Gospel Music Features in the Christian Liturgy of the Pentecostal Essay

Gospel Music Features in the Christian Liturgy of the Pentecostal Church - Essay Example James (2001, p. 56) claims that the style of gospel music that exists in any given Pentecostal church depends partly on the age of the singers. Thus, the senior adult tend to prefer the transitional and traditional gospel music while, the young adults prefer modern gospel music that may predominate the main worship service. Whatever the period and age, the singing is given in the form of gospel songs in the Pentecostal churches. Development of gospel music People who were enslaved and worked in the field during the civil war told their stories in the spiritual way explaining their current life and teaching their children on the hardship they endured. When the enslaved adopted the Christian religion, their faith naturally became the focus of their songs. However, their songs were no longer limited to the spiritual because they started using the hymns written by white composers like Isaac Watts and Wesleys. The enslaved accepted the gospel music because it was attributed to their style and culture, especially the meter hymn that is still used in the most Pentecostal churches. As the civil war came to an end and enslaved were finally emancipated, it marked the beginning of what is referred to the historical gospel hymns. According to James (2001, p. 55), these songs flourished during the social and economic deprivation of depression and started to make their way out of the Pentecostal churches. According to Anderson and James (2007, p. 285) indicate that the civil rights movement brought rebirth of older songs, especially spiritual songs that became the freedom songs. These spiritual songs were the bridge between what is known as historical gospel and modern gospel songs. The publicizing of the Pentecostal churches and protest brought a wider exposure to the gospel music and its popularity spread. Currently, the modern gospel is one of the most popular sounds in the music industry. In the twentieth century, the most widespread and celebrated of the people traditio n was the growth and development of gospel music, especially in the Pentecostal churches. These churches were visited by the traveling musicians and evangelists from the Chicago gospel scene like Sallie Martin and Thomas Dorsey. Despite this contact with new gospel sounds, arranged spirituals, and hymns were still popular styles of church music. Pastors and Pentecostal churches supported the expansion of gospel music by starting gospel choirs and hosting outstanding concerts in various Pentecostal churches like opportunity Baptist. Various composers started transcribing and publishing their gospel music and gospel performers protected themselves from exploitation by forming gospel unions. Anderson and James (2007, p. 289) indicate that the gospel growth extended beyond churches in the black community and moved to worldly white venues around the city. Most of the gospel composers and performers received attention via television programs, firms and release of albums by choirs. Thus, t he developed technology has assisted a lot in developing the gospel music worldwide. Many gospel singers have developed new styles of singing and different, exciting music ministries. From neo spiritual to the modern gospel and praise and worship music, these song writers reflect the range of gospel music in Pentecostal churches today. The gospel music composers Wallace (2005, P. 104) indicates that the gospel music was brought substantial change in the Pentecosta

Political Leadership Essay Example for Free

Political Leadership Essay Political Leadership and the Problem of the Charismatic Power Author(s): Carl J. Friedrich Source: The Journal of Politics, Vol. 23, No. 1, (Feb. , 1961), pp. 3-24 Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Southern Political Science Association Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/2127069 Accessed: 04/08/2008 17:34 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTORs Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www. jstor. org/page/info/about/policies/terms. jsp. JSTORs Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www. jstor. org/action/showPublisher? publisherCode=cup. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to build trusted digital archives for scholarship. We work with the scholarly community to preserve their work and the materials they rely upon, and to build a common research platform that promotes the discovery and use of these resources. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [emailprotected] org. http://www. jstor. org POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM OF THE CHARISMATIC POWER* CARLJ. FRIEDRICH Harvard University. introduced sociology into and its derivatives, THE TERM charisma many years ago by a Germansociologist, has lately been spreading into political science here and abroad. The intellectuals desire to sound profound by the use of unfamiliar words may have a share in this fad, but it would seem that the term also responds to a very real need. One recent writer goes so far as to define charisma as the right to rule by virtue of what they (the leaders) have been and are. Needless to say, such vagueness is a far cry from the original usage. 1 In order to be able to assess the utility of the concept of charismatic leadership, charismatic authority (and legitimacy) and charismatic power and rule, it will be necessary to clarify the phenomena of power, rule and leadership which are supposed to be qualified by this quality of being charismatic. Power is a central concern of political science. It is a phenomenon which is universally recognized, but difficult to understand. Like all data of the real world, it defies rigorous definition. Most famous among the attempts at definition is that of Hobbes. He states that power is the present means to secure some future apparent good. (Leviathan Chap. 10) Such a definition (while historically important as a challenge to the traditional notion that what is good can be authoritatively known)2 is both too broad and too narrow. Too broad, because it makes it impossible to distinguish power from wealth; for what is wealth but a present *Based upon a paper delivered at the 1960 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, New York, on September 9, 1960. The problems here discussed will be more fully developed within a systematic context in a forthcoming book on this and related issues. Max Weber, Wirtschaft und GeselIschaft, 1922, Part I, Chap. 3, paras. 1014; Part III, Chap. 9, and elsewhere. An abbreviated edition of Talcott Parsons and Henderson was published under the title The Theory of Social and Economic Organization. The discussion of charisma and charismatic leadership is found on pp. 358ff. The statement quoted on charisma is found in M. S. Lipsett, Political Man (1959) p. 49. 2Hobbes, in consequence, denied the notion of a summum bonum; these Doints were rightly stressed in comments by David Spitz. [3] 4 THE JOURNAL OF POLITICS [Vol. 23 means to secure some future apparent good? Hobbes reply to such an objection would have been, of course, that wealth is a form of power; he says as much in the discussion that follows his definition. Whatever may be the argument here on broad philosophical grounds, it is operationally important today to draw this distinction, in order to differentiate political from economic concerns and thus politics from economics. Actually so broad a definition as Hobbes really identifies power with the totality of resources available to a man to realize his values or purposes. If power is thus defined, what does it mean to say that life is but a ceaseless search for power after power unto death-the famous claim of Hobbes and recited to this day? It simply says that men seek that which they desire, which is little short of tautological. But Hobbes definition is not only too broad; it is also too narrow. For it talks of power as if it were a thing, something to have and to hold, and may be to sit upon like a bag of gold. Power at times possesses this quality, but at other times not at all, and it is important to see it in its dual nature, because only this Janusfaced quality gives to power the perplexing dynamic quality which men feel but find it difficult to account for. Power is not only a thing, a possession, but it is also a relation, as Locke insists in his Essay on Human Understanding (Bk. II, Chap 21) where he states are (powers relations, not agents. If power is looked at in the dimension of time, it becomes clear that its relational quality is the more evident, the longer the time span involved. For it is in the rise and the decline of political power, whether of individuals or of larger groups that the relational quality, the fact that power is always power over other men, becomes evident. In a certain sense, therefore, it is possible to say that the stress upon its quality as a thing, a possession to have and to hold, is the result of an illusion. But such a statement is not wholly justified. Due to the institutionalization of power relationships, presently to be discussed, the power attached to a certain office is a thing, a possession to have and to hold. To be sure, the office may be lost as a result of the way the power is used, but while the office is held, the power is in the hands of him who holds it. Therefore it is appropriate to say that power is to some extent 8It is curious and has been noted occasionallythat Locke in his Essays on Civil Government (I1,4) builds the argument upon Hobbes concept, though the other notion, implicit in his general philosophy, also plays its part. 1961] POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND CHARISMATIC POWER 5 a possession p(l), and to some extent a relation p(2). It is the ratio of the two ingredients which political science must continuously be concerned with. The difference between political phenomena in which the ratio of p(l) and p(2) is greater than one, and those in which the ratio of p(l) to p(2) is smaller than one is familiar to the study of politics. The first is typically a stabilized office, such as that of an hereditary monarch, or of an official of a firmly established republic. The second ratio, p (l)

Movie Analysis On Wag The Dog Media Essay

Movie Analysis On Wag The Dog Media Essay The movie entitled Wag the Dog was directed by Barry Levinson which deals with the relationship between the president the media and the public in the country but most importantly, it focus on the abuse of political powers by the leaders. The film is from 1997 and its timing frame is about 1 hour 37 minutes long. The title of the film comes from the saying in America why does a dog wag its tail? In natural sense to wag a tail simply means to shake it back and forth, which dogs do any time they are happy. If the tail is wagging the dog, then the consequence will be that the dog will be made to be stupid. In short term the tail wagging the dog signified or refers to something that has greater meaning such as a war being driven by something less such as sex scandal. The description of the title set the satirical tone of the movie which is a comedy about how public opinion was manipulated through the means of media. Through this film, people are now enlightened to know what the government can do with a little false-flag media. Never the less the film entails about a president who was officially accused of having a sex with a young teenage girl who belong to a society related to the girls scouts in the white house two weeks before the presidential election, which a media expert was called upon to fix the problem by causing or creating a fake war with Albania to draw the public attention away from what has happen. The media specialists were able to divert the whole sex scandal situation through the film producer named Stanley Motss (played by Dustin Hoffman). we can see that through this movie, media uses images, symbols and signs in order to divert the publics attention on problems that may not be relevant to them but what they may need to complete their lives. This method was derived from the concept of the period called the postmodern where people brains were soaked in such signs, symbols and images. This has also made the public to think that it is reality, mean while it is not but the medias version of reality. It is quite an understanding that Motss uses this style to derive the public attention away from the presidents sex scandal in the movie. The movie success lies on the believe that film does not fail to explain its basic ideas and impressions. In the beginning part of the movie, the background was dark and mysterious as Conrad the spin doctorthe spin doctor the spin doctor the spin doctor and the presidents advisors Robert DeNiro were having a conversation concerning the issue of the sex scandal and sorting out how to divert the public attention from the issue. With this, we can see that a specific setting is used to infer the secrecy of a dark setting as most unveiled plans are made underground without the notice of the public. This ways is represented the same way as in the present days where most gang members will do the same. Already we can see Conrads character as being too much demanding, pessimistic and also intelligent as he was the one who brought the formation of the fake war with Albania. He brought the idea and was the leader of the whole operation and he makes sure that all the plans went well as planned. Stanley Motts is seen as a Hollywood producer that Conrad visits to help him on producing the fake war. St anley Motts acts comparably to any other film producer in the present days as all they ever thought about is acknowledgment (credit) towards a particular project to become famous by achieving something great and to be known. Moreover Conrad and Motts had same ideas of creating a fake war to divert the sexual disaster away from the public. As the saying goes, Great minds think alike, This apply to other politician, Conrad has been in the system for a while and he knows how to cut the grass as he offers a position of being an ambassador to Motts; however Motts wants to do it as a pleasure. This shows how politician can turn ones mind by mentioning the ways of giving a reward which in this case we have seen that the position of an ambassador is guarantee. Moreover, whatever the politician says cannot be seen as a believable fact even through their line of expertise as they try to spin information on somebody, we can see that Conrad plays his own part on Motts to motivate him to produce his fake war. From this point of view, we can say that Conrad is seen as the presidents spin doctor because the president relies on Conrad to make the situation change away from the public connoting the close relationship exi sting by the president and Conrad. During the media scene of building the war, a young teenager girl was used, to act as an Albanian girl, in fact she is an actress being given such a role to run through an empty studio. However, the young girl was holding a bag containing chips instead of a white kitten as Motts could not find the kitten he needed. In the order hands the white kitten was edited by the use of technology instead of the bag of chips in which she was holding, this is to show how media can easily be used to play around with images, by using modern technology which the viewers will not have an idea whether it amount to the reality or not. Moreover the media has made us to understand that it is not everything that we see or hear that is truth. The white kitten that was edited signifies purity, peace and clarity onto the public and makes them more interested in the lost girl at war and not the presidents sex scandal. Latter on the village, sirens and sound effects of somebody screaming were added. This infor mation was played on the evening news and it touches so many hearts of the American people. They unknowingly trusted what they are seeing because it is on the news. at this point we can see how the media was use to quickly changes peoples minds into another dramatic concern at hand which is similar in our contemporary society where we get soaked into some certain advertisements, such as a magazine avert were you actually see most of the models, and you will be amaze because they are considered to be beautiful. Furthermore Conrad and Anne were having a brief talk with a CIA agent claiming that the Albanian war was all a trick. We can see that Politics is shown within the movie where Conrad spins and change the whole statement convincing the CIA agent that the war was real. At the same time, we see another side of Anne, as she does not seem to be involved in the operation which shows the weak side of her character due to the penalties that she may face if she is caught. Another sign of peace and purity was shown during the producing of the war where a young Albanian girl offers the president an offering of helping her and her mother. At the same time, the president offers his coat to the young teenage girls mother which indicates that he is giving her shelter and pity towards her feelings due her suffering in the war. Among many manipulations of the two devise are the creation of a fake war with the poor Albanian villagers, stage event congratulating with the president on his effort to Albania and the final a public inter-relation campaign used to sympathize for the death soldier after the fictionalized war was put to end by the CIA. In conclusion the film Wag the Dog is an interesting and suspicious film that have entirely manages to side up political matters of our modern society. If our entire connection with the reality of politics is through the means of media, or if politics is separated from our ordinary world to the point that we only co-operate through that terrible little box (media), truth will become a frighteningly subjective concept. Moreover, the film has also made us to understand that, we are nothing but pencil in the hands of our manipulators this means that it is not every information we hear that amount to truth.

Comparing Hurston’s Books, Seraph on the Suwannee and Their Eyes Were Watching God :: Compararison

Comparing Hurston’s Books, Seraph on the Suwannee and Their Eyes Were Watching God I found both books, Seraph on the Suwannee and Their Eyes Were Watching God to be very well written, yet I found it very ironic and almost funny to compare the two. Although it may not have been intentional, Hurston uses, what can be called, race reversals to describe Janie and Arvay. Janie is a not-so-typical black woman who is confident and while she is somewhat submissive to her husbands, she has more integrity than her white counterpart, Arvay. The text says when describing her unique beauty, that "the men notice her firm buttocks like she had grape fruits/ in her hip pockets; the great rope of black hair swinging to her/ waist and unraveling in the wind like a plume." Arvay, on the other hand, is "teasing to the fancy of many men," but she is described as, "pretty if you liked delicate-made girls/†¦ (and) could easily be overlooked." The irony of this comparison lies in the fact that unlike life during the time period that the story is written, Janie is seen as an icon of inner-beauty and strength; Arvay is cute, but she isn't as strong. In some of the other literature in this course and others, black women are written as strong characters, but many of them don't live the life that Janie lived. She appeared to have more choices than most and she acted upon her feelings rather than suffering in many cases. She falls in love with her last two husbands without feeling as if she were being raped or forced to do unnecessary things. Unlike her mother, grandmother and other black women, particularly slaves, she is given the chance to be feminine and complete her duties as a wife without subtle forms of torture. I feel that Hurston is using her imagination to "get back" at white women in a sense because she shapes Arvay's character as the one who is slightly oppressed. When the story begins, Arvay is upset with her sister because she "takes" the man that Arvay wants to marry. Because she feels that a piece of the life that she wanted to have (the life of a preacher's wife) is taken away from her, she tries to go into seclusion and ends up marrying a man that she persuaded to love. Her first time having sex with Jim is written as a near rape: "A tearing sound of starched fabric, and the garment was being dragged ruthlessly down her legs.

Business Degree Opportunity Essay

A career in business is more varied than most people realize. Having a career in business you can involve the obvious functions such as management and marketing. Again most people don’t know that you can be the backbone for economic, political and social systems at all levels. Having a business degree can be applied to virtually any industry and can also help you start your own business. Some of the new professional opportunities this degree afford to employees would be a higher position within the company as well a pay increase. Let’s take Krystal’s restaurant for example not only will they pay for your schooling while working there you can apply for a higher position and continue working your way up the latter. For example if you’re an employee you can apply for management and if you’re already a manager you can apply for the district manager position. Those to major moves not only give you a different position but benefits and money comes right alone with it as well. Now don’t get me wrong with this degree you are not limited to just working in restaurants you are able to put in application in doctors office, warehouses, clinics, hotels, and etc. Other types of careers that people with a business degree would have are Accounting, Human Resource, Customer Service, Sales, Receptionist, and Administrative Assistant. All of these jobs come with different pays and benefits. I know somewhere down the line you would want a ball park ideal of how much money can be earned with a business degree. Well I can tell you that you can make anywhere from 27,450 to 60,000. If there are any further questions about the earning potentials a person with a Business Degree has you can check out the Pay Scale web site and it will break it down for you alone with the jobs. Some of the opportunities that I found alone with pay are Administrative Assistant (27,216-38,660), Administrative/Office Manager (33,586-45,060), Office Manager (43,744-60,781), Retail Store Manager (39,588- 48,168), Executive Secretary or Administrative Assistant (30,000- 60,920), Legal Secretary (29,479-53,448), and finally we have Executive Assistant to CEO (49,132-60, 000). So as you see having a degree in Business can really pay off if you apply yourself and have some years of experience behind you and your degree is what determines your pay scale rather it will be high or low. There are a few more jobs that are out there for people with Business Management Degrees such as Non- Profit Organization and it can pay up to 42,911, Government- State Local and it can pay up to 37,000, School/School District and it can pay up To 27,450, Government –Federal can pay up to 52,500, College-University can pay up to 37,500, Foundation/Trust can pay up to 49,000, Private Practice/Firm can pay up to 45,105, Hospital can pay you up to 46,810, Franchise can pay you up to 41,271, Self-Employed can pay you up to 32,250 and last but not least a Contractor can pay you up to 57,704. While looking at the pay scale website I realize that there are plenty Of jobs out there a person can work with an Associate Degree in Business Management . For the longest I have thought that a manager job in either fast food or retail was the only jobs out there that an Associate Degree can get until I found the Business Jobs website. Now that you know there are jobs out there for you let’s talk about all the fun times you will get to have with the company that tries to keep their employees with benefits and increase in retention. I know by now you’re wondering what I mean by benefits and fun. Well I know on a previous job I worked they showed their employees their care and would like for them to hang around for a while by giving them extra benefits. For example when we have a meeting sometimes you could wear your favorite basketball team and they would allow you to have fun and eat once your done it’s time for the meeting. These types of meeting people love to attend. The company even went out of their way for the employees as well they gave out money and a plaque for the employee of the quarter at Christmas time. I can go on and on about this company and the way they retained their employees. So allow me to give you some more examples of the benefits to the company increasing their retention. Some companies sponsors an all- paid vacation to an exotic location, usually to mark the employee’s five-year anniversary with the company. When companies do things like that you give your employees a reason to want to stay with the company for those many years so that is one way to retain your employees. Another way to retain employees is allowing sabbaticals for higher education after certain tenure with the company. The employee’s vacation benefits can take the form of annual holiday to recharge the batteries of life, and company trips to increase teamwork and bonding coworkers. I have learned that it is easier to retain employees by just being honest with them at all times. An employee will be more likely to stay if they know they can depend on you to tell the truth and have their back when needed. You will soon found out that if your treating the employees right and like family that’s the type of results you will receive and your business will be successful. Every business will benefit from happy employees verses the ones that is mad and always ready to go home. Now that you know how some companies keep their employees you should know how it benefit s the company. By retaining the employees the companies save money on turnovers and on training. When a company saves money on things like training or turnovers it allows them to be able to do more for their employees. And by taking care of their employees they will see that their employees will take care of them in the long run. References Pay scale 2000-2011 Pay Scale Bright Hub Inc. 2011 Bright Hub Inc.

Agriculture and Desertification Essay

The world’s drylands, contrary to popular misconceptions of being barren unproductive land, contain some of the most valuable and vital ecosystems on the planet. These dryland environments have surprising diversity and resiliency, supporting over two billion people, approximately thirty-five percent of the global population (UNEP, 2003). In fact, approximately seventy percent of Africans depend directly on drylands for their daily livelihood (UNEP, 2003). However, these precious and crucial areas are at a crossroad, endangered and threatened by the devastating process of desertification. There are over one hundred definitions for the term ? desertification’, however the most widely used and current definition is as follows: desertification refers to the land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions due to human activities and climate variations, often leading to the permanent loss of soil productivity and the thinning out of the vegetative cover (UNCCD, 2003). It is important to note that desertification is not the expansion and contraction of deserts or hyper-arid territories, which grow and decrease both naturally and cyclically. French ecologist Louis Lavauden first used the term desertification in 1927 and French botanist Andre Aubreville, when witnessing the land degradation occurring in North and West Africa in 1949 popularized this term (Dregne, 242). The causes of desertification include overgrazing, overcultivation, deforestation and poor irrigation practices. Climatic variations, such as changes in wind speed, precipitation and temperature can influence or increase desertification rates, but they are not catalysts to the process- it is the exploitative actions of humans that trigger desertification (Glantz, 146). The most exploited area historically has been Africa. In the Sahel (transition zone between the Sahara and the Savanna) of West Africa during the period of 1968 to 1973, desertification was a main cause of the deaths of over 100,000 people and 12 million cattle, as well as the disruption of social organizations from villages to the national level (USGS, 1997). As a result of the catastrophic devastation in the Sahel, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 1977, where an agreement was reached to eradicate desertification by the year 2000. Obviously this goal was not achieved. Countries and organizations, notably in the industrialized world, have been unwilling to provide significant and sufficient financial and economic aid to countries most impacted by this issue (Mainguet, 2003). Consequently, desertification is out of control, threatening the sustainability of the world’s environment, disrupting social structures and well-being, and impairing economic growth. This crisis reaches beyond the local, directly affected communities, impacting and jeopardizing world stability. Environmentally, desertification reduces the world’s freshwater reserves due to water over consumption and irrigation mismanagement, decreases genetic diversity through soil erosion and plant destruction, and also accelerates the carbon exchange process by damaging carbon ? sinks’. Socially, desertification causes population displacement as people search for better living conditions, often leading to conflicts and wars. Another social consequence is a dramatic reduction in the world’s food supply due to the depletion of vital dryland vegetation and a decline in crop yields. Desertification is also linked to a number of health issues such as malnutrition, as clean water and sufficient food resources are extremely scarce. Economically, income potential is lost because land is unproductive, and monetary funds are devoted towards combating desertification, compromising economic growth and development. Crisis management becomes more important than achieving economic goals. Furthermore, increasing levels of poverty have resulted due to dire economic conditions. The international body must devote more time, resources and energy to find effective and long-term solutions that will benefit not only directly-affected areas, but the world at large. The devastating environmental, social and economic ramifications of desertification must be addressed immediately, cooperatively and without hesitation, before the window of opportunity is lost. Desertification has created and encouraged a number of major environmental problems, and has endangered the sustainability of a diverse and clean global environment. Through the use of poor irrigation practices and exploitative human actions for profit, water has been over consumed and desertification has occurred near areas surrounding fresh water supplies, reducing or depleting these reserves. In the desertification process, the shorelines and the aquatic land and soil becomes eroded, salinized and degraded. Thus, feeder rivers decline in quantity and supply, river flow rates decrease and ultimately freshwater reserves are polluted and/or reduced. The reduction of river flow rates and the lowering of groundwater levels leads to the â€Å"silting up of estuaries, the encroachment of salt water into water tables, and the pollution of water by suspended particles and salination† (FAO, 2003). These problems are particularly evident in the Aral Sea in Asia, which at one point was the fourth largest lake in the world (Aral Sea Homepage, 2002). During the Soviet era in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the communist central planners had little regard for water conservation, and over consumed this resource. In order to meet the demand for agricultural irrigation the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) â€Å"diverted water from rivers that flowed into the Aral Sea† (Pacific Island Travel: Desertification, 1999). These exploitative actions dropped water levels by one-third because feeder rivers could no longer replenish the large lake, as illustrated in Appendix 1 (Pacific Island Travel: Desertification, 1999). Not only has the shorelines of the Aral Sea declined, but Lake Chad in Africa has followed a similar fate. Desertification in the Lake Chad region has dropped water levels far below the average dry season amount of â€Å"10,000 square kilometers to only 839 square kilometers† (Earth Crash Earth Spirit, 2001). The reduction of water levels in Lake Chad and the Aral Sea decreases their ability to moderate the local climate, resulting in more extreme variations in temperature and precipitation. Therefore, local ecosystems are disrupted and even destroyed, as the climate becomes more continental in nature, and vital water supplies are scarce or depleted. Desertification reduces the biodiversity and genetic diversity of dryland ecosystems, impairing the sustainability of plants, animals and even humans in these regions. As a consequence of desertification, the soil of arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas becomes eroded, resulting in unproductive and literally useless land. This disrupts the habitats and food sources for many organisms, making sustainable life in these areas very difficult (FAO, 2003). Furthermore, because of freshwater and food scarcity, the life expectancy and actual existence for many species is threatened. This grave consequence was evident in the western African country of Mauritania, where the desertification process, from 1970 to 1980, â€Å"killed approximately 15,000 people and over 500,000 various plants and animals were eradicated† (CIESIN, 2003). Unfortunately, as the severity of desertification escalates in countries like Mauritania, it becomes extremely difficult to maintain biologically diverse ecosystems needed to support the lives of plants, animals and humans. Through the ecological destruction and imbalance caused by desertification, the carbon exchange process is accelerated. Dryland vegetation and soil are crucial storage devices for carbon, and contain â€Å"practically half the total quantity of carbon† (FAO, 2003). Once these elements thin out or become unproductive due to desertification, carbon is released into the atmosphere. It is estimated that for every hectare of dryland vegetation or soil that is depleted or unusable, 30 tonnes of carbon is no longer stored and is released into the atmosphere (FAO, 2003). This elevation of atmospheric carbon contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming. Desertification also has major social consequences, disrupting the social fabric and standard of living for many traditional and Native peoples. On a global level, it threatens the stability and health of a growing population. In the desertification process land is degraded, making it extremely difficult to maintain a successful career and livelihood. Consequently, individuals are forced to relocate to areas with more livable conditions and stronger economic opportunities. This population displacement is evident in the migration of Mexicans to the United States: â€Å"Some 70 percent of all land in Mexico is vulnerable to desertification, one reason why some 900,000 Mexicans leave home each year in search of a better life as migrant workers in the United States† (Environment News Service, 2003). However, in the developing countries of Africa and Asia, impoverished individuals have no option but to become refugees, abandoning their previous livelihoods and simply struggling for survival. United Nations Secretary Kofi Annan stated that in sub-Saharan Africa, â€Å"the number of environmental refugees [refugees due to environmental issues like desertification] is expected to rise to 25 million in the next 20 years. † (Environment News Service, 2003). These refugee movements and population displacement have often caused political and social unrest, and even wars. As a result of desertification, countries fight for control of the scarce natural resources, since previous deposits are depleted or unusable (UNCCD, 2003). The strong, positive correlation between desertification and armed conflict is illustrated in Appendix 2. The population displacement, refugee movements and relationship to wars make desertification devastating to the social security of individuals in affected regions. Desertification has caused a crisis in the world’s food supply, creating concern over the sustainability of an increasing population. Dryland areas are home to some of the most important crops and â€Å"genetic strains of cultivated plants which form the basis of the food and health of the world’s population† (FAO, 2003). Some of these products include cereal crops, oil seeds, grain legumes and root crops. In drylands affected by desertification, land that was once agriculturally viable can no longer be used, as it is essentially a wasteland. Even if agriculture is feasible, the nutrient poor soil makes it extremely difficult to grow a large quantity of a certain crop. This has crippled the food supply, at a time when its sustainability is already in question. According to the United Nations: â€Å"a nutritionally adequate diet for the world’s growing population implies tripling food production over the next 50 years under favourable conditions. If desertification is not stopped and reversed, food yields in many affected areas will decline† (UNCCD, 2003). Thus, desertification creates uncertainty as to the adequacy of the world’s food production, endangering the supportability of a growing population. There is a strong, positive correlation between desertification and serious health concerns and diseases. The increasing rate of desertified areas has created a crisis in the world’s food and water supplies. As a result, food and water are extremely scarce, and â€Å"malnutrition, starvation and ultimately famine will result from desertification† (UNCCD, 2003). This has prompted concern and anxiety within the World Health Organization stating, â€Å"we [the WHO] is becoming increasingly worried with the consequences of desertification, such as malnutrition and famine† (WHO Denmark, 2003). Desertification is also indirectly linked to many severe epidemics, notably in Africa. The drying of water sources due to desertification forces people to use heavily polluted water, leading to disastrous health problems. According to the World Health Organization, â€Å"desertification and droughts can increase water-related diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and diarrhoeal diseases† (WHO Denmark, 2003). Recent research and studies have also suggested that malaria incidences have escalated significantly in desertified areas. The strong, positive correlation between malaria and desertification is depicted in Appendix 3. Furthermore, soil erosion and land degradation has resulted in the creation of dust storms and poor air quality. This has had a very negative toll on human health and â€Å"results in mental stress, eye infections, respiratory illnesses and allergies† (UNCCD, 2003). Therefore, desertification is strongly associated with dust storms, poor air quality, malnutrition, famine, and epidemics, all of which are enormously hazardous to human health. In an attempt to combat and rehabilitate desertified land, precious economic funds are required and exhausted. Consequently, resources are drained, resulting in the weakening of local economies and the compromising of national development goals. As the desertification process continues, attention and money is spent on crisis management, not on growth and development. Due to the depletion of natural resources, desertification contributes to decreased income levels and productivity losses. This is specifically true in agricultural regions and severely stunts economic growth. The worldwide cost of desertification, expressed as income foregone amounts to approximately $11 billion for irrigated land, $8 billion for rainfed cropland, and $23 billion for rangeland, for a total cost of $42 billion (CIESIN, 2003). This value may not seem astronomical for developed countries like Canada, Britain and the United States, but for nations in the developing world, these figures are devastating. According to an unpublished World Bank study, â€Å"the depletion of natural resources causing income loss in one Sahelian country was equivalent to 20% of its Gross Domestic Product† (UNCCD, 2003). Desertification has thus crippled present earnings as well as income potential in the future, hurting not only individuals but also entire economies. In an effort to improve future conditions, developing countries devote significant amounts of their limited monetary resources to combating and rehabilitating land affected by desertification, severely impeding their economic growth. Land rehabilitation costs are those incurred for stopping further degradation and to restore the land to something approaching its original condition. Unfortunately, this requires a significant amount of investment that could have been used for economic development, as opposed to just repairing land. On a per hectare basis, it is estimated that â€Å"a cost of $2,000 is needed to improve irrigated land, $400 for rainfed cropland, and $40 for rangeland† (CIESIN, 2003). To people living in the developing world, these costs consume much, if not all of their incomes, obviously crippling their careers and livelihoods. Although there is the potential to repair and rehabilitate almost all land affected by desertification only â€Å"52 per cent (1,860 million hectares) can pay back the cost of rehabilitation† (CIESIN, 2003). Thus, many farmers and individuals reclaim land, but because of huge overriding costs, they actually lose money as productivity remains stagnant. Therefore, limited monetary funds are spent towards crisis management, sacrificing national development and economic growth. Desertification is directly linked to the mass poverty occurring in the developing world. Individuals consistently endure an impoverished lifestyle because income potential is foregone, and resources are devoted towards rehabilitation, therefore scarce economic funds are depleted. United Nations Secretary Kofi Anna states: â€Å"Because the poor often farm degraded land, desertification is both a cause and consequence to poverty? Fighting desertification must be an integral part of our wider efforts to eradicate poverty† (Environment News Service, 2003). If the desertification process continues to grow exponentially, mass poverty will also increase both in size and in severity. Thus, in order to address poverty, desertification must be contained and controlled. Currently, desertification affects over 250 million people and a third of the earth’s land surface (4 billion hectares) (UNCCD, 2003). In addition, the livelihoods of over one billion people in over 100 countries are indirectly threatened (UNCCD, 2003), as shown in the map in Appendix 4. It is estimated that in the next 50 years, another billion people will fall victim to the wrath of desertification and its related environmental, social, and economic ramifications (CIESIN, 2003). The depletion and contamination of fresh water sources, the reduction in biodiversity, and the acceleration of the carbon cycle make desertification devastating to the sustainability of the environment. Socially, desertification forces people to migrate which may eventually lead to wars or conflicts, creates a major catastrophe for the world’s food supply, and is scientifically correlated to major health concerns, even epidemics such as malaria. The economic status of developing countries impacted by the desertification process is jeopardized as high levels of income are foregone, and resources are devoted towards rehabilitation, not towards growth and development. Furthermore, poverty in African and Asian nations has grown exponentially due to this process, creating humanitarian and economic crises. The world’s future is at stake, and it is imperative that the global community acts now. Desertification is a preventable process, but requires a coordinated approach involving effort from the local, national and global communities. Local and national governments must implement methods of soil and water conservation, and utilize traditional agricultural systems that support positive environmental strategies. The industrialized world must supply the economic and technological aid necessary for these conservation techniques (UNCCD, 2003). Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite technology is a modern technique that can be effectively used in combating desertification. GPS satellites can actually pinpoint and locate areas vulnerable or prone to desertification, acting as excellent early warning signs. This allows governments to implement various techniques and policies to prevent damage done by desertification. As former United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated in a letter to governors on February 26, 1937, â€Å"a nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself† (Dingle, 2003). The battle to combat desertification is a war that can be lost, but must be won. Now is the time to win the fight before this glimmer of hope disappears. Appendix 1: Time-Series Photos of the Aral Sea Source: Aral Sea Homepage, 2002 These pictures were taken using LANDSAT TM satellite technology. The reddish shade represents the vegetation around the Aral Sea. The northern part of the image is the shoreline of the sea. Notice how in 1979 the shoreline is quite large, while in 1989 it is non-existent, illustrating the decreasing water levels. What is also striking is the white shade on the satellite photo from 1989. This represents an artificial saltpan, caused by desertification and desiccation. Appendix 2: World Map of Armed Conflicts and Desertification Source: CIESIN, 2003 Most of the armed conflicts occurring from 1989-97 are in highly desertified areas. Thus, there is a strong positive correlation between desertification and armed conflict. Appendix 3: Map of Desertification Vulnerability and Malaria Risk in Africa For both maps, red represents the highest severity, followed by orange, yellow, green and lastly white. In desertified areas, much of the population is at risk of malaria, thus there is a strong, positive correlation between desertification and malaria. Appendix 4: World Map of Desertification Vulnerability Source: CIESIN, 2003 Works Cited Aral Sea Homepage. â€Å"Aral Sea Region: Kyzylorda Oblast, Kazakhstan. † 2002. . CIESIN: Center for Earth Science Information Network. â€Å"Global Desertification Dimensions and Costs. † 29 July 2003. . DEWA: Divisions of Warning and Assessment, United Nations. â€Å"Desertification and Drought Identification. † 2002. . Dingle, Carol, et al. â€Å"Franklin D. Roosevelt Quotations. † 2003. . Dregne, H. E. , et al. Desertification of Arid Lands. New York: Harwood Academic Publishers, 1983.