Research Proposal on Customer Retention Essay Example

Research Proposal on Customer Retention Essay Customer retention is the activity of the company aimed at the attraction of new customers and binding the old ones to the company and its production. It is obvious that the success and profit of the company depends on the quantity and quality of its customers. If the number of customers is high, the firm is able to gain high income and develop further increasing its production and differentiating the choice of its production. Naturally, the quantity of customers is not a stable figure and it can alter because of various factors. In order to avoid the problem of the lack of customers the firm is supposed to form the stable circle of the returning customers who believe in the quality of the production, support and advertise the brand to their friends and co-workers. The company should hire a qualified team of the experts who are aware about the peculiarities of the human psychics, behavior and the manner of work of the human mind in order to be able to create the right marketing strategy which would attract new clients and bind the permanent one. It is quite difficult to make clients loyal to the production of the firm and to impose a certain cult of the brand on them. The task of the strategy of customer retention is to remind to the customer about the existence of the brand with the help of the quality advertisement, personal messages on the cell phones, emails, ads in the social networks, etc. If the client sees that the firm â€Å"thinks† about him and addresses personally to him informing about the new goods and services, the client will definitely develop his loyalty to the brand. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal on Customer Retention specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal on Customer Retention specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal on Customer Retention specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Customer retention is the important strategy which is aimed at the increase of the popularity of the brand among the greater amount of customers. The young person is able to observe the problem form the independent and totally alternative side in a detailed and well-composed research proposal. The proposal is written to persuade the professor in the relevance of the problem and should contain the successful presentation of the points important for the research, the purpose of writing and the methods of the research. One is expected to illustrate the list of the expected results to show that the paper is worthy. A research proposal is a serious challenge for every young professional, because one is supposed to demonstrate his interest in the topic and observe it from all possible sides. One can increase the quality of his paper with the help of a free example research proposal on customer retention written online. Professional writers and editors work hard to present a free sample research proposal on customer retention to a student and make his work easier. At EssayLib.com writing service you can order a custom research proposal on Customer Retention topics. Your proposal will be written from scratch. We hire top-rated PhD and Master’s writers only to provide students with professional research proposal help at affordable rates. Each customer will get a non-plagiarized paper with timely delivery. Just visit our website and fill in the order form with all proposal details: Enjoy our professional research proposal writing service!

Ionic Compound Properties, Explained

Ionic Compound Properties, Explained An ionic bond is formed when there is a large electronegativity difference between the elements participating in the bond. The greater the difference, the stronger the attraction between the positive ion (cation) and negative ion (anion). Properties Shared by Ionic Compounds The properties of ionic compounds relate to how strongly the positive and negative ions attract each other in an  ionic bond. Iconic compounds also exhibit the following properties: They form crystals.Ionic compounds form crystal lattices rather than amorphous solids. Although molecular compounds form crystals, they frequently take other forms plus molecular crystals typically are softer than ionic crystals.  At an atomic level, an ionic crystal is a regular structure, with the cation and anion alternating with each other and forming a three-dimensional structure based largely on the smaller ion evenly filling in the gaps between the larger ion.They have high melting points and high boiling points.High temperatures are required to overcome the attraction between the positive and negative ions in ionic compounds. Therefore, a lot of energy is required to melt ionic compounds or cause them to boil.They have higher enthalpies of fusion and vaporization than molecular compounds.Just as ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points, they usually have enthalpies of fusion and vaporization that can be 10 to 100 times higher than those of most molecular compoun ds. The enthalpy of fusion is the heat required melt a single mole of a solid under constant pressure. The enthalpy of vaporization is the heat required for vaporize one mole of a liquid compound under constant pressure. Theyre hard and brittle.Ionic crystals are hard because the positive and negative ions are strongly attracted to each other and difficult to separate, however, when pressure is applied to an ionic crystal then ions of like charge may be forced closer to each other. The electrostatic repulsion can be enough to split the crystal, which is why ionic solids also are brittle.They conduct electricity when they are dissolved in water.When ionic compounds are dissolved in water the dissociated ions are free to conduct electric charge through the solution. Molten ionic compounds (molten salts) also conduct electricity.Theyre good insulators.Although they conduct in molten form or in aqueous solution, ionic solids do not conduct electricity very well because the ions are bound so tightly to each other. A Common Household Example   A familiar example of an ionic compound is table salt or sodium chloride. Salt has a high melting point of  800 ºC. While a salt crystal is an electric insulator, saline solutions (salt dissolved in water) readily conduct electricity. Molten salt is also a conductor. If you examine salt crystals with a magnifying glass, you can observe the regular cubic structure resulting from the crystal lattice. Salt crystals are hard, yet brittle its easy to crush a crystal. Although dissolved salt has a recognizable flavor, you dont smell solid salt because it has a low vapor pressure.

Castle Bingo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Castle Bingo - Essay Example It is important to mention the fact that the emergence of high level of connectivity amongst the masses around the world has resulted in the process of faster diffusion of various kinds of global trends. The rapid spreading of global trends in various corners of the world is bringing in a massive change in regards to consumer demands as consumers are starting to get more and more demanding in nature. It is wise to highlight the fact that as a result of emergence of various kinds of global trends, the consumers around the world are increasingly focusing on the process of getting products and services that provides better value for money. On the course of bringing in a revolutionary change in regards to the consumer behaviour and demand expectations of the masses, the global trends are also clearing the way for the emergence of new markets. Organizations around the world are trying their best to enter into the newly emerging markets for the purpose of capitalizing on significant busine ss opportunities as well as possible avenues of future growth. This is resulting in the creation of a tremendously competitive business environment. In order to gain a significant edge in the market in regards to its competitors, the companies around the world are trying to gain as much information as possible in regards to the respective clients and consumers. This endeavour of organizations around the world to gather the latest information from the market has resulted in the emergence of the importance of market research. About Market Research It can be said that the market research is often identified as the function which helps in generating a lot of insight in regards to the consumers, customers, clients as well as the associated stakeholders of a business firm or organization (Kolb, 2008, p. 7). It helps the business organization to significantly identify the various patterns and trends that are existent in the market in regards to the consumer behaviour as well as the latest market trends that exists in various geographical regions (ESOMAR, 2007, p. 37). Talking in a more detailed manner, the function of market research comprises of a lot of functions like determining and indentifying the research problem, designing the questionnaire or the survey instrument, designing the nature of research to be conducted as well as the entire methodology related to data collection. It also has to be said that the market research process also involves significant amount of analysis of various relevant data that has been collected by the market researchers through the process of administration of the questionnaire. It is very important to mention that the marketing research has a high linkage in regards to marketing. It has to be said that the process of marketing talks in broad details about the implementation of the product, place, promotion and price in the market place though effective segmentation, targeting and positioning. It has to be said that the process of m arket research paves the way for effective segmentation, targeting and positioning of the product and service to the right target audience through the gathering of the information in regards to the trends of the market as well as that of the customers. It has to be said that the market research paves a linkage between the value expectation of the consumer

Role of religion in Paleolithic era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Role of religion in Paleolithic era - Essay Example Religion defined the boundaries between the evil and the code. This means that every life revolved around religion as faith and a creed to the universe. This paper analyses the context of religion in the Paleolithic period citing specific examples. As a discussion platform, the paper will also explain the function of religion in the same regime. Religion defined the impressive accomplishment in the Paleolithic era. This elaborated the origin and existence to life with a detailed coverage of the creator of the universe. The context also highlighted expectations within the societal setting for every mankind (Judge & Langdon, 211). The belief of human existence allocated specific mandates and roles for a given community. Religion defined the existence of mankind in the Paleolithic era as a lifestyle. The early population believed in devotion and sacrifice dedicating life to observing a given religion. Christianity as doctrine served as the cornerstone of family establishment. The moral teaching revolved around a religious aspect where the spiritual holiness depicted a given lifestyle. Religion also acted as a moral regulatory to influence and condemn behaviors (Judge & Langdon, 171). Religious leaders acted as mediators between the living and the spiritual world. The context of religion depicted a given direction for any society in the Paleolithic period. Religion defined individual endurance to achieve a higher divine calling in the Paleolithic period. The early nations obtained a spiritual calling from exercising true religious morals and behavior. The society respected the spiritual community that also acted as the higher rank of a community. A given communal decision relied on the outcome of the religious society and group. Religion acted as the moderate between parties. In the first instances, religion connected man and god, while in the second instance religion united different communal parties. The religion also served as a companion to the early

The War on Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The War on Drugs - Essay Example In response to this, the initiative on war on drugs is significant in many countries, and many are working so diligently to ensure they fight illegal drugs. For instance, Canada has worked hard to issue policies on war on drugs. In 2001, Canadian Court of appeal issued a drug law disapproving the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Furthermore, it was realized that, the use of marijuana could lead to health problems, hence it was vital to fight its use. The war on drugs continues to be a contentious issue. There are those opposing, and others proposing. In this context, most states are working diligently to ensure that they fight the use of illegal drugs. In facts, the United States has the highest number of drug dealers. Most people are jailed for drugs correlated crimes. As a result, this has been a waking call for the American government to impose laws for the war on drugs. The major focus of war on drugs is to keep off most people particularly young people from using illegal drugs. As discussed previously, the war on drugs has been a controversial and ongoing debate globally. Nevertheless, most countries have implemented laws to prevent drug abuse. Categorically, this paper has discussed the subject; the war on drugs. In great insight, the essay has outlined how various countries have implemented polices that prohibit illegal drugs usage. Often, the war on drugs has been to prevent health effects, crime, and corruption. When prohibition of illegal drug is in effect, it prevents many from abusing drugs. With this in mind, implementing drug laws is exceptional in the War on

E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola

E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola ABSTRACT In this report as the title tells, I approach the economic development of Angola in terms of one of its major developer, the internet and ecommerce. I have done this because it is often impossible to glean important facts and insights about such countries which a society pronounces poor or third world. In the chapters that follow, I will relate to the ecommerce and its effect of economic development of Angola, compare Angola with a developing country as well as with an underdeveloped nation. Firstly economic development is discussed in relation to electronic commerce in order to show the complexities and ease related to drawing a clear line between the two forms. Secondly economic development is discussed in relation to ecommerce, economy, culture, elements which influence the issue in one way or another. For, as shall be repeatedly seen, problems like economic support from a developed state have a close and continuing relation to the values and social structures which a society regards as stable and normal. My emphasis will be, however, on the problem itself, called ecommerce and its effect on the economic development of Angola. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Electronic Commerce Electronic commerce, generally identified as (electronic marketing) e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems for example the Internet and other computer networks. The total of trade conducted electronically has grown unusually with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online deal processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the deals lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well. (Miller, 2002) Internet Ecommerce The previous ten years have seen the internet and e-commerce surface as fundamental features of our business, communal and educational life. Developments for example Web 2.0, the semantic web, e-government strategies, user generated content, virtual worlds and online social networks have redesign the way we commune, intermingle and transact. The Evolution of Electronic Commerce The numerous means in which business is carried out are based on established suppositions and accords between the parties concerned. Numerous procedures have been agreed upon to safeguard both the consumer and the merchant from deception or theft. Even in the simplest form of dealcash changing hands directly between buyer and sellera sales receipt is classically provided as a record of what turned out. As we move into the electronic business field, the means of protection become more and more concerned. The essence of ecommerce is buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet. The advantages are fairly self-evident. Because the Internet is readily accessible by millions of prospective customers worldwide, suppliers and customers can interact in a dynamic environment where supply and demand truly regulate the economic cycle. Organisations of any size, from sole proprietorships to multinational corporations, can expand their business to reach new customers in new markets, some even achieving a notable level of efficiency. The sole proprietor is able to broaden the scope of his/her business to a mass market approach, while the multinational corporation can now focus on niche markets heretofore considered too costly to access using the traditional mechanisms for market penetration. (Austin, 1999) Further study discloses some specific downsides to the Internet business paradigm. What you basically have is computers (presumably being operated by humans) trading responsive financial data by means of a widely-available communications infrastructure. Unexpectedly the matters of accountability (being able to attribute a deal to the actual instigator) and accountability (attributing responsibility to each participant for their part of the deal) become more vital than ever. A lot of propaganda has been generated over the initial incursions into electronic commerce. It seems ubiquitously we turn someone is singing the praises of electronic catalogues, online shopping, electronic check writing, web-based advertising and customer prospecting, and on and on. The truly brave can even purchase a car over the Internet. But these consumer-oriented business activities taking place on the Internet today are just the tip of the iceberg. From the perspective of true international commerce, we have not yet begun to do business electronically. Infrastructure of Ecommerce The main issue that requires to be dealt with before electronic commerce can convey on its assurance is the development of an international infrastructure that all of the main players can be in agreement upon. In most circles this infrastructure is called the International Information Infrastructure (GII). This electronic infrastructure must make available all of the compensations needed for a healthy e-commerce strategy: Â § Security-enabled. This is essential to permit development of convenient solutions which provide accountabilityknowing the real who in a deal. Beyond that, the ability to impute liability to any and all parties concerned in completing a deal is a must for business. For suppliers, e-commerce will be about establishing the identity of the individuals who represent the parties concerned. It means that all participants have a confident reliance on users identity, while holding each party liable to perform their role in the deal. (Jacobsen, 2000) Â § Ultra-reliable. In electronic commerce, transactions take place without those worried ever meeting in person, and that implies the need for a technology presentation and dependability factor of 99.99%, especially for mission-vital applications. An infrastructure must be reliable and trusted on a continuous basis. Any weak connection in its safety measures will deliver the whole impracticable for serious electronic commerce. Â § International. Electronic business cannot be restricted to the country of origin. As we progress into the future, e-commerce must transcend national boundaries. We need an absolute e-commerce infrastructure. To be really effectual, e-commerce providers will need an infrastructure which is international in its nature, or recognise that electronic business is closed by national boundaries. Distinct from the international mass user and point solutions-based Internet market of today, large organisations are becoming critically attentive that they will need to manage accountability and liability in providing any significant level of customer security, especially with end-user customers, but especially in business between themselves in their interactions with employees, partners and suppliers. (Jacobsen, 2000) After two decades of declining economic performance, Angola is currently staging a promising revival. Over the past several years, average real economic expansion in the region has increased vitally while, in a growing number of countries, real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has been positive. In 1998, despite financial turmoil in Asia and Latin America, Angola enjoyed its fourth consecutive year of positive GDP expansion. Nevertheless, Angolas current economic revival remains fragile. Up to date expansion has not yet reached the sustained levels that are essential to alleviate widespread poverty endemic to the region. A number of hurdles still need to be effectively addressed and overcome if the transform process and current revival are to lead to broad-based and sustainable development for Angola. Furthermore, conditions vary widely among the forty-eight states of Angola and this diversity must be taken into account in assessing the countrys prospects. Fortunately, as this article seeks to demonstrate, there are reasons to be optimistic that many Angolan states can overcome the remaining hurdles to sustained expansion. A new generation of Angolan leaders and entrepreneurs and current developments in the areas of private sector expansion, debt relief, regional economic integration, and telecommunications have the potential to economic expansion in means not heretofore anticipated. Regional Transformation And Economic Revival Angolas up to date economic performance has indeed been encouraging. Between 1990 and 1997, the number of Angolan states registering annual expansion rates of three to six percent nearly doubled, from fourteen in the beginning of the decade to twenty-six in 1997, while seven Angolan states had expansion rates of six to eight percent. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), after almost two decades of stagnation and decline, real GDP in Angola was growing at an average rate in 1997 of four to five percent a year. The World Bank reported that over eighty percent of countries (thirty-eight out of forty-eight) registered increased per capita incomes in 1997, as their rates of economic expansion exceeded their population expansion rate. (World Bank Group, 1998) According to the most up to date data, 1998 was the fourth consecutive year that GDP per capita did not fall, an event that has not happened in Angola since the late 1970s,(Department Of Econ. Soc. Affairs Unite d Nations Conference On Trade Dev., 1999) while the 3.3% expansion in 1998 GDP was the highest among all regions of the world. (Economic Soc. Poly Div., Economic Commn For Afr., 1999) Increased macroeconomic stabilitya result of sound financial and political policieshas been encouraging increased levels of investment in the region over the past several years. Average inflation fell from a peak of forty-five percent in 1994 to an estimated twelve percent in 1998, with only fifteen Angolan states still experiencing double-digit inflation rates by 1997, compared with thirty-five in 1994, according to the IMF. There has also been a vital reduction in internal and external financial imbalances. The average external current account deficit (before grants) fell from 5.5% of GDP to 4% over the same period, while the average overall fiscal deficit (again before grants) was halved between 1992 and 1997, to about 4.5% of GDP.(Calamitsis, 1998) As a result, investment in the region has been steadily growing, according to the IFCs 1998 report. In 1998, gross domestic investment rose to twenty-three percent of GDP, from lows of about fifteen percent in the early 1990s. Private investment has also increased, registering 10.6% of GDP in 1996, the highest level since 1981. Long-term private capital flows to Angola in 1997 reached $8 billion, twice as high as in the previous year. Along with investment levels, Angolan trade and export earnings have increased. While Angolas share of total world trade has not changed, the volume of Angolan exports is expanding almost as fast as international trade and Angola is emerging as a viable international trading partner. Angolas trade volume increased by eight percent in 1997, according to UN s, with exports having expanded roughly twice as fast as GDP in up to date years. The regions up to date expansion has been widely attributed to the efforts of a new generation of transform-minded Angolan leaders in key countries who, through the adoption of democratic and market-based transforms, have made substantial progress in moving their countries toward political and macroeconomic stability. Many Angolan states continue to implement trade liberalisation and privatisation programmes that are freeing up their markets and helping them to become more active participants in international commercial activity and economic progress. In such a positive political and economic environment, private sector led trade and investment can now play an increasingly important role in bringing broad-based expansion and sustainable development to the region. Some countries in Angola have already begun to reap the rewards that can result from sounder fiscal and monetary policies, increased regional economic integration, and accelerated privatisation programmes. Chief among the rewards is expanded trade, investment, and access to the international marketplace, as international companies increasingly look to Angolas emerging economies and Angolan entrepreneurs and private sector organisations seek to play a more visible role in the economies of their countries. These trends suggest that the growing private sector in Angola has real potential to become an important engine for expansion and economic development in the region, as it has already in other regions of the developing world. Investment And Expansion Despite the up to date positive economic trends and expansion of the private sector in Angola, as we enter the new millennium, sustained, broad-based economic development in the region remains one of the most formidable policy challenges facing the country. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Angola (ECA), in order for Angola to cut its poverty in half by the year 2015, a development objective often cited by Angolan governments and their development partners, the region as a whole would require a yearly GDP expansion rate of seven percent. For this to happen, an investment of thirty-three percent of GDP would be needed for Angola as a whole. Achieving domestic investment of thirty-three percent looks increasingly unlikely, as two of the three components of domestic investment are declining or stagnant. While the regions current domestic savings rate is only estimated at fifteen percent, annual inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) remain low, and the levels o f official development assistance of up to date years are declining. The renewed expansion in many countries has not yet reached, let alone been sustained at, levels that would alleviate the widespread poverty endemic to the region. The great majority of the regions population continues to live at levels well below the poverty line, with forty percent living on less than one dollar a day, according to the World Bank. (The World Bank Group, 1999) Furthermore, the globalisation phenomenon, which has been highlighted by growing economic integration and rapid technological change, has often meant increased prosperity for those countries able to compete in an increasingly integrated international economy, but steady decline and marginalisation for those not able to compete. Still, too many countries have remained largely on the sidelines, saddled by debt and relying primarily on foreign assistance for many of their development needsat a time when such assistance is on the decline. Among the current obstacles to reaching levels of expansion that will bring broad-based development to the region, the following three matters pose particularly vital challenges: (1) the uncertain future of the transform process, (2) Angolas debt burden, and (3) the regions limited participation in the international trading system. A Delaying Transformation Although more than thirty countries have launched political and economic transform programmes over the last decade, the transform process has not been uniform across the country. Angolan leaders in some countries have been unwilling or unable to implement transform programmes, sometimes as a result of political or civil instability. In other countries, the difficulties or costs of transform have threatened to undermine the process and raise the possibility that a country could abandon the process before it has had sufficient time to bear fruit. For example, Zimbabwe has only recently re-instituted some protectionist measures, including increased duties and exchange restrictions in response to mounting foreign exchange pressures. Moreover, trade regimes in many Angolan states remain complex and restrictive compared with those of most other developing countries. Such regimes isolate their domestic producers and prevent them from becoming more fully integrated into the international tra ding system. In addition, the privatisation process has been sluggishthe victim of public mistrust and a lack of consensus among policymakers. In an up to date World Bank study that shed light on the problems of privatisation in Angola, the lack of political commitment, poor design, insufficient resources, weak management, and corruption were cited as major factors inhibiting the process. The report highlighted the need for Angolan governments to improve public information as the most powerful tool for ensuring transparency, helping to build consensus, and assuring commitment and accountability in the process. (White Bhatia, 1998) Poor economic environments and policies in some countries have also inhibited increased trade and investment. These conditions have caused rampant inflation and high interest rates and have prevented Angolan policymakers from fully abandoning foreign exchange controls and other restrictions. Earlier that year, Botswana became the first and only country in Angola to abolish all forms of exchange controls, (Steyn, 1999) while in some countries, inflation continues to lead to debilitating currency crisis. In Malawi, for example, inflation is now hovering at around 53% (up from 18.5% recorded at the same period in 1998), an indicator that the currency may need to be devalued yet again, after a devaluation of 67% in 1998. (Pan Angolan News Agency, 1999) Continued volatility in the Angolan market environment underlines the need for continued success in the transform process. The Liability Burden In addition to delaying transform, Angolas external liability burden continues to be a major obstacle to investment and further expansion, particularly in the highly indebted poor countries. Many Angola economies are unusually indebted with an average of twenty percent of GDP going directly to liability servicing, according to UNCTAD. (Sachs Stevens, 1998) In 1998, liability service increased to $35 billion, or more than thirty-one percent of goods and nearly three percent of service exports, up from $33 billion in 1997. The external liability of Angolan states rose moderately from $349 billion in 1998, according to the ECA. As a proportion of exports and GDP, the external liability of Angola is the highest of any developing region. Not only does Angolas liability deter private investment, including foreign direct investment, but it also impedes public investment in physical and human infrastructureinvestment vital to a countrys economic development. The IMF estimated that, by the end of 1999, Angolas liability to GDP ratio would rise to almost sixty-eight percent, up from fifty-two percent two years earlier. (International Monetary Fund, 1998) The region will continue to be crippled by mounting liability, draining it of needed resources that could otherwise be invested back into the regions economy, unless there is more rapid and effective liability relief matched with sustained expansion. Angola in the International Trading System and International Economy Angola is currently facing growing marginalisation in the international economy with its share of international production and trade in decline. Despite rising levels of Angolan domestic production and trade volumes over the last several years, the countrys share of international trade has continued to declineit was less than two percent in 1997. If the region is to gain an economic foothold and develop into the next century, it must attract more investment and trade, and become a more competitive trading partner in the new international economic system. Increasing commitments to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other regional accords thereby becoming a more active participant in the international trading systemis one way for Angola to attract investment and trade. The Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations resulted in the creation of a stronger set of rules governing international trade and the creation of the WTO, the successor to the General Accords on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Unfortunately, many countries in Angola were generally unable and unprepared to effectively participate in the negotiations and, partly as a result, have not been able to take advantage of the new international trading system. Although eighty-five percent of Angolan states are currently members of the WTO, limited trained staff and other pressing needs prevent many of them from active participation in WTO developments, further trade negotiations, and implementation of existing Uruguay Round accords. In addition, they have as yet been unable to take full advantage of numerous unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral preferential trading schemes designed to help expand access for Angolas products and integrate Angolas economies into the world trading system. The region is more likely to reap a larger share of international production and trade if it more actively participates in and undertakes meaningful commitments in the international trade organisation that is fostering the expansion of world trade. Road To Further Expansion And Sustainable Development In light of the existing challenges, what measures now need to be pursued to address these constraints and consolidate and build on the gains Angolas transformers have made over the past several years? According to Evangelos A. Calamitsis, former Director of the Angolan Department of the International Monetary Fund, the present economic upswing in Angola, unlike other recoveries in the past, has been largely homegrown and is therefore more likely to continue. However, Angolas present revival is most likely to endure if Angolan leaders can sustain and broaden the process toward transform and capitalise on several areas of strength that are breathing new life into the debate on private sector expansion and economic development. Staying the Road to Transformation Although outside the scope of this article, developments in Angolan states that are not counted as leading transformers can greatly influence the overall prospects for expansion on the country. For example, the fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in Angola can have a negative impact on the investment climate in neighbouring countries. On the other hand, the return of civilian rule in Nigeria and the prospects of better economic management can do a great deal to bolster investor confidence in the economic prospects for the country as a whole. Angolan leaders need to continue the political and economic transform process and encourage its spread to those countries that have not yet undertaken transforms. Many Angolan leaders have already demonstrated that they understand what needs to be done and have initiated the process. Still, the process must continue. If the region is to achieve high-quality and sustained expansionexpansion that will lead to poverty reduction and broad-based developmentin the years ahead, the transform process must be revitalised so that the changes become inexorably woven into the regions economic fabric. By continuing to implement sound fiscal and monetary policies and by accelerating the privatisation and trade liberalisation process, Angolan states will be proving to the international business community that Angola is serious about transform and ready and willing to do business. Despite up to date turbulence in the international economic environment, most Angolan states have resisted protectionist pressures. Their commitment to continue trade liberalisation highlights a general recognition among Angolas economic policymakers that increased trade has beenand will continue to bea key to expansion. In addition, Angolas growing participation in the WTO and regional trading arrangements by institutionalising policy transforms and binding lower tariffs and other trade liberalising measures can help to prevent countries from resorting to protectionist measures in the future. Role of Angolas Development Partners Angolas developed trade partners and the international financial institutions must continue to support regional transform if the process is to be sustainable. While Angolan states retain primary ownership and responsibility, for the process, the international community can support their efforts by (1) pursuing policies that promote world economic expansion and financial stability and expand the regions access to international markets, (2) providing meaningful liability relief, (3) continuing to supply technical and financial assistance to countries committed to transform, and (4) assisting Angolas regional economic groupings. Several up to date bilateral and multilateral initiatives demonstrate the commitment of some developed countries to support the regions up to date economic progress. While early speculation as to the potential impact of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations on the least-developed Angolan states was largely pessimistic following the Rounds conclusion, up to date bilateral and multilateral efforts are focusing on helping Angola take advantage of specific areas where it actually stands to gain as a result of the Round. According to an up to date report by the United States International Trade Commission on the Uruguay Round and U.S.-Angola trade flows, [t]hese gains can range from facing fewer restrictions and lower tariffs overall, affecting all WTO members, to specific market-access provisions that may benefit Angola in particular.(U.S. Intl Trade Commission, 1998) Efforts are also underway to expand existing preferential trading schemes like those under the Lome Convention and the U.S. Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme. For example, the Angolan Expansion and Opportunity Act (AGOA), now before the U.S. Congress, extends GSP to eligible Angolan beneficiary countries through June 30, 2008. In addition, the legislationas passed by the Housewould authorise the President to extend duty-free treatment under the GSP programme to all imports from transforming Angolan beneficiary countries, including those now considered to be import-sensitive. The changes to the GSP programme would support Angolas transformers by allowing their products increased access to international markets and would help to further integrate Angola into the international trading system, thereby increasing considerably the regions future economic prospects. In addition, a number of bilateral and multilateral technical assistance programmes in up to date years have sought to increase Angolas meaningful participation in WTO and diversify the regions trade. For example, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has funded a number of activities to increase Angolan governments capacity in the telecommunications area and in dealing with other WTO-related subjects. At the same time, some Angolan governments have recognised the importance of participating more actively in the work of the WTO in Geneva. As a result, developed and developing countries have joined together in proposals to have the WTO trade ministers at their meeting in Seattle in November 1999 and call for the WTO to improve and expand its technical assistance programmes for developing countries. Liability Reduction In the area of liability relief, international pressure has been mounting to expand the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in Angola. Launched by the World Bank and the IMF in 1996, the programme aims to provide exceptional liability relief assistance to forty-one eligible countries that are pursuing transforms, eighty-five percent of which are in Angola, according to the IMF.(Katsouris, 1998) Although to date, only two Angolan states, Uganda and Mozambique, have benefited from the HIPC Initiative (with a twenty percent and a two-thirds reduction of their respective debts), Burkina Faso, Cote d Ivoire, and Mali are scheduled to receive actual liability reduction in the next three years, according to the ECA. At the June 1999 Cologne Summit, the G-7 reached accord on the enhanced HIPC liability relief initiative. This scheme will provide faster, broader, and deeper relief for HIPC countries. The agreed enhancements to the HIPC Initiative accept, almost entirely, President Clintons proposals, as laid out during his address to the U.S.-Angola Ministerial in March 1999. The new HIPC will include a requirement to use savings from liability reduction to provide increased spending on social needs and human development. The $90 billion of liability reduction will require additional resources from the creditor governments and the international financial institutions. Under the proposal, up to 10 million ounces of the IMFs 104 million ounces of gold reserves would be sold in phases, with investment interest used to reduce the liability load of thirty-three poor countries in Angola. Paralleling the HIPC Initiative are unilateral and bilateral efforts that support faster and broader reduction of Angolas liability. For example, in March of 1999, the Clinton administration announced a new U.S. initiative that, if fully implemented, would amount to an additional $70 billion in liability cancellation for the heavily indebted poor countries. The Presidents initiative provides for (1) a focus on early cash flow relief by the international financial institutions, (2) complete forgiveness of bilateral concessional loans and ninety percent forgiveness of non-concessional liability, (3) a future international commitment to make at least ninety percent of new aid on a grant basis, and (4) the channelling of resources from the HIPC Initiative into education or environmental protection projects. In addition, on September 29, 1999, President Clinton announced at the IMF/World Bank annual meeting that he will seek legislative authorisation to forgive 100 percent of the liabilit y of HIPC countries owed to the United States when relief will help finance basic human needs. Regional Economic Integration and Globalisation A growing number of Angolan leaders appear to recognise the potential benefits of increased economic cooperation and have been supporting efforts at economic integration. Although many of the Angolan regional economic organisations, such as SADC, COMESA, WAEMU, and ECOWAS, have existed for a long time, only recently have these regional groupings taken vital steps toward the creation of free trade areas. The creation of larger integrated Angolan markets should result in enhanced opportunities for foreign and domestic investment, greater competition among firms, better utilisation and allocation of resources, internal and external economies of scale, and increased efficiency resulting from specialisation. Further, by enhancing trade among themselves as well as diversifying and expanding their production base, Angolan states stand to increase trade with other regions as well, thereby increasing the countrys share of international trade. The United States and international organisations have been supporting Angolas economic integration efforts. At the March 1999 Ministerial Meeting on Angola in Washington, D.C., the United States reaffirmed its continuing commitment to providing technical assistance to Angolas economic integration organisations such as EAC, SADC, IGAD, and COMESA and announced plans for extending that support to a greater number of regional groupings. Bilateral cooperation between the United States and SADC has been expanding over the last several years, a development highlighted by the first ever SADC-U.S. forum held in mid-April, 1999, in Botswana, where officials announced plans for the future establishment of a joint Business Council that would facilitate permanent dial E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola ABSTRACT In this report as the title tells, I approach the economic development of Angola in terms of one of its major developer, the internet and ecommerce. I have done this because it is often impossible to glean important facts and insights about such countries which a society pronounces poor or third world. In the chapters that follow, I will relate to the ecommerce and its effect of economic development of Angola, compare Angola with a developing country as well as with an underdeveloped nation. Firstly economic development is discussed in relation to electronic commerce in order to show the complexities and ease related to drawing a clear line between the two forms. Secondly economic development is discussed in relation to ecommerce, economy, culture, elements which influence the issue in one way or another. For, as shall be repeatedly seen, problems like economic support from a developed state have a close and continuing relation to the values and social structures which a society regards as stable and normal. My emphasis will be, however, on the problem itself, called ecommerce and its effect on the economic development of Angola. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Electronic Commerce Electronic commerce, generally identified as (electronic marketing) e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems for example the Internet and other computer networks. The total of trade conducted electronically has grown unusually with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online deal processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the deals lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well. (Miller, 2002) Internet Ecommerce The previous ten years have seen the internet and e-commerce surface as fundamental features of our business, communal and educational life. Developments for example Web 2.0, the semantic web, e-government strategies, user generated content, virtual worlds and online social networks have redesign the way we commune, intermingle and transact. The Evolution of Electronic Commerce The numerous means in which business is carried out are based on established suppositions and accords between the parties concerned. Numerous procedures have been agreed upon to safeguard both the consumer and the merchant from deception or theft. Even in the simplest form of dealcash changing hands directly between buyer and sellera sales receipt is classically provided as a record of what turned out. As we move into the electronic business field, the means of protection become more and more concerned. The essence of ecommerce is buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet. The advantages are fairly self-evident. Because the Internet is readily accessible by millions of prospective customers worldwide, suppliers and customers can interact in a dynamic environment where supply and demand truly regulate the economic cycle. Organisations of any size, from sole proprietorships to multinational corporations, can expand their business to reach new customers in new markets, some even achieving a notable level of efficiency. The sole proprietor is able to broaden the scope of his/her business to a mass market approach, while the multinational corporation can now focus on niche markets heretofore considered too costly to access using the traditional mechanisms for market penetration. (Austin, 1999) Further study discloses some specific downsides to the Internet business paradigm. What you basically have is computers (presumably being operated by humans) trading responsive financial data by means of a widely-available communications infrastructure. Unexpectedly the matters of accountability (being able to attribute a deal to the actual instigator) and accountability (attributing responsibility to each participant for their part of the deal) become more vital than ever. A lot of propaganda has been generated over the initial incursions into electronic commerce. It seems ubiquitously we turn someone is singing the praises of electronic catalogues, online shopping, electronic check writing, web-based advertising and customer prospecting, and on and on. The truly brave can even purchase a car over the Internet. But these consumer-oriented business activities taking place on the Internet today are just the tip of the iceberg. From the perspective of true international commerce, we have not yet begun to do business electronically. Infrastructure of Ecommerce The main issue that requires to be dealt with before electronic commerce can convey on its assurance is the development of an international infrastructure that all of the main players can be in agreement upon. In most circles this infrastructure is called the International Information Infrastructure (GII). This electronic infrastructure must make available all of the compensations needed for a healthy e-commerce strategy: Â § Security-enabled. This is essential to permit development of convenient solutions which provide accountabilityknowing the real who in a deal. Beyond that, the ability to impute liability to any and all parties concerned in completing a deal is a must for business. For suppliers, e-commerce will be about establishing the identity of the individuals who represent the parties concerned. It means that all participants have a confident reliance on users identity, while holding each party liable to perform their role in the deal. (Jacobsen, 2000) Â § Ultra-reliable. In electronic commerce, transactions take place without those worried ever meeting in person, and that implies the need for a technology presentation and dependability factor of 99.99%, especially for mission-vital applications. An infrastructure must be reliable and trusted on a continuous basis. Any weak connection in its safety measures will deliver the whole impracticable for serious electronic commerce. Â § International. Electronic business cannot be restricted to the country of origin. As we progress into the future, e-commerce must transcend national boundaries. We need an absolute e-commerce infrastructure. To be really effectual, e-commerce providers will need an infrastructure which is international in its nature, or recognise that electronic business is closed by national boundaries. Distinct from the international mass user and point solutions-based Internet market of today, large organisations are becoming critically attentive that they will need to manage accountability and liability in providing any significant level of customer security, especially with end-user customers, but especially in business between themselves in their interactions with employees, partners and suppliers. (Jacobsen, 2000) After two decades of declining economic performance, Angola is currently staging a promising revival. Over the past several years, average real economic expansion in the region has increased vitally while, in a growing number of countries, real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has been positive. In 1998, despite financial turmoil in Asia and Latin America, Angola enjoyed its fourth consecutive year of positive GDP expansion. Nevertheless, Angolas current economic revival remains fragile. Up to date expansion has not yet reached the sustained levels that are essential to alleviate widespread poverty endemic to the region. A number of hurdles still need to be effectively addressed and overcome if the transform process and current revival are to lead to broad-based and sustainable development for Angola. Furthermore, conditions vary widely among the forty-eight states of Angola and this diversity must be taken into account in assessing the countrys prospects. Fortunately, as this article seeks to demonstrate, there are reasons to be optimistic that many Angolan states can overcome the remaining hurdles to sustained expansion. A new generation of Angolan leaders and entrepreneurs and current developments in the areas of private sector expansion, debt relief, regional economic integration, and telecommunications have the potential to economic expansion in means not heretofore anticipated. Regional Transformation And Economic Revival Angolas up to date economic performance has indeed been encouraging. Between 1990 and 1997, the number of Angolan states registering annual expansion rates of three to six percent nearly doubled, from fourteen in the beginning of the decade to twenty-six in 1997, while seven Angolan states had expansion rates of six to eight percent. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), after almost two decades of stagnation and decline, real GDP in Angola was growing at an average rate in 1997 of four to five percent a year. The World Bank reported that over eighty percent of countries (thirty-eight out of forty-eight) registered increased per capita incomes in 1997, as their rates of economic expansion exceeded their population expansion rate. (World Bank Group, 1998) According to the most up to date data, 1998 was the fourth consecutive year that GDP per capita did not fall, an event that has not happened in Angola since the late 1970s,(Department Of Econ. Soc. Affairs Unite d Nations Conference On Trade Dev., 1999) while the 3.3% expansion in 1998 GDP was the highest among all regions of the world. (Economic Soc. Poly Div., Economic Commn For Afr., 1999) Increased macroeconomic stabilitya result of sound financial and political policieshas been encouraging increased levels of investment in the region over the past several years. Average inflation fell from a peak of forty-five percent in 1994 to an estimated twelve percent in 1998, with only fifteen Angolan states still experiencing double-digit inflation rates by 1997, compared with thirty-five in 1994, according to the IMF. There has also been a vital reduction in internal and external financial imbalances. The average external current account deficit (before grants) fell from 5.5% of GDP to 4% over the same period, while the average overall fiscal deficit (again before grants) was halved between 1992 and 1997, to about 4.5% of GDP.(Calamitsis, 1998) As a result, investment in the region has been steadily growing, according to the IFCs 1998 report. In 1998, gross domestic investment rose to twenty-three percent of GDP, from lows of about fifteen percent in the early 1990s. Private investment has also increased, registering 10.6% of GDP in 1996, the highest level since 1981. Long-term private capital flows to Angola in 1997 reached $8 billion, twice as high as in the previous year. Along with investment levels, Angolan trade and export earnings have increased. While Angolas share of total world trade has not changed, the volume of Angolan exports is expanding almost as fast as international trade and Angola is emerging as a viable international trading partner. Angolas trade volume increased by eight percent in 1997, according to UN s, with exports having expanded roughly twice as fast as GDP in up to date years. The regions up to date expansion has been widely attributed to the efforts of a new generation of transform-minded Angolan leaders in key countries who, through the adoption of democratic and market-based transforms, have made substantial progress in moving their countries toward political and macroeconomic stability. Many Angolan states continue to implement trade liberalisation and privatisation programmes that are freeing up their markets and helping them to become more active participants in international commercial activity and economic progress. In such a positive political and economic environment, private sector led trade and investment can now play an increasingly important role in bringing broad-based expansion and sustainable development to the region. Some countries in Angola have already begun to reap the rewards that can result from sounder fiscal and monetary policies, increased regional economic integration, and accelerated privatisation programmes. Chief among the rewards is expanded trade, investment, and access to the international marketplace, as international companies increasingly look to Angolas emerging economies and Angolan entrepreneurs and private sector organisations seek to play a more visible role in the economies of their countries. These trends suggest that the growing private sector in Angola has real potential to become an important engine for expansion and economic development in the region, as it has already in other regions of the developing world. Investment And Expansion Despite the up to date positive economic trends and expansion of the private sector in Angola, as we enter the new millennium, sustained, broad-based economic development in the region remains one of the most formidable policy challenges facing the country. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Angola (ECA), in order for Angola to cut its poverty in half by the year 2015, a development objective often cited by Angolan governments and their development partners, the region as a whole would require a yearly GDP expansion rate of seven percent. For this to happen, an investment of thirty-three percent of GDP would be needed for Angola as a whole. Achieving domestic investment of thirty-three percent looks increasingly unlikely, as two of the three components of domestic investment are declining or stagnant. While the regions current domestic savings rate is only estimated at fifteen percent, annual inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) remain low, and the levels o f official development assistance of up to date years are declining. The renewed expansion in many countries has not yet reached, let alone been sustained at, levels that would alleviate the widespread poverty endemic to the region. The great majority of the regions population continues to live at levels well below the poverty line, with forty percent living on less than one dollar a day, according to the World Bank. (The World Bank Group, 1999) Furthermore, the globalisation phenomenon, which has been highlighted by growing economic integration and rapid technological change, has often meant increased prosperity for those countries able to compete in an increasingly integrated international economy, but steady decline and marginalisation for those not able to compete. Still, too many countries have remained largely on the sidelines, saddled by debt and relying primarily on foreign assistance for many of their development needsat a time when such assistance is on the decline. Among the current obstacles to reaching levels of expansion that will bring broad-based development to the region, the following three matters pose particularly vital challenges: (1) the uncertain future of the transform process, (2) Angolas debt burden, and (3) the regions limited participation in the international trading system. A Delaying Transformation Although more than thirty countries have launched political and economic transform programmes over the last decade, the transform process has not been uniform across the country. Angolan leaders in some countries have been unwilling or unable to implement transform programmes, sometimes as a result of political or civil instability. In other countries, the difficulties or costs of transform have threatened to undermine the process and raise the possibility that a country could abandon the process before it has had sufficient time to bear fruit. For example, Zimbabwe has only recently re-instituted some protectionist measures, including increased duties and exchange restrictions in response to mounting foreign exchange pressures. Moreover, trade regimes in many Angolan states remain complex and restrictive compared with those of most other developing countries. Such regimes isolate their domestic producers and prevent them from becoming more fully integrated into the international tra ding system. In addition, the privatisation process has been sluggishthe victim of public mistrust and a lack of consensus among policymakers. In an up to date World Bank study that shed light on the problems of privatisation in Angola, the lack of political commitment, poor design, insufficient resources, weak management, and corruption were cited as major factors inhibiting the process. The report highlighted the need for Angolan governments to improve public information as the most powerful tool for ensuring transparency, helping to build consensus, and assuring commitment and accountability in the process. (White Bhatia, 1998) Poor economic environments and policies in some countries have also inhibited increased trade and investment. These conditions have caused rampant inflation and high interest rates and have prevented Angolan policymakers from fully abandoning foreign exchange controls and other restrictions. Earlier that year, Botswana became the first and only country in Angola to abolish all forms of exchange controls, (Steyn, 1999) while in some countries, inflation continues to lead to debilitating currency crisis. In Malawi, for example, inflation is now hovering at around 53% (up from 18.5% recorded at the same period in 1998), an indicator that the currency may need to be devalued yet again, after a devaluation of 67% in 1998. (Pan Angolan News Agency, 1999) Continued volatility in the Angolan market environment underlines the need for continued success in the transform process. The Liability Burden In addition to delaying transform, Angolas external liability burden continues to be a major obstacle to investment and further expansion, particularly in the highly indebted poor countries. Many Angola economies are unusually indebted with an average of twenty percent of GDP going directly to liability servicing, according to UNCTAD. (Sachs Stevens, 1998) In 1998, liability service increased to $35 billion, or more than thirty-one percent of goods and nearly three percent of service exports, up from $33 billion in 1997. The external liability of Angolan states rose moderately from $349 billion in 1998, according to the ECA. As a proportion of exports and GDP, the external liability of Angola is the highest of any developing region. Not only does Angolas liability deter private investment, including foreign direct investment, but it also impedes public investment in physical and human infrastructureinvestment vital to a countrys economic development. The IMF estimated that, by the end of 1999, Angolas liability to GDP ratio would rise to almost sixty-eight percent, up from fifty-two percent two years earlier. (International Monetary Fund, 1998) The region will continue to be crippled by mounting liability, draining it of needed resources that could otherwise be invested back into the regions economy, unless there is more rapid and effective liability relief matched with sustained expansion. Angola in the International Trading System and International Economy Angola is currently facing growing marginalisation in the international economy with its share of international production and trade in decline. Despite rising levels of Angolan domestic production and trade volumes over the last several years, the countrys share of international trade has continued to declineit was less than two percent in 1997. If the region is to gain an economic foothold and develop into the next century, it must attract more investment and trade, and become a more competitive trading partner in the new international economic system. Increasing commitments to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other regional accords thereby becoming a more active participant in the international trading systemis one way for Angola to attract investment and trade. The Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations resulted in the creation of a stronger set of rules governing international trade and the creation of the WTO, the successor to the General Accords on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Unfortunately, many countries in Angola were generally unable and unprepared to effectively participate in the negotiations and, partly as a result, have not been able to take advantage of the new international trading system. Although eighty-five percent of Angolan states are currently members of the WTO, limited trained staff and other pressing needs prevent many of them from active participation in WTO developments, further trade negotiations, and implementation of existing Uruguay Round accords. In addition, they have as yet been unable to take full advantage of numerous unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral preferential trading schemes designed to help expand access for Angolas products and integrate Angolas economies into the world trading system. The region is more likely to reap a larger share of international production and trade if it more actively participates in and undertakes meaningful commitments in the international trade organisation that is fostering the expansion of world trade. Road To Further Expansion And Sustainable Development In light of the existing challenges, what measures now need to be pursued to address these constraints and consolidate and build on the gains Angolas transformers have made over the past several years? According to Evangelos A. Calamitsis, former Director of the Angolan Department of the International Monetary Fund, the present economic upswing in Angola, unlike other recoveries in the past, has been largely homegrown and is therefore more likely to continue. However, Angolas present revival is most likely to endure if Angolan leaders can sustain and broaden the process toward transform and capitalise on several areas of strength that are breathing new life into the debate on private sector expansion and economic development. Staying the Road to Transformation Although outside the scope of this article, developments in Angolan states that are not counted as leading transformers can greatly influence the overall prospects for expansion on the country. For example, the fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in Angola can have a negative impact on the investment climate in neighbouring countries. On the other hand, the return of civilian rule in Nigeria and the prospects of better economic management can do a great deal to bolster investor confidence in the economic prospects for the country as a whole. Angolan leaders need to continue the political and economic transform process and encourage its spread to those countries that have not yet undertaken transforms. Many Angolan leaders have already demonstrated that they understand what needs to be done and have initiated the process. Still, the process must continue. If the region is to achieve high-quality and sustained expansionexpansion that will lead to poverty reduction and broad-based developmentin the years ahead, the transform process must be revitalised so that the changes become inexorably woven into the regions economic fabric. By continuing to implement sound fiscal and monetary policies and by accelerating the privatisation and trade liberalisation process, Angolan states will be proving to the international business community that Angola is serious about transform and ready and willing to do business. Despite up to date turbulence in the international economic environment, most Angolan states have resisted protectionist pressures. Their commitment to continue trade liberalisation highlights a general recognition among Angolas economic policymakers that increased trade has beenand will continue to bea key to expansion. In addition, Angolas growing participation in the WTO and regional trading arrangements by institutionalising policy transforms and binding lower tariffs and other trade liberalising measures can help to prevent countries from resorting to protectionist measures in the future. Role of Angolas Development Partners Angolas developed trade partners and the international financial institutions must continue to support regional transform if the process is to be sustainable. While Angolan states retain primary ownership and responsibility, for the process, the international community can support their efforts by (1) pursuing policies that promote world economic expansion and financial stability and expand the regions access to international markets, (2) providing meaningful liability relief, (3) continuing to supply technical and financial assistance to countries committed to transform, and (4) assisting Angolas regional economic groupings. Several up to date bilateral and multilateral initiatives demonstrate the commitment of some developed countries to support the regions up to date economic progress. While early speculation as to the potential impact of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations on the least-developed Angolan states was largely pessimistic following the Rounds conclusion, up to date bilateral and multilateral efforts are focusing on helping Angola take advantage of specific areas where it actually stands to gain as a result of the Round. According to an up to date report by the United States International Trade Commission on the Uruguay Round and U.S.-Angola trade flows, [t]hese gains can range from facing fewer restrictions and lower tariffs overall, affecting all WTO members, to specific market-access provisions that may benefit Angola in particular.(U.S. Intl Trade Commission, 1998) Efforts are also underway to expand existing preferential trading schemes like those under the Lome Convention and the U.S. Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme. For example, the Angolan Expansion and Opportunity Act (AGOA), now before the U.S. Congress, extends GSP to eligible Angolan beneficiary countries through June 30, 2008. In addition, the legislationas passed by the Housewould authorise the President to extend duty-free treatment under the GSP programme to all imports from transforming Angolan beneficiary countries, including those now considered to be import-sensitive. The changes to the GSP programme would support Angolas transformers by allowing their products increased access to international markets and would help to further integrate Angola into the international trading system, thereby increasing considerably the regions future economic prospects. In addition, a number of bilateral and multilateral technical assistance programmes in up to date years have sought to increase Angolas meaningful participation in WTO and diversify the regions trade. For example, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has funded a number of activities to increase Angolan governments capacity in the telecommunications area and in dealing with other WTO-related subjects. At the same time, some Angolan governments have recognised the importance of participating more actively in the work of the WTO in Geneva. As a result, developed and developing countries have joined together in proposals to have the WTO trade ministers at their meeting in Seattle in November 1999 and call for the WTO to improve and expand its technical assistance programmes for developing countries. Liability Reduction In the area of liability relief, international pressure has been mounting to expand the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in Angola. Launched by the World Bank and the IMF in 1996, the programme aims to provide exceptional liability relief assistance to forty-one eligible countries that are pursuing transforms, eighty-five percent of which are in Angola, according to the IMF.(Katsouris, 1998) Although to date, only two Angolan states, Uganda and Mozambique, have benefited from the HIPC Initiative (with a twenty percent and a two-thirds reduction of their respective debts), Burkina Faso, Cote d Ivoire, and Mali are scheduled to receive actual liability reduction in the next three years, according to the ECA. At the June 1999 Cologne Summit, the G-7 reached accord on the enhanced HIPC liability relief initiative. This scheme will provide faster, broader, and deeper relief for HIPC countries. The agreed enhancements to the HIPC Initiative accept, almost entirely, President Clintons proposals, as laid out during his address to the U.S.-Angola Ministerial in March 1999. The new HIPC will include a requirement to use savings from liability reduction to provide increased spending on social needs and human development. The $90 billion of liability reduction will require additional resources from the creditor governments and the international financial institutions. Under the proposal, up to 10 million ounces of the IMFs 104 million ounces of gold reserves would be sold in phases, with investment interest used to reduce the liability load of thirty-three poor countries in Angola. Paralleling the HIPC Initiative are unilateral and bilateral efforts that support faster and broader reduction of Angolas liability. For example, in March of 1999, the Clinton administration announced a new U.S. initiative that, if fully implemented, would amount to an additional $70 billion in liability cancellation for the heavily indebted poor countries. The Presidents initiative provides for (1) a focus on early cash flow relief by the international financial institutions, (2) complete forgiveness of bilateral concessional loans and ninety percent forgiveness of non-concessional liability, (3) a future international commitment to make at least ninety percent of new aid on a grant basis, and (4) the channelling of resources from the HIPC Initiative into education or environmental protection projects. In addition, on September 29, 1999, President Clinton announced at the IMF/World Bank annual meeting that he will seek legislative authorisation to forgive 100 percent of the liabilit y of HIPC countries owed to the United States when relief will help finance basic human needs. Regional Economic Integration and Globalisation A growing number of Angolan leaders appear to recognise the potential benefits of increased economic cooperation and have been supporting efforts at economic integration. Although many of the Angolan regional economic organisations, such as SADC, COMESA, WAEMU, and ECOWAS, have existed for a long time, only recently have these regional groupings taken vital steps toward the creation of free trade areas. The creation of larger integrated Angolan markets should result in enhanced opportunities for foreign and domestic investment, greater competition among firms, better utilisation and allocation of resources, internal and external economies of scale, and increased efficiency resulting from specialisation. Further, by enhancing trade among themselves as well as diversifying and expanding their production base, Angolan states stand to increase trade with other regions as well, thereby increasing the countrys share of international trade. The United States and international organisations have been supporting Angolas economic integration efforts. At the March 1999 Ministerial Meeting on Angola in Washington, D.C., the United States reaffirmed its continuing commitment to providing technical assistance to Angolas economic integration organisations such as EAC, SADC, IGAD, and COMESA and announced plans for extending that support to a greater number of regional groupings. Bilateral cooperation between the United States and SADC has been expanding over the last several years, a development highlighted by the first ever SADC-U.S. forum held in mid-April, 1999, in Botswana, where officials announced plans for the future establishment of a joint Business Council that would facilitate permanent dial

Iago’s Scheming in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- Othello essays

Iago’s Scheming in Othello  Ã‚   Iago is a powerful predator who exploits those around him by infecting their perceptions of truth with carefully chosen fallacy. His skill in finding the proverbial chinks in others' armor allows him to skillfully weave his machinations of destroying Othello into their minds and actions; by manipulating character's perceptions of Desdemona, Iago gains the leverage he needs to exploit each character. No one is impervious to Iago's seething purpose; even Othello falls prey to Iago's suggestions and insinuations about Desdemona. Iago's constant presence as the stager, as well as his ceaseless - but subtle - reinforcement of events through narration, allows him to be the pivotal force that directs Shakespeare's Othello. In the opening scene, Iago provokes Brabantio against Othello by means of his pawn, Roderigo, and constantly stages the scene, ensuring that everything goes according to his plan. Iago realizes that Brabantio is very susceptible to attacks on his daughter; Iago uses Roderigo as a dummy, through whom he makes such antagonizing claims: "An old black ram / is tupping your white ewe" and "your daughter and the Moor are now / making the beast with two backs" (1.1.90, 121). By inflaming Brabantio's protective nature as a father, Iago directs Brabantio's wrath towards Othello while using Roderigo as a front. Iago successfully bends an unwitting Brabantio to the common goal of destroying Othello. The climax of Iago's power occurs during Iago's successful attempts to convince Othello - against the poor Moor's better judgment - that Desdemona fails to be loyal and that Othello differs too greatly from his fellow citizens to be a part of the Venetianworld. Iago craftily inflames Othel... ... that Iago felt compelled to engineer to perfection and totality; and once Iago's plan falls short of his mark, his pawns grow out of his control and finally expose his dark scheming. Fragility permeates Iago's liminal existence and, as shown, he has to be omnipresent in order to execute and oversee every aspect of his plan. His ambition leads to his downfall; modest desires for revenge blossom into extravagant and uncontrollable machinations which necessitate the deaths of all those involved. Iago finds it impossible to manipulate everyone at every moment, and for this sole reason, fails to bring his plan into full fruition. Work Cited William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice (from Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, sixth edition. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.      

James Dean

A Rebel With A Cause â€Å"Wash the dishes, and clean your room. Be home by 7:00, don’t be late. Study, study, study. † We have all heard these words uttered from the authoritative lips of our parents sometime in our life, however, these days most teenagers aren’t afraid to disobey their parents by responding with, â€Å"no. † James Dean was one of the first people to defy the strict rules of parents, and he did so on screen for the entire nation. Some sources claim that he is a label; a label that is intended for the sole purpose of resisting authority.He is not a label, rather more of an icon used to show that in certain circumstances it is okay to disobey the various rules that society has unwillingly placed upon us. Whether it be in black and white, or vibrant colors, the emotions in this picture speak loud enough for color not to be an issue. People perceive Dean as â€Å"trapped,† and after gathering some background information about him and h is career, I can clearly see why he is portrayed as this. His career peaked for three years, and then abruptly came to an end. However, for those three years Dean had to be everything that America wanted to see and idolize.Cameras surrounded him 24/7, paparazzi always wanted a comment from him, and fans simply couldn’t get enough. In the photograph that I have attached, it is as if Dean is trying to keep a hold on himself and his emotions; trying not to get too caught up in the crazy world he had been thrown in to. The â€Å"Torn Sweater† series was taken by photographer Roy Schatt. Schatt told Dean to pose as if he was trying to escape something that comes from within, a feeling perhaps, that only he himself is aware of – hence the attempt at tearing his sweater off.It is ironic in a sense that he’s standing in front of a camera, completely alone with a solid background looking into the distance. Being in front of a camera he had grown completely accusto med to, but he was never alone, and the background of his life is more chaotic than just a solid color. Dean is pictured gazing into a vastness that only he could imagine, imagining his life on the complete opposite end of the spectrum that he ended up being on. Even with his fame and stage-presence, Dean was an average guy who struggled to trying to get by with life.It is possible I’m biased due to myself being a teenager, struggling to get through this crazy thing we call life that I am able to relate to him. This photo stands out to teenagers in the sense that not everyone is perfect, nor knows how to be. At this time period, for many American teenagers, it must have been difficult to stand up to parents, and disobey the overbearing rules they had set-in-stone. Dean gave inspiration to them to stick up for what they believe in, regardless of the fact that they are younger and seen as less knowledgeable.Some people may know Dean from various old-time movies. He starred in E ast of Eden, Giant, and is most recognized for his rebellious character in Rebel Without a Cause. He was considered a good actor in the 1950s for the diverse character roles he took part in, and of course for his legendary sex-appeal. For half a century, he has captured the world with his casual style, fearless look, and rebel attitude. James Dean has defied the essence of â€Å"cool† and â€Å"without-a-cause† for generations.Rebel Without a Cause may be one of the most famous due to the fact that Dean got into a fatal car accident on September 30 1955, one month before the release date. Dean wasn’t only a sexy symbol of rebellion, he represented an every-day teenager that goes through social issues without having a clear direction for his life. In Rebel Without a Cause, he was shown as a delinquent in an urban slum. It is the story of a rebellious teenager who arrives at a new school, falls for the girlfriend of a school jock, and disobeys his parents trying t o defy the meat-head’s bulling.The directors of the movie casted him as a rebel, realizing that his attractive, edgy self would appeal to many teens being as they can relate. Dean was a product of this 1950s ideology. Percieving Dean as a good guy, desperately wanting to do the right thing, yet constantly getting caught up in doing the wrong, was appealing to teenagers around the entire nation. Teens didn’t challenge their parents rules back then, they listened to their elders, and did as they were told. People who did backlash and resist the authority were considered outlaws, who would never be successful.Making this movie and being allowed to see the inside world of a â€Å"true† rebel was one of the first opportunities both teens and parents had to see the two sides of a story. Dean’s performance spoke powerfully on behalf of teenagers going through this type of scenario themselves, and gave them a hero they could admire and respect. In today’s society, arguing with parents, or going against the rules trying to break the idea of a norm isn’t unusual. Yet, in the era that this movie was made, it was extremely against anything society really knew.The case isn’t about whether teens should, or shouldn’t argue, it’s the fact of respecting elders so much. His movies, all three of them, show that it isn’t necessarily bad to stick up for what you believe in whether you’re younger than the opposing factors or not. Going against society in ways that not a lot of people were brave enough to endure was something that really stood out, and made him recognizable for decades to come. Being a super-star is something that ordinary people like myself can only dream about.Not necessarily dream as in wanting it so badly it hurts, but dreaming in the sense that living the life of a celebrity would be such an out-of-body experience. Dealing with cameras constantly on a day-to-day basis isn’t some thing that I could put up with. Sure, all the money and fame would be nice for maybe a year or so, by eventually a person reaches a point where privacy is more important than materialistic items. Getting to know someone through the media could possibly be the worst way to get the true story. In pictures, you only get to see one thing, one significant moment that happened to be captured by someone’s Kodak.Gathering background information and searching a little deeper into something that interests you is really beneficial not only for yourself, but also the someone who is getting perceived as a single story. One of his most famous quotes is â€Å"Dream as if you’ll life forever. Live as if you’ll die today. † That’s exactly what he succeeded in doing in his life. â€Å"James Dean lived fast – and died young. † (Gilmore 32. ) Although his life was cut short by an unexpected car crash that ended up being fatal, Dean established a name for himself within the few years that he was an actor.That is astonishing. He has an outrageous amount of fans, and still continues to become known throughout the world today. Works Cited Gilmore, John. ^ John GiLive Fast – Die Young: Remembering the Short Life of Ja. New York City: Thunder's Mouth, 1998. Print. Herndon, Venable. James Dean: a short life. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1974. Print. Hofstede, David. James Dean: a bio-bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 1996. Print. Springer, Claudia. James Dean Transfigured: the Many Faces of Rebel Iconography. Austin: University of Texas, 2007. Print.

Martin Luther and His Impact on the Modern Church Essay

Western Europe was in desperate need of change during the sixteenth century. The popular cry among the Europeans was a call for â€Å"reform†. The political atmosphere was unstable as a result of violent leadership changes during the dismantling of the feudal system. This disunity of the people created a general atmosphere among the Europeans of discontent, unrest, and frustration. Economically, the inhabitants experienced increased poverty and financial troubles. The church was severely plagued by greed and corruption among the clergy, even in the upper echelons. The spiritual quality of the clergy was being degraded through the appointment of familial or political candidates. The theological minds, like Martin Luther’s, sought a reformation of church doctrine and a return to the basics of Christianity. The emphasis placed on Luther’s doctrine of justification and scriptural authority helped to reform church traditions and break the binding hold of corrupt leade rs over the church. The sixteenth century was a tumultuous time for Western Europe and the Church. Many Europeans were fraught with worry concerning the economical, religious, and social disorder. As the printing press became popular, the middle and lower classes were being flooded with information that had previously been unavailable; several competing doctrines were being given a voice through printed media. Previously, people would turn to religious institutions for hope and guidance amidst this type of chaos. However, the state of the church in the sixteenth century was fragile. This is due in part to the effects of the Great Schism in the fourteenth century. â€Å"[The Great Schism] divided the political, as well as the ecclesiastical world, and breaks up the Christian Europe into several hostile camps†. The Great Schism was a result of a gradual decline along political and theological lines. Prior to the Great Schism, the Papacy had risen to a level of prominence in the hearts and minds of Western European Christians. The Church controlled virtually every aspect of human life within Western Europe and the Pope was looked to as the authority on all matters; spiritual and secular. The Church possessed a large percentage of the region and had established one of the most efficient systems of government in history. At this time, theological justification for the supremacy of the papacy had been established under the principle of â€Å"the subordination of the state to the church† by Pope Innocent III. However, in Eastern Europe, the Pope was more of a foreign authority; available only when their own political leadership could not settle matters. The empire was recognized as the supreme power. They argued that unity for the citizens could only be realized through obedience to one authority; the empire. Since Christ had not given the authority of the state to the church, the church had no right to claim supremacy over the empire. Several religious leaders in the East sought to inhibit the power and authority of the Papacy. The climate of Europe was poised for division. The beginning of the division came in the form of the â€Å"Babylonian Captivity of the Church† that lasted from 1309 to 1377. During this period, the French King Phillip IV held Pope Boniface VIII captive, and sequestered the College Cardinals to Avignon. This would introduce a reign of corruption among the French papacy and introduce a dividing line between European Christians; one side supporting the French papacy and another side that opposed it. These factors led to a final cataclysmic event that earned the title â€Å"The Great Schism†. When Gregory IX, the final Avigonese pope, returned to Rome, the Church attempted to re-establish the papacy in its historic setting. Upon his death, the papacy faced a great challenge. Urban IV, an Italian pope, was elected at the urging of the local mob, while Clement VII, a Frenchman, claimed rights to the seat as well. This caused confusion over the authority of the church and division among political lines; England, Germany, I taly, and their allies support Urban IV, while France, Scotland, Spain, and their allies supported the â€Å"anti-pope† Clement VII. The Great Schism had a great effect on the faith and spirituality of the masses. There was a general feeling of distrust toward the Church and leadership. Even after the Great Schism had ended, â€Å"many found it difficult to reconcile their faith in the papacy with their distrust for its actual occupants†.Corruption and bribery were now commonplace among the upper level clergy; the practice of â€Å"the sale of indulgences† would even substitute for the process of salvation. Morally, the church was failing the believers. However, there were other flaws within the church during the sixteenth century. At the end of the fifteenth century, Western Europe had been flooded with literature from divergent theological schools of thought. â€Å"New philosophical outlooks were introduced†. Mysticism and humanism were now beginning to replace the previously solid scholastic theology of the church. Supporters of Reform were calling for a change of the traditional practices. It is in this context with which Martin Luther was influenced during the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Martin Luther grew up in an austere environment in Germany in the 1500’s. As a young adult, Luther entered the monastery out of concern for his own salvation. He thought, â€Å"’Oh, if I go into a monastery, and serve God in shaven crown and cowl, he will reward and welcome’†. Luther began a diligent study of theology during his time at the Augustinian Priory in Erfurt. He excelled intellectually and spiritually, though he experienced severe personal struggles. â€Å"He sought to work out his own salvation by careful observance of the monastic rule, constant confession, and self mortification†. This careful obedience to the monastic life was to no avail; Luther was plagued with despair at the thought of his sinfulness. Added to his frustrations, Luther had experienced disillusionment during his tenure at the monastery. The carnally minded clergy of Rome shocked him. â€Å"In Rome, the first sparks of doubt flew into his soul, which, perhaps, while he was unconscious of it, faintly glimmered, but which, with the first opportunity that might present itself, were destined to rise up into a flaming fire†. It is through these experiences that Luther would come to significant theological conclusions concerning the doctrine of justification by faith. These conclusions helped to spark a movement that would forever change the mindset of the Christian community. As Martin Luther continued his studies of scripture, he was tortured by the guilt of sin. â€Å"He was struck by the prayer of Psalm 31:1, ‘in thy righteousness deliver me’. But how could God’s righteousness deliver him? The righteousness of God was surely calculated rather to condemn the sinner than to save him†. His questions required him to review Paul’s’ doctrine of justification detailed in Romans. The doctrine of justification by faith is the basic message of God’s forgiveness towards the sin of man. Job pondered this question in the Old Testament; â€Å"How can a person be justified before God?† (Job 9:2, HCSB). Justification, then, is an act of grace by God, where he accepts the righteousness of Christ as our own by our faith in Christ. Paul comments that â€Å"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.† (Romans 1:16-16, HCSB) The righteousness of God now holds new meaning for Luther; the message of the gospel, or good news in Christ. The justice or righteousness of God does not mean punishment as Luther originally thought, but rather the imputation of God’s righteousness to the believer. The righteousness of God is imputed to the believer, even as the believer is a sinner, because of God’s grace and mercy. Essentially, as Christians we are both sinful and justified. God does not excuse or ignore the sin of man. However, God declares us as justified because of the sacrifice of Christ once we believe and trust in Him. Our faith is not the cause of justification, as if we are rewarded for faith. But rather, faith and justification are free gifts to sinners who accept them. Luther’s new revelation led him to a new way of thinking and preaching. His thoughts concluded that â€Å"I soon felt as if born again; as if I had found the gates of Paradise thrown wide open to me. Now I also looked upon the blessed Scriptures more reverently than in former times, and read them through rapidly† . This message of justification was received warmly by the masses. The western Europeans felt that Luther spoke to their condition, and increased their desire for reform. For Luther, the Word of God was of utmost importance and it helped him find the answers to the issues of salvation that overwhelmed him. In the mind of Martin Luther, the Word of God was more than the text of the Bible. â€Å"For the laws of the Bible become sweet unto us when we read and understand them, not only in books, but in the wounds of our precious Savior†. The word of God is essentially more than scriptural text; it is the revelation of God and the Word of God working together. In the primary sense we are told in John 1:1 that the Word of God is actually God himself. â€Å"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.† Here detailed, the Word of God is actually the personage of Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity. This means that when God speaks, He also acts. This is depicted in Genesis as the Word of God is involved in creation; God said, let there be†¦and there was. Christ, now God’s greatest action is also His greatest revelation; the victory of God through Christ. The Bible is the Word of God, not because it is infallible, but because in it we find Christ. The final authority of the Word of God is now realized in Christ. â€Å"Luther responded that it was neither the Church that had made the Bible, nor the Bible that had made the Church, but the gospel, Jesus Christ, that had made both the Bible and the Church. Final authority rest neither in the church nor in the Bible, but in the gospel, in the message of Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God incarnate†. Luther came to a transformative knowledge through his theological doctrines of justification by faith and the scriptural authority of the Word of God. His new emphasis greatly challenged the traditional views of the church. In sharing his knowledge, he penned ninety seven theses to stimulate debate about the theological traditions of the church. He expected to cause a stir, but the theses never received a wide circulation outside of the university. Luther pens another theses in response to the misrepresentation of doctrine by John Teztel, a German Dominican preacher. Tetzel, authorized by Pope Leo X, was responsible for the sale of indulgences in Germany. The sale of indulgences was the practice of granting absolution to a sinner through a monetary remuneration. Family members were also able to purchase an indulgence for the deceased. Pope Leo granted the authorization of the sale of indulgences with the conditions that half of the proceeds would be used by the papal coffers. The monies would then be used for the refurbishing of Rome; more specifically â€Å"the refurbishment of the great basilica that is now the pride of Roman Catholicism†. With righteous indignation, Luther refutes the practice of the sale of indulgences in his Ninety Five Theses. The sale of indulgences was popular at the time, though a theologically gray area. Luther believed that this practice was indicative of the loss of the foundational truths present in the gospel. Luther wrote the theses through his new mindset in the doctrine of justification by faith. Luther established that the sale of indulgences financially exploited the believer whereas salvation was intended to be a free gift from God. He also inadvertently challenged the authority of the Pope: â€Å"if it is true that the Pope is able to free souls from purgatory, he ought to use that power, not for trivial reasons such as the building of a church, but simply out of love, and freely†. With his nailing of the Ninety Five Theses on the door of the church in Wittenburg, on the Eve of All Saints, Luther is said to have sparked the Protestant Reformation Though the religious nature of the Reformation reverberated throughout Western Europe, there was a significant political aspect as well. Though Luther was nothing more than a friar, however, his text was an endangerment to the profits of the empire. The Emperor Maximillian wanted to silence the indignation of Luther. To the emperor’s chagrin, this could not be accomplished through Luther’s Augustinian Order; many of his fellow friars favored his teachings. The pope was forced to use an alternate method in commissioning Cardinal Cajetan to arrest Luther; an unfruitful undertaking. When Luther learned of Cajetan’s plans, he escaped back to Wittenburg to file an appeal with the general council. During this time he remained under the protection of Frederick the Wise, and attempted to gain support for his cause. Shortly following this, the Emperor Maximillian died. The Imperial Throne was vacant, and Pope Leo was searching for a candidate that he could control. Out of the three possibilities, he believed Frederick the Wise would help to balance the power in the region and allow Leo greater influence. Leo allowed the condemnation of Luther to be postponed. During this time, Luther gained the support of a colleague, Andrea von Karlstadt, at the University of Wittenburg who helped him to reform the schools theological curriculum. Karlstadt and Luther would enter into the academic debate with a shrewd theologian, John Eckk at the University of Leipzig in Ingerstoldt. It proved disastrous for Luther. His theological doctrine concerning the authority of scripture agreed with the findings an early theologian, John Huss, who had been declared a heretic. By agreeing with Huss, Luther, was therefore declared a heretic. This catalytic event began a series of struggles and triumphs for the Reformers. To his success, the debate with Eckk gained him support among humanists and the German nationals. Throughout Germany, and beyond, Luther’s protest began a movement in those who desired reform. Luther also ignited the ire of Charles V, the new emperor, with his seemingly heretical stance. Through a series of events, Luther was issued a papal bull that required the burning of his books and his excommunication. He burned this order in public, which prompted him to be brought before the Imperial Diet at Worms. It is here that Luther refuses the opportunity to recant and makes his boldest affirmation â€Å"My conscience is a prisoner of God’s Word. I cannot and will not recant, for to disobey one’s conscience is neither just nor safe. God help me. Amen†. The Reformation that Luther desired was a positive renewal of the church internally. However, Luther was unable to carry out the necessary steps to cement the reform movement. After the Diet of Worms, Luther retreated and Karlstadt was left to further the Reformation. Initially Luther was advocated the changes taking place, including the marriage of monks, the simplification of worship, and the abolition of mass for the dead. However, things soon began to spiral when rebellion broke out among the peasants. Luther never supported rebellious undertakings and urged a more peaceful solution, but to no avail. â€Å"Protestantism† would be blamed and it would create a division in the religious community; Protestants on one side, and Catholics on the other. The Protestant Reformation did not cause other reform movements, but would parallel them. Reform movements would spring up in various European states. In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli would be credited with the beginning of the reform movement. Zwingli was a pastor who would draw national attention by declaring many of the same theological doctrines as Martin Luther. He spoke out against the requirement of pilgrimages for salvation, and denounced the exploitation of the Swiss people at the hands of church leadership. Similar to Luther, Zwingli even spoke out against a seller of indulgences that had come to Zurich. The Swiss Reformation saw the New Testament as central to its program of renewal. Their main goal was the â€Å"restoration of biblical faith and practice†. This is where Zwingli held differing opinions than Luther and his followers. Zwingli believed that they should return to the ways of the New Testament and Christ. Zwingli agreed with Luther on several points, but they could not agree on predestination or the understanding of the sacrament. Concerning predestination, Zwingli saw it as a natural consequence of the all knowing nature of God. Luther though content to determine that salvation was the work of God, could not completely agree with Zwingli. This affected their understandings of the sacrament. â€Å"Zwingli dreaded a physical interpretation; Luther, on the contrary, dreaded the evaporation of the of the spiritual element of the sacrament of communion†. The religious community and the citizens of Western Europe were in a state of chaos during the sixteenth century. In desperate need of change, the Europeans called for reform against the traditions passed down from the medieval era. Through the revelations of Martin Luther concerning his doctrines of justification by faith and scriptural authority, the popular sentiment was organized into a movement that would of forever change the religious landscape of the West. Ultimately, a reformed Europe would be divided between the Catholic states of the south and the Protestant states of the north. From these efforts, several differing denominations would result that would inspire religious diversity and other reforms within the church. No longer would the believer be held to the sacrilegious traditions that had pervaded the papacy for over two centuries. Luther’s reformation was more than a â€Å"protest against the pope†; it [was] a positive and constructive renewal of the chu rch†.