purchase raw materials from established companies. However, established companies were indeed involved in illegally obtaining goods from DRC. Investors restructured deals in support of Desire Kabila instead of Mobutu in 1996.This was a violation of the constitution which stated â€Å"The soil and subsoil belong to the state-prospecting, exploration and exploitation requires permits from Ministry of Mines and Energy.† Local militia backed by Ugandan and Rwandese forces got supplies in form of food, money and military equipment in exchange for smuggled goods. The militia men took stronghold of areas with huge deposits of gold and coltan e.g. Bukavu, Lubumbashi and Mayi. Gold was exported through Uganda and into United Arab Emirates. It was difficult to trace from there. It is worth noting that between 1995 and 2006,gold was one of Uganda’s main exports. Additionally, Uganda had GDP growth rate of 6% per annum in 1999 yet the average GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa was about 2.5%in the same time. These trade revenues undermined the power of the central Congolese government because the Ugandan economy gained more from D.R. Congo’s resources more than the DRC’s economy did. The fact that the international community was in one way or another involved in increasing conflict in the DRC is undeniable. If the corporate investors were genuinely trading with DRC to improve the state of the country, they would have questioned the legitimacy of the DRC based enterprises and suppliers. Another simultaneous consequence of the years of instability was an imbalance in the ecosystem. Wildlife products such as elephant tusks and animal skin were and are still very marketable globally. They were sold or bartered in exchange of food, ammunition and other goods. With a nation in strife, this meant that there were neither environmental regulations nor expensive wildlife products. In the 1990s, there were increased rates of elephant poaching and habitat encroachment in the forest areas of Kahuzi Beiga National Park. Statistics by the UN reveal that in the area of Garamba Park, north eastern DRC, 4000 out of 12000 elephants were killed between 1995 and 1999.[61]The area was controlled by Ugandan troops and Sudanese rebels. This created a human-animal conflict. The militia fed on wild meat when on their missions. Wild meat was also the only easily available food source for the displaced persons. Rebel leaders disarmed the guards in national parks, thus they were unable to patrol the forested areas. Local conservationists also raised the alarm on the decreasing numbers of the bonobo monkeys; famed for language learning abilities when in captivity and complex social behavi or in the wild(Gretchen Vogel).Another result of the clash between man and animal as suggested in the article â€Å"Effects of War and Civil Strife on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitats†, was the spread of human monkey pox and bubonic plague. The people were exposed to more diseases other than water- borne and tropical diseases. With lack of adequate healthcare and restricted movements, the people’s lives were at risk too. The flora and soil were not spared either. The people burned the vegetation and cut trees to get timber and to create room for living and farming. Due to the uncertainty they were in, it is unlikely that their methods of farming were conservative e.g. overharvesting and thus leading to soil erosion. Timber, which is a fundamental raw material for the building industry, was cheaply available to local and international traders thus they found the political situation in the DRCongo very favourable to their activities. Globalization of trade and financial commodities in the world has a general pattern where most of the trade and investments are dominated by a few nations. They make policies that work to their advantage, a fact clearly outlined by Joseph E. Stilitzp in his article â€Å"Globalism Dis contents†. Agriculture, which is the backbone of many African countries, is sometimes left out in some of the import tariff reliefs given internationally on account of globalization. Some regional agreements also exercise some form of discriminatory trade towards agricultural products. Additionally, globalization has led to liquidity of funds due to free financial markets. This means that capital investments can quickly be converted to cash. African states are become vulnerable to liquidity perhaps because of several sectors of the economy that need quick monetary solutions and overreliance on foreign loans as Stiglitzp highlights. One probable outcome from this phenomena in the period of conflict in the D.R.C would be that the rich political leaders in the country became richer and richer whereas the common people sunk deeper into poverty. It is likely that the agricultural sector was neglected(and this is where the people economy was/is based)and the mining industry prioritized. Middlemen from some countries traded weapons and money, with the rebel groups and some political elite, for coltan and other minerals. It is also likely that some foreign companies were given full ownership rights of some mines after giving the leaders of the time were given some money. The Congolese will indeed find it hard to trust their leaders again. The harsh reality right now is that so many families are focused on the primary needs of fending for their families so the idea of demanding for their rights is would sound unpractical. The fragility of this state can be traced to the days of state formation and the nature of subsequent governments. If the leaders who came into power prioritized the formation of a strong army and building of the nation, then we would perhaps tell a different story. This region and several others in Sub-saharan Africa have faced a humanitarian,environmental and political turmoil for too long. To avoid a repeat of the civil war situation and its consequent effects, specific codes of conduct that promote economic and political stability should be considered in the globalization aspect. Foreign investments into Africa require strict policies and an end of the bargain that considers the welfare of the people e. g a company that wants to invest must contribute directly or indirectly towards building a hospital, school or social hall. This will be effective in ensuring that the transition between a globalized market and the previous one involves the whole society in all dimensions of life. This can only happen with government system that is dedicated to building a brighter future for these great nations. The effective building of DRCongo’s economy will involve Congo’s immediate neighbors, the whole of Africa and the world. Conservationists should develop programs in war torn areas so that resource conflicts do not arise in the future. Global gatherings that address environmental issues should also prioritize the critical environmental crisis the Democratic Republic of Congo and in other areas affected by similar or even worse conditions. REFERENCES Globalization, Culture and the Great Disruption: An Assessment International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences February 2012, Vol. 2, No. 2 Dena Montague, Stolen Goods: Coltan and Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, SAIS Review 22.1 (2002) 103-118 Joseph P. Dudley1,*, Joshua R. Ginsberg2, Andrew J. Plumptre2, John A. Hart2, Liliana C. Campos3Conservation Biology Volume pages 319–329, April 2002 Effects of War and Civil Strife on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitats Alan Cowell, Letter from Britain: Lack of African Dream Lets a Nightmare Prevail by The International Herald Tribune, 2 August 2006 Stiglitz Joseph.Globalism Discontents Conflict in Congo Threatens Bonobos and Rare Gorillas * Gretchen Vogel Science 31 March 2000: 287 (5462), 2386-2387. [DOI:10.1126/science.287.5462.2386] Report of the UN Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2002. Reno, William. 1998. Warlord Politics and African States. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner.(preface of the book)