What is political science? It is the study of the mechanism that people employ for their protection, better known as a government. When looking up the word government in the dictionary the word authority is used repeatedly. To many people the type and extent of authority over them is very important. So, which is the best kind of government?

Is it the monarch or the republic? It is important to look at the difference between monarchs and republics and how they came about.

Monarchies are usually run by a king or queen. These rulers are heads of the government because of birth. Of course, not all monarchs are the same, some are more powerful than others. There are three kinds of monarchs limited, constitutional, and an absolute.

The least powerful of the group is the limited monarch. They usually have no political power and are just a historical figure. The country is run by the prime minister. A good example of this is England. Queen Elizabeth makes public appearances and ceremonies. The truth is she has no decisions in political decisions. She can not make laws of or deal with any similar issue, but is still a very important part of England's tradition. There can be different titles in different countries. For example in Japan the Emperor is like the king or queen of England.

The constitutional monarch has more powers than the limited monarch, but they are restricted. The countries constitution puts the king, queen, prime minister, and parliament below the law. They can make laws and policies or veto, however, parliament must give their consent. Some countries that are constitutional monarchs are Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

The final and most powerful monarchs are absolute monarchs. In these countries The king or queen have absolute control over the country. At one time all monarchs used to be absolute. The king or queen is the law, the Parliament can suggest ideas but he or she has the final say. Absolute powers today include Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, however, in these countries the head authority is called the Amir.

The other form of government is a republic. In the dictionary it is that said that a republic is a form of government where the power is in the citizens who are allowed to elect their representation. However, it is better said, a country without a king or queen and is not a monarch because not all republics are the same. There are also three types of republics; dictatorship, oligarchy and democracy.

A dictatorship ruled by one person. It is much like an absolute monarch in the sense that a dictator decides the law, he is above the law. A good example of this would be Iraq. Another would be Hitler during World War II. He made the laws and no one was there to stop him until he was defeated at war. Hitler was not born to this position, like most dictators. Most of the time they become rulers because of a military take over.

A type of republic that is ruled by the few is an oligarchy. A good example of this would be South Africa during Apartheid. During this time the whites made up a small part of the population, about 25%. However, they controlled the country and would not let the black people vote or participate in any government matter. To make matters worse they would only allow these people to live in certain areas of the country.

Finally, a democracy is also a form of a republic. These countries are said to be ruled by the majority. This is done by the people electing government officials and people to represent them. The United States is an example of an oligarchy. We elect our president, state legislators, governors, and many more.

Now let's take a look at how the governments came about. There are four theories, the Divine Theory, the Natural theory, the Social Compact Theory, and the Force theory.

The Divine theory has to do with God and his involvement in the creation of government. The government was created to help people to serve God.

Another theory is the Natural theory. It has to do with the fact the humans are animals and need some form of control and order and so the government is there to provide this service. This theory was developed by Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato.

The third theory is the Social Compact theory that it explains that people need governments for security and protection. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke believe the purpose of government is to serve and protect. They do not agree on the type of government.

The final theory is the force theory. Karl Marx believes that the government is bad and only came about because of force. He believed that people should revolt, however, this never happened because the government did help the citizens of its country.

As you can see there is no one correct form of government it depends on the land, people, and their beliefs. Many people believe that monarchs do not involve the people or represent the different classes of society since it is ruled by a certain family. Others believe that some forms republics are not much better even though they are ruled or chosen to rule from rulers that are more like the common people. It is also important to think about the how the country feels the government came into existence. Some one who believes the Divine theory is going to question the government less then someone who believes the force theory. This is why people are important now matter what kind of government because they have to live in the country with that government.

Government! You can't live with it! You can't live without it! It is the "common cold" that everyone dreads. The American Heritage College Dictionary, Third Edition defines government as, "The exercise of authority in a political unit in order to control and administer public policy." Webster's Desk Dictionary of the English Language defines government as, "The political direction and control exercised over a nation, state, community, etc." The common individual might define government as the root of all evil. The thing about government is that no one stops to think about how government came about.

Government falls into two categories; monarchy or a republic. A monarchy is a form of government that is always headed by a monarch (king, queen, emperor, etc.) These monarchs develop this status most often by heredity. Monarchies are divided into three different magnitudes; limited, constitutional, and absolute.

A limited monarchy is where the sovereign's powers are limited to ceremonial events. They do not interfere with politics. Most countries that have a limited monarchy have a Prime Minister that takes care of the political business. An example of a limited monarchy is in the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch. She is the one that holds all the ceremonies, cuts ribbons, and kisses babies. Prime Minister John Major has all political responsibilities.

A constitutional monarchy is when the monarch's power is defined in the constitution of that country. The king has the ability to veto bills, but is just like any other citizen of that country. He is not above the law. An example of this type of monarchy is Sweden, or Norway.

The last type of monarchy is an absolute monarchy. This monarch has all the power. The monarch is considered above the law, and actually is the law. An example of this type of monarchy would be Saudi Arabia. King Fahad has complete control over it's citizens in all aspects pertaining to their country. Laws, punishments, and regulations are in the hands of King Fahad.

If the government of a country does not fall into any of these categories, it is a republic. A republic is defined in Webster's Desk Dictionary of the English Language as any government in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them. There are three types of republics; dictatorship, oligarchy, or democracy.

A dictatorship is a republic ruled by one individual. Cuba has a dictatorship. Fidel Castro is the main contributor to Cuban society. He oversees his people yet allows his people the right to vote him in or out of office.

An oligarchy is another type of republic. This type is ruled by a select few. An example of an oligarchic society would be France. King Louis XV is king but he has a complete parliament to assist him in the law making procedure of France.

The third type of republic is a democracy. A democracy is defined as a society ruled by the majority. An example of a democratic republic would be the United States.

There are four theories that coincide with government; divine, natural, social compact, and force.

The divine theory was developed out of religion. The theory states that government ordained itself from God, and its main purpose is to serve God. This would have made sense during an era where all people knew was the church. Nowadays, government keeps out of religion and vice versa. The divine theory was best suited for a time of Christ, God, and the Apostles. According to today's standards, the theory holds no water.

The natural theory was developed by the likes of Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato. They believed that people are political animals. We as a society, need government to survive. As of today, our society would not know what it would be like to not have a government. We have always had one to the best of our knowledge. We have become highly dependent on the government. At the same time, no one seems to genuinely care for government.

The social compact theory was developed by great political thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. They argue that government was deliberately created by people. When there was not a stable government, people felt a lack of protection and security. Government was designed to protect and serve the people of a country. Locke and Hobbes both agree on this theory but disagree on who would head the government. Hobbes argued for a monarch ruler, and Locke advocated for a committee style ruler.

The forth and final theory came about as a result of conquest and force. Karl Marx was a tremendous supporter of the force theory. He believed that government is genuinely bad and people should try to revolt. He predicted that government would eventually vanquish and the world would be completely government free. Obviously Marx's prediction did not happen. One particular event that occurred was the Industrial Revolution. More jobs resulted from the industrial revolution giving people fewer reasons to revolt.

All theories could apply to our government. What it comes down to is that we have a government, we are stuck with a government, therefore we should do our best to make our government the best that it can be. There are many aspects to a government. One should take a good look at other countries and be thankful for the type we have. Government may be the root of evil, but it is a necessary evil.

I'm sure everyone remembers the Gulf War a few years ago. This war lasted for several months and drew everyone to the television and to newspapers to find out what was happening now to all the Americans over seas. Many people found their loved ones leaving. They were in the military and were called to defend their country. This is a sign of nationalism in itself, however, something that was closer to home for me was a tiny yellow ribbon. These yellow ribbons were seen everywhere. They were placed on tree trunks, on peoples front doors, pinned on to peoples clothing, and displayed on peoples cars. These yellow ribbons were a sign to let those people in the Gulf know they were loved and missed and that we were praying for their safe return. This is nationalism. We had all those people over in the Gulf in our thoughts even those we did not know.

Nationalism or patriotism can be defined as a sense of belonging or a sense of pride to one's nation among a group of people. Nationalism includes feeling of loyalty to their nation, pride and a desire for independence. Nationalism can be experienced under a state which is a political unit that has essential elements such as people, land, government or independence or among a nation which is people sharing a common identity such as the Palestinians and the old Soviet Union. Nationalism has many different aspects to it, common bonds, and different symbols to represent it.

Nationalism has not always existed. Years ago loyalty was to a tribe or ruler. Since then, the idea of loyalty has switched and the focus is now on a broader picture.

There are four common bonds to nationalism. The first common bond is common territory. You tend to feel a close bond with people from the same area as you are from. An example of common territory would be if a person from the United States was in Germany and met another person from the United States, the two people may strike up a conversation with them or even if a person from Illinois were in Florida and met another person from Illinois, a bond may be made or a friendship established.

The second bond of nationalism is a common language. This would be an important element if a person from the United States was in France and spoke English, and the person met another English speaking person , a conversation would most likely take place.

Common culture is the third bond of nationalism. A common culture would attract people from the same parts of the world who share common beliefs and ways of living. People from the United States may feel a bond with others from the United States do to their culture. The same would be true for Palestinians and people from other parts of the world.

The last bond of nationalism is common enemies. Two different countries who dislike another country may join forces together to defend each other against their rival. They, for a moment may become one.

Nationalism can be represented by a set of symbols that reflect ones country. There are four symbols that represent a country's nationalism. The first symbol of nationalism is the flag. Every country and every state in the United States has their own flag. The flag represents what the country or state is all about. The flag of a country may display a symbol used to symbolize that country and a flag of a state may have the state's flower or state bird on it.

"Oh! say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming?" This is the second symbol of nationalism, the national anthem. The United State's national anthem, The Star- Spangled Banner, was written by Francis Scott Key over one hundred years ago. Every country has an anthem and it represents the strong qualities of your country and to encourage your loyalty to your nation.

The third symbol of nationalism is historical sites. Historical sites provide knowledge about our heritage and represent a strong part in the history of one's country. One such historical site that would be important to people of the United States would be Abraham Lincoln's birthplace. Many people travel to places like this everyday to discover what the United States is all about.

The last symbol of nationalism is legends and slogans. These stories and sayings have been past on for many years and explain how a lot of different customs and traditions came about. To many people, these legends and slogans are a strong part of their sense of nationalism.

Along with the bonds and symbols, you also have some consequences of nationalism. These consequences of nationalism may create rivalry and tension. The first consequence of nationalism is each state has become the center of the universe.

The second consequence of nationalism is Mercantilism and Colonialism. We saw Mercantilism with the Gold Coast and Ghana. The British went into India, the gem of Asia, and dominated their markets. The British took from the Indians and sold their goods for more money. The last consequence of nationalism are Wars of National Liberation. These wars have gone on for many years, and have caused many people to loose their lives for their country.

The bonds of nationalism may, in fact, "bond" us together as a nation. The symbols of nationalism may allow us to occasionally think of nationalism. We may be able to think of the consequences, but we may not feel that these consequences are very important or ever occur. The fact is that all of these consequences, symbols, and bonds, reflect who we are as people. People die to defend other people of their nation. They fight to keep us safe and united. We need to keep things such as yellow ribbons and think about what we are all about.

Year by year the world becomes more sharply divided by two. On the one hand, there are the advanced, industrial, developed, with mature economics. And then there are the rest--developing, less developed, underdeveloped, undeveloped, and pre-industrial. The exact description is unimportant; for the basic division is, of course, one between the rich and the poor.

What does it mean to be poor? It has always been advantageous to be born on the right side of the tracks. But the accident of birth has never had quite the significance that it holds today, for every child born to parents in the developed countries, seven are born in the underdeveloped world.

This fact, above all else, will determine the course of their lives. The chances are that most of the seven children will be born, and brought up in poverty.

Being born poor, the chances are that you will spend your life being hungry. This is not ordinary hunger as we may know it, but actual starvation and ill health brought on by lack of nutrition. Two-thirds of the world suffers from malnutrition, and thirty thousand children under five years of age die from malnutrition everyday. It is hard to imagine that within a twenty-four hour period we actually lose that many children.

The total food resources in the world today would be perfectly adequate to feed everyone properly, unfortunately, there is an unfair distribution among nations and social groups. The United States is the net importer of food and agriculture from the rest of the world. While we make only five- percent of the worlds population, we import forty- percent of all beef traded, we buy one-third of all the fish and seafood and one-third of all dairy products. The overcompensation of the developed countries is ultimately linked with the under consumption of the Third World.

Most of the best land that should be used for domestic food production in developing countries is growing cash crops for the West: five of the most common are sugar, tobacco, coffee, cocoa, and tea. These, of course, are basic items that are consumed daily in the West. Next time you have a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea think about where it came from and what it took to get it to you.

Because of our love for beef, Westerners consume close to one ton of grain per year, and more than three-quarters of that is first transformed into animal products. It actually takes ten pounds of grain protein to produce one pound of beef protein. People in poor countries consume less than one-fifth of that amount. Westerners who are concerned about the pressure of population on the world food resources should remember that their typical family of four are consuming more grain than it would take to feed a poor Indian couple with eighteen children.

One of the most absurd aspects of poverty is the massive protein consumption of household pets in the West. In the United States, eighty-five million cats and dogs consume more protein than all of Latin America. Ironically, most of the protein that the animals in the United States consume comes from Latin America.

The mal-distribution of the world's food resources is possible only because income is so inequitably distributed. The world food market matches supply with effective demand. Whatever those with money want, even if it is wasteful beef and dog food, they get. What the poor need, they do not get, unless they can pay for it. The world food market will not match food supply with real human needs until world incomes are more equally distributed.

Inside the Third World, the rich are getting richer, and the poor poorer. The poor are less able to buy able to buy enough food because the rich are distorting the food market and pushing up prices of grains, making it even harder for the poor to make ends meet.

Malnutrition is not the result of inadequate food production. It is the result of poverty; of gross inequality in the distribution of income and land; of government bias against the poor in provision of clean water and sanitation, which could prevent so much malnutrition.

Poverty and malnutrition in developing nations are often described as if they were almost a natural phenomenon, or as if they were the unintended outcomes of an unintended mistakes. In reality, gross inequality is rarely an accident, usually, it is the result of deliberate and calculated attempts by the rich to increase their wealth, to widen the gap between themselves and the poor.

Adequate nutrition is the most basic of all human needs and rights, and hunger is the worst of many of the disadvantages suffered by the poor inhabitants of poor countries. It weakens the body, and damages tissues. It condemns parents to grief, and children to death or disability. It turns family life into a struggle for scarce resources. The poor are trapped in a cycle that leaves little hope. Because of the poverty that they suffer they are usually short on food and are suffering from malnutrition. Because of this, they are unable to think clearly to receive any type of education or training , which naturally leads to an inability to have any type of employment. In examining these facts it is easy to see that poverty is more than being without certain luxuries that you would like to have. Poverty in these poor countries means that you usually lack what it takes to survive, basic human needs.

Hunger, merely as a subjective experience, involves suffering. It means to be in a state of constant frustrating desire. The poor may be so accustomed to this that they would no longer notice it, they would not even know what life would feel like without it. But it is there all the same. Experience in the West is largely limited to the grossly overfed who happen to be on a temporary diet. Anyone who has gone on a crash diet for more than a couple of days will know the feeling. This type of dieter may try two or three days on one-thousand calories a day, feeling as though they are being deprived. The worst that someone feels on this type of diet is to feel lightheaded or a little weak. It would be impossible to imagine the physical and mental destruction of those who are actually starving to death.

There are many ways of defining poverty, but they all point to the same conclusion. One person in three are unable to live with dignity and free from want. In a sense, unable to be human. These are the forgotten people, underfed, underemployed, illiterate, and in ill-health. The poor who should have been the focus of development, but whom the process of unequal development has passed by.

When evaluating any information on the Third Word it is, perhaps, easy to become indifferent to it. We are quick to say that there is nothing that we can do to help. What we must realize that even the smallest effort could make some difference. We can start by realizing that our waste has an impact on depriving these countries. As I have discussed, Americans consume a large quantity of beef. If we could sacrifice having meat one day a week and have a meatless day, that could help cut down on consumption. There are many children who need sponsors to support them. It costs only pennies a day and could make a tremendous difference in a child's life. Think about all of the small change that we spend everyday.

The facts provided are not given to be critical of any one person or any particular Western country. Yet, they are facts, and are grim reality for so many disadvantaged people in these Third World countries. Instead of turning our backs on these individuals, we must start educating ourselves on the large gap that consist between the rich and the poor. They are trapped in a pattern of overlapping vicious circles. The people in these poor countries had no choice in where they would be born, but we do have a choice in trying to make a difference in their lives. We must remember that they are human beings just as we are, and have been put at a disadvantage and we in the West are in the position to lessen their suffering.

Every morning when I wake up the first thought in my mind is usually: FOOD! I often lie in bed for a few extra minutes, planning out what I am going to eat for breakfast. Seldom as I go through this routine do I stop to think about those who are less fortunate than me. I often take for granted that everyone wakes up and eats breakfast. But this is far from true, not everyone shares the luxuries that we have in the United States. Some people wake up and wonder if they will eat at all that day, let alone eat breakfast. Why? Because food, like many other things, is unequally distributed throughout the world.

The struggle for enough food has gone on for centuries. Back in primitive days, the first task human beings undertook was the search for food. Primitive people were collectors, they would find what they could to eat and hope that it would be enough. When this failed to meet the population's needs, humans became hunters and trapped their food. Finally, some years later, humans began to farm the land. Because of the growing demand for food, those who could produce the most crops were considered the most powerful.

But the limits of farming too were quickly discovered. If the earth were to produce food naturally, there would only be enough to feed about ten million individuals. With the earth's population now exceeding five billion we can see how this could pose a problem. Because of this overwhelming gap between how much the earth can produce and how much is actually needed, many agricultural advancements have been made that allow us to produce much more.

One very important advancement was the irrigation system. This system supplies dry land with water by means of ditches, pipes, or streams and is used extensively in farming today. Another big advancement was in the area of animal genetics. By altering the genetic composition of farm animals (through selective breeding techniques) they made animals more "efficient." An example of this is the hen. Years ago hens produced an average of fifteen eggs per year. Now thanks to genetic interference they can produce over five hundred eggs. This technique also works with plants and crops, one example being IR8 Rice (or "Miracle Rice"). Other advancements include: the use of animals as a source of energy, the use of agricultural chemicals (such as pesticides), and the invention of the steam engine.

But despite the vast number of agricultural improvements, one important question is left unanswered. Why do two-thirds of the people in the world today suffer from malnutrition? Part of the answer lies in the fact that the demand for food has and will continue to increase. This demand is primarily influenced by two factors: an increasing population, and increasing income.

Obviously as our population grows, the need for more food will grow also. But today more food is produced then is needed. If our food were to be divided equally, everyone in the world would receive the proper nutrition. Yet our food is divided highly unequally, most of it is concentrated in the rich countries while the population continues to expand in the areas with the least amount of food. If the United States and other industrial nations made efforts to control the population growth (like in China) perhaps part of the problem could be solved.

The second factor is increasing income. It is a fact that when people have more money to spend, they put more demands on production, particularly food production. And as those with the money enjoy the "luxuries," others suffer at their expense. One example of this is the gourmet pet food that American cats and dogs eat on a daily basis. While our pets enjoy a fine dining experience, people all over the world lack the protein that pet food provides. Another example is the amount of beer Americans consume. If the grain used to make the beer had instead been used in food production, it could have fed about eighty million people. It is because of reasons such as these that people all over the world are either hungry or malnourished. Most of the world's food is concentrated in the places with the most money, primarily the First and Second Worlds. Many people in these places take their food for granted, and often waste a lot. This is very ironic because the need for food is much greater in Third World were the population is much larger and the food supply much smaller. Also ironic is the fact that many of the richer countries either import much of their food from the third world, or buy fertile land in less developed countries and use it for means other than the production of food. The United States is guilty of both offenses. Though many may think that the US is the so called "bread basket" of the world, this is in fact quite far from the truth. Rather than using it's wealth to grow and export food, the US is a major net importer of agricultural products. This means that we purchase more food from the rest of the world than we sell to them (or in other words, we get food from those who are hungry). Consider a few statistics: one-third of our fish, seafood, and dairy products come from other countries; also forty percent of our beef comes from the outside. These facts are rather startling considering the US is one of the richest countries in the world. But even more startling is the fact that two-thirds of the food the US imports is from Third World countries. Rather than helping the hungry we are taking their food from them. An example of this is our holiday, Valentine's Day. On this day people all over run to the nearest florist to buy flowers for their loved ones. Very few of these same people stop to wonder were these flowers came from, after all it is too cold for flowers to grow in America. But these flowers are not grown here, they are grown in Mexico. Huge plantations of fertile land are bought by American coporations and instead of being used for agricultural purposes, the land is used to grow flowers for Valentine's Day. People struggle to provide enough food to feed and nurish their families, while fertile land is being wasted to grow flowers. Atrocities such as this are commited by the rich countries every day. We take from other less fortunate countries valuable resources that they truly need, though we have plenty of our own resources to work with. Perhaps if people in the US (as well as the other rich countries) began conserving more and wasting less on luxuries that we do not really need, we could take the first step towards helping those less fortunate than we are.

The gap between the rich and the poor is growing more and more every day. Something has got to be done to solve this issue. In 1974 members of the Third World gathered together at the United Nations. Their purpose was to find the answers to solve the gap between the rich and the poor. A total of seventy-seven members proposed the NIEO, hoping this might solve the gap. The NIEO stands for the New International Economic Order. Its aim was to bring the rich and the poor countries together to discuss issues that might bring the gap closer together. The negotiations of the NIEO were called the North and the South Dialog. Eighteen clauses made up the NIEO. These clauses were the changes that the Group of 77 desired.

One of the clauses stated that each state would be free to determine their own economic and political system. Unfortunately this did not happen due to the fact that rich countries have taken it among themselves to determine what is right for poor countries. The poor countries do not have a say in what they want.

The second clause stated that each state it to control their own natural resources. This means that rich countries will no longer be able to control poor countries natural resources like they had been doing. This causes a huge problem with rich countries who gather natural resources from these countries and the corporations who make money off of the natural resources. The rich countries do not like to see this take place. One example has to do with Chili and their copper. The copper of Chili is controlled by IT&T. During a presidential election in 1970, a man by the name of Allende said that if he was elected he would nationalize the copper. He was soon elected and then fulfilled his promise. The copper of Chili was then owned by the people of Chili. When the US heard of this they wanted to get rid of Allende. During 1973, the US ordered a coup d' etat and Allende was killed. A new leader was then paid to leave the situation alone and let IT&T back in Chili.

The third clause said that the price of raw materials and manufactured goods should be tied. Unfortunately this never did happen. Since the third clause never went into action, it has led to unending inflation because rich countries will never agree to tie the price of raw materials and manufactured good because they want to control inflation. A new economic law has since been passed called GATT. GATT stands for the general agreement on tariff and trade. It states that the market will determine everything and the government will not be able to interfere. The end result of this matter has led to an even larger gap between the rich and the poor.

The forth clause deals with organizational and legal reforms. The "Group of 77" would like to see the international organization and international legal reforms to change. They do not want to see the rich dominating the law. One example of the rich dominating the law has to do with the United Nations. The United Nation was founded in 1945 in San Francisco. There were a total of fifty countries who attended at the beginning, yet today their are two hundred. The one hundred and fifty countries were colonies of the original fifty when the United Nations were first founded. Therefor, a country like France has the right to veto anyone such as Germany because in 1945 Germany was under France. This organization needs to change so it fits today's countries, but because it does not change the rich countries leadership will always remain.

The final clause proposed by the NIEO dealt with the transfer of science and technology. The group felt that some technology and science belongs to everyone, not just the rich countries who are able to acquire the technology easier than the poor countries. The poor countries believe that they should have access to this technology so they will know if a bad situation is approaching them such as a natural disaster. They feel it is not fair for the rich countries to know if something horrible is going to happen to them and to just sit by and watch them die and get hurt when they are too poor to get the technology they need. The rich countries did not agree with them at all. They felt that if they spent the time and the money then they should not give the science and technology to the poor countries who did nothing to help them at all. The United Nations agreed with the poor countries though. They decided to do something about the whole situation and proposed the Adopted Resolution to help the poor countries who did not know if bad weather that could be life threatening was approaching. The United Nations sent a weather satellite into the atmosphere to predict bad weather conditions all around the world. The satellite was free to anyone who would like to view it. Beside weather problems all around the world, there are also heath problems. One example deals with the AIDS epidemic in Ghauna. Twenty-five percent of the people in Ghauna have the AIDS virus. The AIDS virus is spreading even faster in the Third World Countries because of the lack of modern technology. The Third World Countries feel if the United States finds a shot that will prevent AIDS, the shot should be a Heritage of Mankind which means everyone will be intitled to it. The United States says no because they did the research and spent the time and money.

Overall, the Group of 77 had very good intentions. They saw that there needed to be something done to help solve the gap between the rich and the poor. The only problem is that the rich countries are far to ahead of the game. They will not allow many of the proposals to go into action. This leads to an even larger gap between the rich and the poor that is still on the increase.

In today's world, the modern person is educated, independent and aggressive. To be a success, you must put forth your most competitive side and win it all. Nothing less will be permitted. This is the mindset of most business tycoons, stockbrokers and the like. However, on the other side of the globe, third world countries follow a more traditional lifestyle where the outlook on life is a little less malicious. In these countries, the society's idea of success is being part of a large family with prosperous crops and livestock. How is it that our society and theirs have both been successful? And why has the traditional way of life stayed so prevalent in such an industrialized world?

First, what exactly does a traditional society entail? A traditional society has many distinguishable traits. A big difference is the rate of illiteracy in these societies. Since everyone in the family is working together to survive, no one has the time or energy to learn how to read and write. Education is considered an indulgence in traditional societies. Farming is the main career - low urbanization and more rural communities fill these areas. Farming is not meant to bring profit, like in a modern society; it means survival for these people.

Many people are needed to reap a field when the crops are ready. Therefore, many children must be born. The birth rates in third world cultures are very high as a result. Males are obviously preferred. Because of their body mass and strength, they would be more productive in the fields than females. They are preferred also because they pass along the family's heritage. Females do give birth to the children, but in these societies, a female is more like a piece of property than of heritage. Marriage in these societies is usually based on the best dowry, rather than being based on love like most modern marriages.

Traditional societies believe that family heritage is what holds a family together. These societies have ascriptive values, meaning to follow their family's ancestry and way of life. In modern culture, an individual has the power to decide for him/herself as to what he/she wants to attain in life - including an education, career and mate. To those of us living in a modern world, traditional societies may seem to have it rough. However, to those living the traditional way, their life is set for them. They need not worry about how powerful they will be or how much money they will make. Their life brings them security.

Medical knowledge is less than adequate in these societies, leading to much illness and a very high death rate. The infant mortality rate is overwhelmingly high, which is a reason for the high birth rates. Many infants do not make it through their first year of life before they get deathly ill - most of them do eventually die from their illness. The medical technology of modern society is so expensive to third world countries, making it extremely difficult for their society to stay healthy. Life expectancy is about 40-45 years in traditional societies.

The most respected people of these societies are the elders. They are the wisest because they have been through the most. These are the political leaders of the communities. Since they have nothing formally written like a constitution, the elders are the law. Therefore, the elder is in control of most aspects of power. He will be the justice of the peace, high priest, and military captain. In traditional society, no true level of separation of authority exists. The elders of the village resolve all political issues with the help of their religious beliefs and values. Anything written in their holy book is followed. Somewhat like a constitution, but more like a bible, it provides structure for the entire society.

The main catalyst for traditional societies conforming to modern culture has been western colonialism. Colonialism has caused drastic changes in these societies. Colonizers have invaded and taken over the land and prosperity of these societies. They brought in their laws and basically took over without any approval from the traditionalists.

Now, in most of the former self-prosperous communities, colonization and it's governmental takeover has transformed these societies into dependent on governmental interaction. Without a government, the people of these communities would probably die out. They depend on the government for income so they can buy food, rather than depending on themselves for survival.

The traditional way of life has been prosperous and sustaining. Now, with the colonization of these societies, their strength as a community has diminished greatly. What would have happened to the world if these communities had been strong enough to overthrow the governmental takeover? Those of us in the modern world may never realize the impact a traditional society would have had on us as a nation.

In the Third World today, many countries are changing to become more modernized. They are leaving behind much of their traditional features and trying to become more like the west. In order for this change to take place, there has to be some type of driving force. These elements of change are: the military, charismatic leadership and ideology.

One of the most prevalent methods for bringing about change is the military. In many third world countries, the military's primary mission is to quell domestic unrest, unlike the west with it's offensive minded forces. This concentration on domestic policing makes the military an effective means for gaining control of power.

When the military itself takes over control of a country's government, it is called a coup d'etat. The military takes over all the government agencies and broadcasting facilities and then enforces marshal law. The people of the nation are powerless to stop the military. Sometimes, as in the case of Iran, the military turns against its leaders and fights for the people.

When the military takes over, it is often led by a few rouge officers who feel that they have the country's best interest at heart. In Egypt, a few officers from the working class banded together to form "The Free Officers." These men decided to take control of power in Egypt in order to get their country out of British control.

After coming to power in Egypt, the "The Free Officers" took over the high positions in government. However one man became more powerful then the others due to the power of his charisma. Nasser delivered a speech in Alexandria in 1953 in which an attempt was made on his life. Shots were fired but Nasser did not flinch and instead said, "I live for Egypt, I die for Egypt."

It was at this point that Nasser became a charismatic leader. He now was free to take more control of the government with little or no opposition due to his popularity. A charismatic leader like Nasser can effect more then just one nation. Nasser became a leader for the entire third world and was responsible for many changes in his country. His affect on people was so great that upon his death over 40 million people attended his funeral and others committed suicide.

In addition to the military and charismatic leadership bringing about change, a new type of ideology can also bring about change. In the Third World this type of ideology is called "Third World Socialism." This ideology had been embraced by many of the leaders of the Third World as the best method for modernizing and liberating their fledgling states.

Third World Socialism consists of many different philosophies. One of these is the rejection of both capitalism and communism. Capitalism as seen as full of injustices and unfair to people who have not started with the same as others. Capitalism also is seen as a continuation of all that was trying to be changed in many of these countries. Communism is seen to lack incentives and lead to lackluster performance and minimal economic and political growth.

Other features of Third World Socialism are: natural resources belong to the nation, private property but no monopolies and governmental control of essential services. Unlike in western countries where land ownership entails a claim to all that is buried beneath it, Third World countries feel that any resources found anywhere in the country belong to all the people.

Third World Socialists also believe in private land and property ownership much like western counties. They also do not believe in monopolies, also much like western nations.

In many of these countries, all the public services are government controlled. These include transportation, mass communications, utilities, health care and education. In many non-western countries all health care and all higher learning institutes are totally free. However good this system may sound, it does not work in practice.

The Third World has undergone an intense transformation over the past century. It has encountered the slow progression from a traditional society to the brink of modernization. Two of the most influential components of this extensive transformation are leadership and ideology. They have left an indelible mark on the Third World and have helped to define the direction of this revolution and its influence on the rest of the modern world.

Third World leadership has played a significant role in the success and implementation of reform which has resulted in the legitimacy and stabilization of governments. It has also produced a formidable presence on the global scene in terms of economic trade and a strong military threat. The personality of many of these leaders is defined in their charisma and nationalism.

One of the first prominent leaders of the Third World was Nasser of Egypt. He leaped upon the scene during the infamous Alexandria speech. During his address, an assassination attempt failed as four shots were fired and missed him. The crowd ducked in chaos, but rose to the voice of Nasser as he uttered "I live for Egypt, I die for Egypt." Immediately, the crowd and the rest of Egypt rallied behind Nasser. His reign resulted from a military takeover that succeeded the speech. He was seen as a type of God and his charisma resulted in revolutionary reform that included agrarian reform and the seizure of the Suez canal from the British. Nasser single-handedly brought the ancient feudal system to a halt by closing the gap between the rich elite and the poor through comprehensive agrarian reform. He also defied the British and their hold on the Suez canal. He displayed tremendous imagination in his successful stand against the invasion of England, France, and Israel by inspiring the civilians to take to the streets and fight with their teeth, knives and fists.

Instantly, his fame spread throughout the Third World. He became a source of inspiration and precedence in the modernization of the underdeveloped world. Later, other charismatic leaders such as Quadafi of Libya, Castro of Cuba, and Hussein of Iraq helped solidify the trend of centralized military governments led by strong dictators. These men are disliked and beguiled by most of the developed world, but they are beloved by their people. This affection is seen by the overwhelming approval ratings of these leaders. One event in particular illustrated the love of these charismatic leaders. Nasser died in 1970 and his funeral was attended by forty-million people. Many people also committed suicide upon hearing the news of his death. His funeral was the most heavily attended funeral in history as documented by the Guinness Book of World Records.

These revolutionaries in power have created a broad spectrum of controversy and continue to do so. It is evident that these leaders have accomplished far more than their detractors credit to them, but their social revolutions have not gone far enough. Despite the success of these charismatic leaders, greater social, economic, and political reform must take place to ensure the success of modernization. In addition, greater competitive status on the global scene must be developed. If the previous success of these men is any indicator, the future is encouraging.

Along with leadership, Ideology has had a profound influence on the Third World transformation. Third World Socialism is the predominant ideology in the underdeveloped countries that span the continents of Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. These countries have adopted Marxism and molded it to the specifications of their countries' self-interest. The philosophies of Marx originally were a criticism of the industrial development of the Western World, but has evolved into the ideology that drives the Third World toward legitimacy in the existing social economic structure that is progressing rapidly towards multiculturalism.

The first facet of this Third World Socialism is the rejection of communism and capitalism. Leaders recognized a plethora of injustices in existing economic structures that resulted from inequitable distribution of wealth that created a glaring gap between the rich and the poor. The people felt exploited and cynicism toward capitalism and communism grew to unfathomable measures. The result of this cynicism was the implementation of socialism based on Marxism.

The second component of this ideology was the idea that natural resources were the property of the country in which they were located. This idea was popularized by leaders such as Nasser who took back the Suez canal from the British. The exploitation of these underdeveloped countries by the industrial nations would not continue.

Another element of this form of ideology is the concept of private property. Many of these countries have had to redefine the laws concerning private property to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. They also have firmly rejected the idea of monopolies. In order to implement price controls monopolies had to be dissolved. This measure was crucial in raising the standard of living in these countries who are forced to import most of their goods due to the lack of industrialization.

Land or agrarian reform is arguably the most vital and revolutionary elements of Third World Socialism. All of the countries advocate some form of land reform. There are many illustrations of the necessity of this action. In 1979, fourteen families owned all of the land in El Salvador. An uprising took place and outside countries, including the United States pressured the government of El Salvador to implement land reform. In Egypt, prior to Nasser, 2% of the people owned 75% of the land. Nasser, of a middle class background, utilized his ingenuity to force agrarian reform. He despised the feudal system and was determined to bring change. He informed the people that after 3 years, no man would be allowed to own more than a thousand acres of land. Since only the rich owned the land, they could not sell it. Nasser deceptively offered to buy the land from the wealthy at tax value. Whatever the owners had claimed it was worth on their taxes is what the government would pay. The catch was that the owners had claimed the land was worth much less than it really was and Nasser said Egypt would pay them over the next forty years. Then, he divided and redistributed the land among the peasants. Many of the other countries implemented some form of reform, but it was usually not as drastic as the precedent set by Nasser in Egypt. The governments felt it was vital that they intervene to end the pattern of feudalism and illegal land ownership forever.

The final concept of Third World Socialism is the nationalizing of public services which include education, healthcare, utilities, and transportation. It is a system that is very similar to the existing structure of services in Europe.

The education system is based on intelligence rather than monetary influence. Education is free at all levels and the only way to progress to the highest levels of learning is to display superior intelligence. One example of the implementation of this system is the denial of Nasser's son to attend a university in Egypt because he was unable to pass an entrance exam.

Healthcare is considered an extension of the right-to-life, it should never depend upon wealth. In addition, doctors and pharmacists are employed by the government. Their salaries are substantially smaller than doctors and pharmacists in capitalist countries where healthcare is privatized. Utilities and Transportation is also free because the government believes it is a necessity in order for people to live and work. It is considered necessary to provide transportation in order for businesses to succeed.

It is seemingly apparent that the ideology of Third World Socialism has balanced the systems of communism and capitalism in ways to make them suitable for their own environments. It could be perceived that they have removed the factors which they consider detrimental to the lower classes and have formed this system of socialism that addresses the basic needs of its citizens to survive and function in this changing environment.

The challenge of Third World development has been addressed profoundly by charismatic leaders and socialist ideology. These two influential instruments of change have helped the Third World immensely in its pursuit of industrialization and modernization. While the progress has come slowly, the beneficial affects of these two elements are difficult to measure. There is still a long way to go, but it can be assured that charismatic leaders and an evolving ideology will lead the way in the quest for change and growth in the future.

Many United States citizens are frightened by the word Socialism. However, the predominant ideology in most Third World countries is socialism. There are many reasons why Third World countries have turned to socialism as their form of government. The main reason the Third World has taken on the concept of socialism is because of the history of feudalism and colonialism that these countries faced for so many years. Socialism was seen as a way to reform the land of many underdeveloped countries. Socialism believes the government needs to intervene to make sure no feudalism or unjust land ownership systems are being enforced.

For many years, Third World countries were being exploited by the British. Many of these countries were rich in natural resources, but were unable to make a profit off of it. Instead, the British were living in these countries, owning most of the land, running the laws and government, and making most of the profits from these natural resources. In the case of Egypt, the British took advantage of the Egyptians through Feudalism. Feudalism is a form of colonialism that asserts control over a previously independent region. Under Feudalism, most of the land was owned by wealthy, British landlords. Two percent of the people owned seventy five percent of the land. The rest of the population worked on the land as surfs. Feudalism in Egypt also practiced the Capitulation System. This system exempted non-Egyptians from the Egyptian law. This meant that if a non-Egyptian killed an Egyptian they would not be arrested or held accountable. Feudalism allowed the British to exploit the Egyptian's. Because of Feudalism, the Egyptians lost their culture and their history.

Since Third World countries have been exploited so much in the past, it is no wonder that they turn to Socialism as their form of government. There are many aspects of socialism that many of the third world countries practice. The first aspect of socialism is the rejection of communism and capitalism. Capitalism reminds them of their hated feudal system and the exploitation that it involved. They also feel that communism lacks incentive because it states that people should work only according to their abilities and will receive what they need from the government. Due to the injustices that these people faced under a similar system, it is obvious that capitalism or communism will not provide any motivation for it's people to work harder.

Third World socialism also advocates the idea of natural resources belonging to the nation and it's people and not to the individual whose land they are located on. For instance, if a family owns a home and oil is discovered there, the government will take the oil and distribute it to the nation. This is very important because previously, under feudalism, if a person owned land containing oil, than that person owned the oil. Since the majority of the landowners were the rich British, feudalism helped the rich get richer and kept the poor in poverty. It is easy to see why Third World countries feel it is so important to distribute the wealth more equally. Since many of these Third World countries are rich in natural resources, it makes sense to make sure that nobody can exploit their resources again.

Another idea of Third World Socialism is that all public services should be nationalized. The nationalized services include health care, transportation, utilities, and education. It is important to the Third World that people receive the necessities for basic life. They believe that these services should not be available or abused by the wealthy . They want the government to run the services to emphasize service over profit. Many wonder how the government can pay for all of these things without going bankrupt. Bankruptcy is available by making sure that everyone puts into the economy as much as they take out. An example of this is the way they handle education. In Third World countries, all aspects of education is free, including college, books, room and board, and even some spending money. Once a Third World citizen reaches his or her senior year, they take an aptitude test. This test assesses what that person is capable of doing after college. Then, according to those tests and a breakdown of how many workers are needed in a given occupation, they are told what they will study in college. They see this as making sure that society is receiving what they need to stay successful. It also makes sure that there isn't an abundance of some occupations and adeficiency of others.

Another important aspect of Third World socialism is the idea of accepting public property, but rejecting monopolies. Monopolies occur when there is only one company who sells a certain good to the whole country. The Third World rejects monopolies because they believe that companies can raise their prices since they are the only source of particular goods and services. Again, because of the previous history of feudalism that many of these countries faced, it is easy to understand why they fear the wealthy being able to monopolize and exploit them.

The last concept of Third World socialism is land reform. Socialism believes that the government needs to intervene to make sure no feudalism or unjust land ownership systems are being enforced. Again, due to feudalism, the Third World fears that the wealthy would be able to own most of the land and exploit the poor. An example of land reform is when Nasser became the leader of Egypt after the military revolted in 1953. During his rule, he ended feudalism by giving Egypt back to the Egyptian people. Nasser did this by passing the Land Reform Act. It said that within three years from 1953 nobody will own more than 1000 acres of land. This forced the rich and Nobel British to sell the rest of the land to the poor. Since the poor couldn't afford to buy the land from the rich, the government bought it at tax value . Nasser then divided the land equally to the poor. Nasser not only redistributed the land equally, but he also ended feudalism.

Many countries frown on the idea of socialism. They feel that it lacks the competitiveness that countries need to become rich. They feel that since everyone has a job, along with their basic needs, the society lacks incentive to work hard. Another reason that many countries do not agree with socialism is they feel that people lose their freedom of choice. For example, if a person scores high on their aptitude test and the government decides that person should become a lawyer, then they have no choice but to become one. To many, this means that people lose their freedom to chose their own future. Instead, the government chooses for them.

Another complaint of socialism is how bureaucratic it is. The first problem of Third World bureaucracies is that it lacks the comfort that privatization entails. For example, someone may stand in line for hours to see a doctor. The reason for this is because the doctor is paid by the government and therefore does not feel the need to impress the public. If a doctor made his or her money from the patients, than he or she would feel more compelled to please the customer. If they did not please the customer, that customer would take their business elsewhere. Third World Socialism doesn't off this option.

The strong central government that runs Third World socialism is another aspect that causes concern with other countries. Many feel that with the government in control of everything, the people don't have that much say. Therefore, if the people in the top of the government are corrupt, then the people in the country can be just as exploited as they were under feudalism.

The last argument against Third World socialism is the quality of Healthcare. Since Healthcare is free in the Third World, they can not afford to give the quality that other countries can. For example, it takes a lot longer for someone to receive a hip replacement because they lack the funds to pay doctors for these specialties. Also, the Third World is much further behind in technology and science due to the lack of funds to achieve it. For example, it takes at least five years for new technology to reach the Third World.

Even though there is a lot of frowning from other countries when it comes to socialism, people should realize the reason why the Third World adopted this system. For so many years, Third World countries were exploited under colonialism by the Europeans. Third world countries, not only lost most of their natural resources, but they also lost their identity, culture, and civilization. Since these countries were exploited so much under capitalistic systems, it is no wonder that they turn to socialism. Socialism offers Third World countries an opportunity to change their economy around. It allows the poor to have chances that they never had before. So even though it is easy to sometimes frown upon Third World socialism, people should realize that socialism has provided small stepping stones towards abolishing systems of exploitation. It has also helped these countries to progress towards freedom.

In Western societies women usually hold respectable jobs, the ability to make the choices of having and taking care of the children, cleaning their homes, cooking meals, doing the laundry and, most importantly, are allowed to be seen as an equal in society. In non-western societies women usually hold degrading jobs, deliver and take care of the children, clean their homes, cook meals, do the laundry and are seen as unequal. In Third World countries, women are seen as the poorest of the poor. They are rarely ever given the same opportunities as the women in western countries, or even the ones their own husbands have.

There are two main problems which afflict non-western women. The first is the lack of access to productive resources. This means that the women of less developed countries have no capability to possess resources such as land, capital or skills. Land is not available to them because it is considered a male inheritance only. Capital is more accessible than land, due to the recent ability of women to own credit cards. Until recently, though, money was not something women could obtain very easily. Money, like land, is mostly controlled by the males of the society. Skills are not an option to women because it entails schooling which brings up the next difference.

Unequal access to education and health care is the last difference. Schooling is not usually offered to women in less developed countries. The rate of illiteracy in women is a considerable amount higher than men. In some countries the rate between illiterate women and men is doubled. Health care is more available for male children. Baby girls often die at birth, either from lack of health care or by murder. The disappointment of the family's newborn being a girl often leads to murder. Male children are seen as more valuable than female children in Third World countries.

Violence and injustices also greatly affect non-western women. Female circumcision, polygamy, the ease of divorce and violence against women, as well as the lack of access to productive resources and unequal access to education and health care, plague the women of the less developed countries. For the modernization of these non-western countries women must play a larger role than they do now. Without equality for women less developed countries cannot move forward.

These affiliations are severe but they are resolvable. The Grameen Bank is a possible solution. The bank's main reasoning is to help women, to offer them the opportunities they deserve. The bank loans money to groups, mostly women, to accommodate projects that deal with the improvement of overall living. These projects usually need monetary help to be achieved. The bank operates under a code called "The Sixteen Decisions."

1. The four principles of the Grameen Bank--DISCIPLINE, UNITY, COURAGE and HARD WORK--we shall follow and advance in all walks of our lives.

2. Prosperity we shall bring to our families.

3. We shall not live in dilapidated houses. We shall repair our houses and work towards constructing new houses at the earliest.

4. We shall grow vegetables all the year round. We shall eat plenty of it and sell the surplus.

5. During the plantation season, we shall plant as many seedlings as possible.

6. We shall plan to keep our families small. We shall minimize our expenditures. We shall look after our health.

7. We shall educate our children and ensure that they can earn to pay for their education.

8. We shall always keep our children and environment clean.

9. We shall build and use pit-latrines.

10. We shall drink tubewell water. If it is not available, we shall boil water or use alum.

11. We shall not take any dowry in our sons' weddings, neither shall we give any dowry in our daughters' weddings. We shall keep the center free from the curse of dowry. We shall not practice child marriage.

12. We shall not inflict any injustice on anyone, neither shall we allow anyone to do so.

13. For higher income we shall collectively undertake bigger investments.

14. We shall always be ready to help each other. If anyone is in difficulty, we shall help him.

15. If we come to know any breach of discipline in any center, we shall all go there and help restore discipline.

16. We shall introduce physical exercise in all our centers. We shall take part in all social activities collectively.

All of these rules were written to enhance the lives of the underprivileged women. They all consist of hard work, determination and working together. In order for Third World countries to remove themselves from the land of despair and depression in which they live in, they must give women the chance to be equal. But without the opportunities of land, money, health care and education there is no possible way to improve their conditions. Educated and equal women are the key factors to success for Third World countries to advance to First World countries.

I first became interested in learning about Muslims when I met a young man in a

Speech class of mine. He was dark skinned, dark haired, and extremely handsome, so I

decided to get acquainted with him. I asked him his name and he asked me if I wanted

his real name or his made up name. I was a little confused and I asked him what he

meant by that. He told me he was a Muslim and his "real" Muslim name is Sadat and his

made up name is Danny. I was quite intrigued by, but a little confused by all of this, so I

thought I would look further into the subject. Luckily, I was asked to write a paper on a

subject of my choice so hopefully I can teach you some of what I learned about Muslims.

The Muslims are people who practice the religion of Islam. They were taught

their beliefs by a man named Muhammad in the A.D. 600's. Muslim is an Arabic word

that means one who submits (to God). There are about one billion Muslims throughout

the world today. They form the majority of the population in the Middle East, North

Africa and the southeast Asian nations such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and

Pakistan. There are three to six million Muslims in the United States.

A Muslim's chief duties are prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage. Muslims

pray five times a daily: at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, in the evening, and at

nightfall. According to The Economist July 1996, "a crier, or muezzin announces prayer

time from the minaret, a large tower. On Friday, which for the Muslims resembles the

Jewish Sabbath or Christian Sunday, Muslims are expected to attend noon prayers at this

tower." There, a Muslim washes his face, hands, and feet, in a type of ceremony,

immediately before prayer. The leader faces Mecca. The other men stand in rows behind

him and the women stand behind the men. The prayers consist of reciting passages from

the Koran and other types of praise to God.

Almsgiving may be required or free will. Required almsgiving is called Zakat and

the free will type is called Sadaqah. A Muslim must give 2 1/2 per cent of his wealth

each year as a trust fund for the needy. Islam does not limit free will charity, except that a

person cannot deprive his own family of its fixed legal inheritance by giving all his

wealth to charity.

Ramadan, the ninth month in the Muslim year, is the holy month of fasting.

Muslims may not eat or drink from dawn to sunset. The only people that are excluded

from this tradition are travelers, the sick, nursing mothers, and soldiers, but they must

make up for the days missed. Muslims joyfully celebrate the end of the long fast in the

three day Festival of the Breaking of the Fast.

Pilgrimage to Mecca is commanded by the Koran. Every able Muslim is required

to make the pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime. Many ceremonies are required

during the pilgrimage. The most important include walking around the Kaaba seven

times and kissing the sacred Black Stone in its wall. The pilgrimage is concluded with

the Festival of Sacrifice, when the Muslims sacrifice a sheep, goat, or camel, and usually

give the meat to the poor.

The first Muslims, the Arabs, began in the 600's to establish an empire that

eventually stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the borders of China. This empire

absorbed many people and their cultures. According to the Monthly Journal of Religion

and Public Life, February 1997, "the Muslims have been called standard-bearers of

learning during the Middle Ages. They transmitted much of the knowledge of the ancient

world, and helped lay the foundations for Western culture." Arab Muslims made such an

impact on the Middle East that today much of the area is known as the Arab world.

Arabic is its major language, and Islam is its chief religion.

Islam first began in Arabia. In ancient times, the pagan Arabs were organized into

tribes which formed two distinct groups. By 100 B.C., the southern tribes had become

powerful enough to establish several Arab kingdoms. The Far Eastern Economic

Review, August 1996, describes "one of the northern tribes, the Quaraysh, later gained

control of Mecca." This city lay on the main trade route from what is now Yemen to

Syria and Egypt. They built the city into a powerful commercial center. At that time, the

Arabs worshipped nature. There chief gods were al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat. The Kaaba,

the most famous shrine in Arabia, stood in Mecca. The city attracted religious pilgrims,

traders, and settlers from all Arabia and neighboring countries. Jews and Christians

mixed freely with the Arabs. Many Arabs were converted to Judaism and Christianity.

Muhammad was born about A.D. 570, and grew up in Mecca. His family

belonged to the Quraush tribe. Muhummad was disturbed by the injustices of life in

Mecca. When he was about 40, he experienced a vision in which he was called to be a

prophet of God. Muhammad began to preach to the punishment of those who committed

evil acts. He urged the Arabs to worship one God and to accept him as God's prophet.

The people of Mecca were frightened and angered by Muhammad's preachings, and

began to oppose him. Muhammad went secretly to a town about 200 miles from Mecca.

The people there had agreed to accept him as God's messenger and ruler. Muhammad's

emigration took place in A.D. 622. Muslims count that year as the beginning of the

Islamic Era.

The Mosque, or Muslim place of worship, is the most important building for

Muslims. The word Mosque means a place of kneeling. The Mosque has at least one

tower from which the head preacher chants out prayers. A court and a water fountain

provide for the ceremonial washings before each prayer. The Mosque is usually brightly

decorated and some have religious elementary schools. Some Mosques, especially in

Muslim countries, also have a madrasah, or religious college, where students may

complete their religious education's.

The Imam, or leader, is the chief officer in the Mosque. His main duty is to lead

the people in prayer. The prophet Muhammad led prayers in his Mosque in Medina and

in the Mosque surrounding the Kaaba in Mecca. On special occasions, a distinguished

visitor or religious teacher may lead the public prayer. Islam does not have an organized

priesthood. Any Muslim can lead prayers in the Mosques, but usually the Imam, chosen

for his scholarship, handles the services of the Mosque.

Like all religions, Islam's has its sects. In the 600's, the Muslim world split into

two great divisions, Sunnites and Shiites. Most Muslims are Sunnites. The Shiites form

the largest minority with almost 20 million members. Most of them live in Iraq or Iran.

There have also been a number of smaller sects. Times Educational Supplement January

1996, spoke of how in earlier years, "a group called Kharijites broke away from the

Muslim community and formed a more puritanical and democratic sect". But as of today,

the Kharijites have disappeared as an active group.

Since the 1700's most Muslim people have gained their independence. They form

a highly important group of nations that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to Indonesia.

Some of the world's busiest trade and communication routes pass their territories. The

major problem of the newly independent Muslim countries have been to achieve stable

governments and to feed their people. Some Muslim nations such as Bangladesh, Egypt,

and Pakistan, have too many people living on too little land. Other countries lack the

moisture and fertile soil needed to produce food. Conflicting interests keep the Muslim

people from being united. But they are bound by cultural ties and a determination to

resist colonialism.

As you can see the Muslims and their beliefs are quite different than other groups

such as the Christian beliefs and the Jewish beliefs. It just goes to show what a diverse

world we live in. I am glad I have had the opportunity to explore the special ceremonies,

rituals, and beliefs of the Muslims. Now the next time I approach someone to ask them

their name and they answer in the same way my friend Danny did, I will be able to

understand better his or her way of life.

The model worshiper for the Hindu religion would be one that expresses one's devotion in every action that they take. Though the this is true in most religion's the Hindu religion is different in that rituals, festivals and other such type of practice are not the same as worship in the Hindu religion. Worship only occurs at a special time, place and occasion. As in the religion's like s worship and ritual are performed mostly at the same time. The Hindu religion has many different types of rituals that are performed for different occasions. Some of the rituals can only be performed by certain social classes.

Many of the rituals that take place can be found in the Vedic literature. The majority of the rituals are centered around sacrificial fires which are called yajna. Since the Hindu religion does not have a specific place nor time to worship many of them are done at temporary altars, there are not any types of deities, though there must be Brahmin priests to perform the ceremony. Majority of the rituals only involve the caste system, which is one of the highest social classes.

The yajna ritual can be for two purposes, the first type is for the general welfare of a kingdom or for the world as a whole. The second purpose for the yajna is for the good of the household. Though the rituals can also mean different things for example the person who may want the ritual done for the good of his household may also want there to be good for the world as well. The only real difference between these two types of rituals is that the ritual for welfare of the world, or for the general public is more complex, longer and more expensive then that of the good of the household ritual.

Another type of ritual that takes place is called puja. Though unlike the yajna rituals the puja is not found in the Vedic literature. The puja is more recent and more popular in today's world. It is different in how it is not as restrictive as the yajna ritual and the puja can also be practiced in the lower caste systems where the yajna could not. The puja is also different in the way that it sometimes practiced in a temple or a permanent sacred place where rituals are held. Sometimes there are also gods or goddesses brought to the temple to be worshipped upon. This ritual represents that the person or persons are devoting their life to the gods or goddesses that were brought to the temple. In the puja ritual their are three different actions that can be taken. The first action involves the devotee giving presents such as food, flowers and other things that the gods may like. In the second action the devotee can get a quick look at the image of the shrine . In the third action the devotee excepts the blessing that is given to he or she. The second action is the most important of the three and is usually a major event for all the worshipers. In the puja ritual, the gods are not equal to that of the worshipers. The gods do not depend on that of the devotee to be strong in fact the devotees depend on the gods to be strong.

Shaddha is the ceremony that is performed at the death of a Hindu worshiper. These ceremonies normally last about twelve days after the death. Directly after the death has occurred the body is cremated. The eldest son is the person that lights the flame to the body. After the cremation of the body the rest of the days are used to nourish the body for the long journey to the kingdom of Yama, which would be the world of the dead. The shraddha ritual symbolizes a transition and an alteration where the decease passes from one state of the living to the state of an ancestor deserving of worship.

Pilgrimages are another type of ritual that occurs in the Hindu religion. In this ritual the person travel from the world of the normal to that of the sacred world. To do this type of ritual you must go through the three phases of separation, threshold and incorporation. Before the actual journey the pilgrim must separate themselves from the regular world. They show that they are doing this by shaving their heads and wearing a different type of clothing. The second phase is the actual journey itself where the pilgrim is in a state of nothingness they are not the person they used to be and they have not yet reached the person that they become when the journey is over. When the pilgrims have reached their destination then they have finally entered the third stage where they have become their new selves and in which they are reborn as sacred beings, or have become close to the sacred power. The reason it is important to go on a pilgrimage is that Hindu's believe that India is a very holy place and with that they need to participate in the sacred power.

Hinduism has many different types of rituals that serve for different purposes, social system and occasion. Some rituals like the yajna are for that of the general good of the world or their households. There is the puja in which a devotee finds strength in that of a god or goddess. Others are there to help the deceased get to that of the world of the dead. There are pilgrimages in which worshippers go to a destination and become a being of sacred power or become closer to it.

Many Christians do not agree with the Hindu religion though if you look closely at their rituals and belief system it really is not that far off from that of Christianity. Hindu's believe that there should be good for the world, they believe in some form of god and they take pilgrimages just as many Christian people believe or participate in.

Test I

1. Common Territory, Common Language, Common Culture and Common Enemies are:

a. symbols of nationalism

b. signs of racism

c. bonds of nationalism

d. consequences of nationalism

e. symbols of patriotism

2. A flag, a national anthem and popular slogans are symbols of:

a. statehood

b. democracy

c. nationalism

d. globalism

e. interdependence

3. The "Group of 77" is :

a. a group of U.N. members who advocate the N.I.E.O

b. made up of Third World countries

c. a group of 77 largest corporations that control 80% of world trade

d. a amd b only

e. none of the above

4. According to Nassar, the major problem causing world hunger is:

a. too little food grown

b. inadequate distribution of food

c. inadequate irrigation

d. lack of fertilizer

e. too many dogs

5. According to the Law of the Sea Treaty, the International High Seas Authority would be in charge of:

a. all waters and resources of the Oceans

b. only areas beyond 200 miles of the shores of states

c. only areas beyond 12 miles

d. the fishing business on the High Seas

e. b and d only

Test II.

1. Traditional societies have:

a. low levels of urbanization

b. low literacy rates

c. low birth rates

d. all of the above

e. a and b only

2. The system that exempted foreignors from Egyptian law was called:

a. the feudal system

b. the Foreign Exclusion Act

c. the Anti-Prosecution Law

d. the capitulation system

e. the British Protection Act

3. These two religions believe in the reincarnation of souls:

a. Hinduism and Buddhism

b. Buddhism and Islam

c. Hinduism and Islam

d. Buddhism and Christianity

e. Hinduism and Christianity

4. The Hindu "desire for pleasure, especially through love," is called:

a. Kama

b. Arhta

c. Dharma

d. Moksha

e. Brahmin

5. Bureaucracy in the non-western countries:

a. is used as the dumping ground for the unemployed

b. is effective in carrying out government programs

c. is more efficient than its counterpart in the West

d. a and b only

e. b and c only

Test III.

1. The Government of India has:

a. an absolute monarchy

b. a federal system

c. a unicameral system

d. a and c only

e. b and c only

2. China has a:

a. multi-party system

b. single-party system

c. bicameral legislative branch

d. monarch

e. a and c only

3. The founder of the Persian Empire (Iran) was:

a. Cyrus the Great

b. Alexander the Great

c. Gengis Khan

d. Jawaher Lal Nehru

e. Ali Baba

4. The Republic of China is also called:

a. The People's Republic of China

b. Taiwan

c. Hong Kong

d. Democratic Centralism

e. Bejing

5. This country used to be a part of India:

a. Burma

b. Afghanistan

c. Bangledesh

d. Pakistan

e. c and d only

I. Section One

1. Politics and Political Sciences .................................... Kristine Lewis

2. Government .............................................................. Joy Krewson

3. Nationalism .............................................................. Erin Hayes

4. Princes and Paupers ................................................. Kim Shepherd

5. Poverty, Hunger and Malnutrtion ............................... Jen Eberle

6. The New International Economic Order .................... Jennifer Banning

II. Section Two

7. Tradition vs. Modern Society ..................................... Danielle Johnson

8. Instruments of Change ............................................... Justin Boyd

9. The Third World: Leadership and Ideology ................ Kevin Frontone

10. Third World Socialism ................................................ Christine Sudlow

11. Gender and Inequality ................................................ Amanda White

III. Section Three

12. Islam ......................................................................... Connie Siegrist

13. Hinduism .................................................................. Kristen Kennedy