U.s. Foreign Policy Towards Belarus - 1688 Words

To: Secretary of State John Kerry From: Rob Foglia, country desk officer of Belarus Re: Recommended U.S. foreign policy towards Belarus Date: October 12, 2014 Oppression in Belarus Breaking Free from Russia Belarus has the veil of a political stranglehold cast over it by the looming and neighboring Russia. Freedoms are non-existent, a tyrant maintains control over the country, and democracy is nowhere in sight. I have a few recommendations on how U.S. foreign policy towards Belarus can help fix many of these issues, and help direct the country towards Democracy. First, I will highlight some history on the so called ‘Republic† of Belarus to help put some context on the situation. Belarus became one of the first members of the†¦show more content†¦This led to elections in the early 1990’s, and Belarus declared itself independent in July 27th, 1990, and wrote a Declaration of State Sovereignty. The newly formed republic became primarily communist, mainly because of all the Russian integration that had already occurred. In 1994, The Republic of Belarus elected Alexander Lukashenko as the President of Belarus. He was officially reelected in 2001, 2006 and 2010. However, the United States (as well as other western Nations) does not recognize the results of the 2010 elections under which the Central Election Commission of Belarus declared Lukashenko president. This is because Western countries decried the election as a farce and an egregious affront to democracy and human rights. Many of Lukashenko’s opposition leaders had mysterious disappearances. The United States and the European Union called for the release of all imprisoned former candi dates, but took no further action except a travel ban on Lukashenko. By contrast, countries such as Syria, Russia, and China congratulated the re-elected incumbent. This is just a sample of the Dictatorship that is veiled as a Republic in Belarus. Transitioning into Democracy For a nation to truly be free, certain rights have to be available to the people. Freedom of speech, press, peaceful assembly, and religion are just a few of these things.

High Performance Teams - 2714 Words

In today’s business world, more and more organizations are moving away from the use of individual work assignments to a combination of manager-led and self-directing teams. These businesses are relying on groups of unique individuals to come together and work on a common goal with a shared purpose. The ultimate goal for these teams are to produce more than what the individuals could do separately. In order for those teams to accomplish this, they must become high performance teams. High performance teams consist of a small number of individuals with complementary skills, who are committed to a specific goal and mutually agree to hold each other accountable for their results. Those teams who make it to this level experience autonomy,†¦show more content†¦If it is a known fact that individuals tend to compare themselves to each other, then why are leaders in organizations so surprised that conflict, rivalry, or competition amongst team members occurs? Part of the reason is because while organizations have changed their thinking from an individualistic form of production to a collectivist form of teams, they have failed to change their form of recognition, incentives, motives, and culture to match. Organizations are promoting the idea of teams and working together for a common goal and purpose, all while offering incentives that are unchanged from the original idea of individual motivation and it is creating competition rather than the cooperation that they need for high performance teams (Beersma, Hollenbeck, Humphrey, Moon, Conlon, Ilgen, 2003). Unfortunately, there has been considerable controversy over the idea of competition and cooperation in teams. Some research shows that competition is beneficial, while others show that it creates the conflict organizations are trying to avoid. Therefore, it is important to examine the idea of competition and cooperation and seek to decide which is better to pursue. According to Scarborough (2012) one of the best qualities of business leaders or entrepreneurs is a competitive nature. So, ifShow MoreRelatedHigh-Performance Teams1225 Words   |  5 Pageshow a group can become a high-performance team. The purpose is also to examine the impact of demographic characteristics and cultural diversity on group behavior. This paper will illustrate how demographic characteristics and cultural diversity contribute to or detract from high-performance teams. High-Performance Teams A high-level of performance makes up the basis for groups and teams today. High-performance is a major focus for many organizations since group and teams have become more commonRead MoreHigh Performance Teams966 Words   |  4 PagesHigh Performance Teams Whether through sports, business, or family, nearly everyone has at one time or another has been part of a team. Teams are every where and if one plans on succeeding in business in today s workforce, they need to get used to it as it appears that teams are here to stay. Not every team though is productive. Very often teams end up performing poorly or result in internal conflict that gets out oh hand to the point that nothing gets done. Organizations both small and largeRead MoreEssay High Performance Teams701 Words   |  3 Pagesmanagers may be having in establishing self-directed, high-performing teams Some of the difficulties that managers may have when establishing self-directed, high- performance teams is that the team is not provided with a vision and directions. High performance teams are psychologically bound together by the team goals they work which help them to achieve their future aspirations. The manager is the team leader and should guide the team in the right direction. This vision can be articulatedRead MoreHigh Performance Team Essay1157 Words   |  5 Pageshow a team/group can become a high-performance team/group, examine the demographic characteristics and culture diversity and the impact on the team/group behavior. I will also describe how demographic characteristics and cultural diversity contribute to or detract from high-performance groups or teams. What is a team/group? A team/group is a group of people who form together to complete a mutual goal such as a presentation, paper, discussing a topic or creating a new design. How does a team/groupRead More High Performance Team Essay1586 Words   |  7 PagesHigh-Performance Team Abstract This paper will explain how a group within an organization becomes a high-performance team. It will also examine the impact of demographic characteristics and cultural diversity on group behavior. The paper will try to describe how demographic characteristics and cultural diversity contribute to, or detract from high-performance teams. Introduction There are a number of elements that are necessary for the creation of any team. These include: two or moreRead MoreDeveloping High Performance Team2374 Words   |  10 PagesDeveloping a High Performance Team Purpose: In today’s industries, companies demand a kind of responsiveness, speed, and quality that is beyond the reach of individual performance. High performance teams generate commitment and provide the structures that inspire employees to give their very best effort. Compared to employees working alone, teams make better decisions, products, and services. Companies rely on team’s ability to perform at high levels and quickly adapt to escalating demandsRead MoreGroups and High-Performance Teams1617 Words   |  7 Pagesof a high-performing team. Effective leaders are able to assemble a high-performance team with good hierarchical balance, measurable and attainable goals, and appropriate communication expectations across the team. They promptly address conflict resolutions and break down all physical barriers in managing multi-city offices and dispersed employees. By paying close attention to team demographics and diversity, good leaders will establish a solid gro up foundation which will result in a high-performanceRead MoreLeading High-Performance Teams Essay1651 Words   |  7 PagesLeading high-performance teams The team working is an important concept of the society wherein few people work together towards a common goal. In American culture, working in teams often considered contrary. Marvin Weisbord, author and organizational development expert, mentioned that, â€Å"Teamwork is the quintessential contradiction of a society grounded in individual achievement.† Still building, leading and organizing successful teams considered as a critical leadership task. It is alwaysRead MoreBuilding a High Performance Project Team2988 Words   |  12 PagesBUILDING A HIGH PERFORMANCE PROJECT TEAM - A key success factor in project management By : Kofi Amoakohene MS Operations Project Management Executive Summary Project management in today’s challenging economy requires collaborative effort across an organization. Project managers are expected to make the most out of their team regardless of its composition. Therefore, unless the group operates as a high performance team, the project will not successfully balance the trade-offRead MoreTeam Work and High Performance Organization21591 Words   |  87 PagesTeamwork and high performance work organisation Introduction Defining teamwork High performance workplace organisation Scope of study Incidence of teamwork Teamwork and autonomy Impact of teamwork on learning environment Job satisfaction Negative consequences of teamwork Organisational environment Conclusion References Annex 1: Sample survey questions Annex 2: Survey sources This report is available in electronic format only. Wyattville Road, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18, Ireland

Words Are Mightier Than the Sword Free Essays

Ayoub Awadalla Prof. Brumfield October 9, 2012 Words Are Mightier Than The Sword The story â€Å"By Any Other Name,† by Santha Rau, explains the memory of the writer’s first and last week as a student at an Anglo-Indian school. Santha Rau speaks about the happy, sad, and embarrassing moments she had in school. We will write a custom essay sample on Words Are Mightier Than the Sword or any similar topic only for you Order Now She also speaks about how earning a â€Å"valid† education, in western terms, is difficult to achieve in India. When someone is in an environment where it is typical to hear insensitive and irresponsible language, s/he will likely become insensitive and irresponsible. Insensitive and irresponsible speech typically becomes a chain reaction. Once someone speaks or says an insensitive or irresponsible thing, the other person will follow with being insensitive and irresponsible. An example was when Permila, Santha’s older sister, was getting ready to take a test, but the teacher made her and the other Indian kids sit in the back with a desk in between each other. The teacher said, â€Å"It was because Indians cheat. Once Permila heard this insensitive statement, she stormed out of her class, marched into Santha’s class and told her â€Å"get up, were going home. † When she got to Santha’s class, the teacher smiled at her in a kindly and encouraging way and said â€Å"now, you’re little Cynthia’s sister? † Permila wore a poker face that did not betray a single emotion. Treating Santha’s teacher with an insensitive way, just like her teacher treated her. Changing a name of a child is a confusing m atter for the child to understand. A child is a stranger when it comes down to lying. Most children, from ages of 3-6, are innocent and do not know how to lie. The head mistress changed Permila’s name to Pamela, and Santha’s name to Cynthia. Santha was too young to understand and was okay with the name changing. Permila kept a â€Å"stubborn silence† while Santha replied, â€Å"thanks you. † And when the teacher asked Santha for her name, she replied, â€Å"I don’t know. † She was confused; thus, did not know if she should say her real name, or the new name she received from the head mistress. This act by the head mistress was very irresponsible. She was too lazy to call Santha, her real name, so she gave her an artificial name. Being rude, insensitive, or speaking irresponsibly to someone will most likely cause him or her to be rude, insensitive, or speak irresponsibly to you too. One must be carful of what s/he speaks, because what comes around, goes around. Just like the head mistress spoke to the girls insensitively and irresponsibly, they both left the school and never went back. How to cite Words Are Mightier Than the Sword, Papers