The Impact of Coca Eradication in Colombia and Bolivia

Cesar Pelli, Profile of the Petronas Towers Architect

Cesar Pelli, Profile of the Petronas Towers Architect Cesar Pelli has become known as a master designer of public spaces such as the Commons of Columbus (1970-1973) in Columbus, Indiana, the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center (1980-1989) in New York, and Founders Hall (1987-1992) in Charlotte, North Carolina. Some critics say that Pellis public rooms contribute to modern-day life in the same way the Italian piazza shaped life in the 16th century. Pelli and his colleagues are often praised for using a wide variety of materials and designs, seeking new solutions for each location. Believing that buildings should be responsible citizens, Pelli strives to design buildings that work within the surrounding city. In 1997, Pellis design for the Petronas Towers was erected in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Petronas Towers are among the tallest buildings in the world. Background: Born: October 12, 1926 in Tucuman, Argentina. Cesar Pelli emigrated to the United States in 1952 and later became a U.S. citizen. Education and Professional: Diploma in Architecture, University of Tucuman, ArgentinaMaster in Architecture, University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign1977: Founded Cesar Pelli Associate, renamed Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects in 20051977-1984: Professor and Dean of the Yale University School of Architecture After completing his Masters degree in architecture, Pelli spent ten years working in the offices of Eero Saarinen. He served as Project Designer for the TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport in New York and Morse and Stiles Colleges at Yale University. He later became Director of Design at Daniel, Mann, Johnson Mendenhall (DMJM) in Los Angeles, and from 1968 to 1976 he was Partner for Design at Gruen Associates in Los Angeles. While at Gruen, Pelli is known to have collaborated with Norma Merrick Sklarek on a number of works, including the US Embassy in Tokyo. Cesar Pelli Associates was founded in 1977. Pelli Skyscrapers and Towers: 1977-1984: MOMA Residential Tower, New York City1981-1987: World Financial Center (renamed Brookfield Place), New York City1986: Canary Wharf Tower, London, England1990: NTT Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan1998: Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia2003: Two International Finance Centre (IFC), Hong Kong (design architect)2004: Bloomberg Tower, New York City2012: Iberdrolas Tower (Torre Iberdrola), Bilbao, Spain Pelli Museums and Theaters: 1984: Mattatuck Museum, at Waterbury, Connecticut1987: Charlotte Performing Arts Center, at Charlotte, North Carolina1987-1990: Carnegie Hall Tower, at New York, New York1991: Ohio Center for Performing Arts, at Cincinnati, Ohio1996: Cinema in Celebration, Florida2006: Carnival Center, now called the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami, Florida2006: Renà ©e and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and Samueli Theater, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa, Orange County, California2008: BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma2009: Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, Connecticut Notable Pelli Architecture: 1966: Worldway Postal Center, at Los Angeles, California1967: COMSAT Laboratories, at Clarksburg, Maryland1967: Kukai Gardens Housing, at Honolulu, Hawaii1969: San Bernardino City Hall, at San Bernardino, California1975: Pacific Design Center, at Los Angeles, California1976: US Embassy, Tokyo, Japan1982-1984: Herring Hall, at Rice University, Houston, Texas2005: Malone Engineering Center at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut2006: Minneapolis Central Library, Minnesota2009: ARIA Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada2017: Transbay Transit Center, San Francisco, California Selected Awards: Cesar Pelli has received more than 200 architecture awards. Some highlights: 1995: Gold Medal, AIA (American Institute of Architects)2004: The Aga Khan Award for the design of the Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia2008: Lynn S. Beedle Award, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Board of Trustees Quotation - In the Words of Cesar Pelli: A building must be both background and foreground. As foreground, it must have some exceptional qualities. But it must also try very hard to knit into the fabric of the city. Learn More: Observations for Young Architects by Cesar Pelli, Monacelli Press, 1999Petronas Towers: The Architecture of High Construction by Cesar Pelli and Michael J. Crosbie, Wiley-Academy Press, 2001Cesar Pelli: Selected and Current Works by Cesar Pelli, 1994 Source: Cesar Pelli FAIA, RIBA, JIA, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects Webstie [accessed October 12, 2015]

Wade & Wolf Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wade & Wolf Analysis - Essay Example Both Wolf and Wade focus on the impacts of globalization on the level of poverty and pay inequality in the world. Wolf is of the opinion that globalization has reduced poverty and pay inequality but Wade refutes Wolf’s statement. Wade doubts the creditability of sources upon which Wolf had based his judgment. â€Å"But recent research on where the Bank got the 1.2 billion suggests that the method for calculating the numbers is probably to understate the true numbers in poverty.† (Wade 440). Wade thinks the inequality in the field of income among countries is measured through an incorrect method. He mentions that household expenditure can aid in providing the correct picture about unequal income distribution. The difference in the household expenditure proves that the inequality in pay among various countries is on increase. He proves his stance by providing the statistics that bring forth disparity in wages. â€Å"Roughly 85 percent of world income goes to 20 percent o f the world’s population and 6 percent to 60 percent of the world’s population†. (Wade 441). He differs from Wolf’s view that globalization aids in the development of the country. But while looking at the inequalities in income distribution, Wade ignores the situation in China and India. And it is this attitude of Wade that Wolf refers to in his article; Wolf says that India and China with their enormous population cannot be overlooked while analyzing the changing trends in the field of poverty and income distribution. â€Å"But why would one want to exclude two countries that contained 60 percent of world’s poorest people two decades and still contain almost 40 percent of world’s population today?† (Wolf 442). Wolf contrasts with Wade when it comes to the contribution of India and China in narrowing the gap of inequality that has been prevailing in average income for countries all over

Obesity and How the Media and Society Play a Major Role Research Paper

Obesity and How the Media and Society Play a Major Role - Research Paper Example The best measure for defining obesity is using the body mass index. With the help of a person’s height and weight, BMI is calculated. Often people think that obesity is a cosmetic consideration. It is not just a cosmetic consideration, but there is more to it. It is a chronic disease which often leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, gallstones and various other chronic diseases. It is not easy to treat because the relapse rate of obesity is very high. Within a span of five years, 95 percent of people who lose the weight regain it. The treatment of obesity is not short termed even though medications and diets can be helpful. It has to be a lifelong process with a commitment to proper diet habits, increased physical activity and regular exercise. One should always concentrate on living a healthier lifestyle, rather than focusing on having an ideal weight (Balentine 2012). In this paper we will extensively talk about obesity in the children how does media and soc iety contributes to it. Increasing trends among obesity in children represents an unprecedented burden on their health. the medical complications which are commonly found in overweight children includes hypertension, type 2 diabetes, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problem, troubles in sleeping and depression. According to research, there is a variety of unrelated media factors, which contribute to obesity among children. These may include a reduction in physical education classes, after-school athletic programs have reduced, public schools have started supplying sodas and snacks. We can also see the increasing number of fast food restaurants, the concept of ‘super sizing’ of food portions and the increasing number of high calorie and high fat grocery products which are easily available. The potential costs that are associated with childhood obesity is considered to be as surprising by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The other potential contributor in the rising ra tes of childhood obesity is media. There has been an explosion in the media channels and shows which targets to children during the same period in which trends of increasing childhood obesity are observed. In addition to this, there has been an increase in videos, specialized cable networks, video games, internet websites and other computer activities. An average of five and a half hours are spent by children today on media. This time spent is equivalent to a full time job. This time spent is more than an average person spends on anything apart from sleeping. Same is the case with the pre-school children. They spend more time with screen media: which includes TV, video games and computer games, than playing outside. Much of the media that targets the children is laden with elaborate advertising campaigns, which mostly promotes candy, soda and snacks. Studies show that on an average, a child watches 40,000 ads a year on TV alone. According to the theory of experts, pediatricians and media researchers, media contributes largely to childhood obesity. Firstly, the time which a child spends using media displaces the time which they could spend on physical activities. Secondly, the advertisements, which are related to food, influences a child in making unhealthy food choices. Moreover, the food products are made more attractive when some famous TV character or a cartoon character is the ambassador of that product. This encourages children to buy and eat

MBA Marketing Analysis and Planning

MBA Marketing Analysis and Planning The report analyzes the market for Converses Chucks All Star range of footwear in the United States of America and includes a look at other competitive brands for comparison. Graphs depicting market data in terms of net sales in US dollars have been included to support the findings. The report segments the market for Chucks on basis of demographic, psychographic and behavioral factors and then moves on to highlight the target market for the canvas shoe. Also included is the market position of Chucks relative to its competitors. The report describes the products marketing mix and its influence on the market position and customers buying behavior. Also, the approach has been criticized in terms of current and future opportunities. Finally, the report draws a conclusion of the market Introduction to Converse and Chucks All Star It all began in 1908, when Marquis M. Converse launched the Converse Rubber shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts. The company started as a manufacturer of rubber shoes, which offered winterized rubber soled footwear for men, women, and children. By the year 1910 the Converse Shoe Company was producing 4,000 shoes daily, but it was not until 1912, that it first began producing athletic shoes for tennis. In 1917, the company revolutionized basketball by introducing the worlds first canvas high-top performance basketball shoes, that it named the All Star. Five years later, a semi-professional basketball player, Charles Chuck Taylor officially joined Converse as Americas first sports player endorser; Chucks signature was added two years later in the All Star patch and for the next four decades, Chucks, as they became known, were the shoes to have, particularly on the basketball court. The involvement of America in World War II (1941) took Converse into a new phase and it began manufacturing boots and ponchos. Converse designed the A6 Flying Boot for the U.S. Army Air Corps and even post the war these shoes remained the government issued athletic shoes for military training. For its war efforts Converse received a number of honors from the Army, Navy, and U.S. Treasury. Converse shoes became the number one footwear among the teenagers, who wore them as a symbol of youth rebellion in the 50ÂÂ ´s and for the same reason they continued to be popular in the 70ÂÂ ´s and 80ÂÂ ´s. But it was in the late 80ÂÂ ´s that Converses popularity started to decline. A series of unfortunate events and bad decisions lead Converse to file for bankruptcy in 2001. In June, 2003 Nike bought Converse out for $305 million and has ever since invested more than four million dollars into its advertising. Today, Converse has over 1,000 different types of Chucks selling in the market to individuals and organizations, all with the same goal WEAR A SHOE THAT MAKES A STATEMENT. As mentioned in the mission statement of the company: Our MISSION is to deliver personal service to our customers knowing that soon we will become friends. Our hope is that we provide the same shoes that our owners father wore for cross country in 1965, and his grandfather wore to play stickball in the streets of Philadelphia in the 30s. This report is an outcome of an analysis of marketing strategies used by Converse in the United States of America. The main purpose of the report is to indicate the market segmentation and target customer base of Converses most famous range of shoes, the Chucks or Converse All Star, in the U.S. The report further analyzes the position of Converse in the footwear industry in comparison to its competitors; the positive and negative aspects of the positioning strategies. It further discusses the product, pricing, promotional and distribution strategies and their influence on the buying behavior. Market Segmentation, Target Market and Positioning of Chucks Converse claims to be the first shoe company to launch footwear with Self Expression and till date Chucks enjoy the status of being the most popular shoes with this advantage. Despite this fact, Converse prefers to focus only on certain preference clusters and chooses target marketing over traditional mass marketing. The market for the Chucks All Stars has primarily been segmented according to demographic factors, namely, age and income. Furthermore, the company also divides the market on basis of psychographic factors like lifestyle and personality. Behavioral factors, like attitude and user status, have also been used to segment the market further. The product goes beyond segmenting the market on basis of gender, by offering shoes for both men and women, and also unisex shoes. The market for the Chucks has been segmented on basis of the following factors: Demographic Under this factor the U.S. population is primarily categorized on basis of age, discretionary income and generation. The age groups have been split into four parts, namely: under 13, 13 to 19, 20 to 35 and above 35. *Further, the income groups have been divided into: 0 income (students), $ 1 to $ 30,000 (young entry-level professionals) and above $ 30,000 (upper middle class). The generations have been segmented into baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (those born between 1964 and 1984) and Generation Y (those born after 1984). Psychographic For this factor the market has been categorized on basis of lifestyle and personality. The population of the U.S. has been segmented on basis of lifestyle into seven groups, namely: Resigned Rigid, authoritarian, chauvinistic (older) Mainstream Domestic, conformist, conventional (Part of the mass, favoring big brands) Aspirer Materialistic, acquisitive, image conscious, attractive more important than quality of contents (Younger, clerical/sales type occupation) Succeeder Strong goal orientation, confidence, work ethic (Top management) Explorer Energy-autonomy, adventurous (Younger students) Reformer Freedom from restriction, intolerant of bad taste ( Higher education) Behavioral The market has been segmented on basis of loyalty status into Hard-core loyals, split loyals, shifting loyals and switchers. Also, attitudes of the American populace have been used to factor the market into: upbeat enjoyers, insecures and financial positives. Converse has analyzed web users online activities to figure out who is most likely to be interested in its product, which enables them to place ads on whatever sites those consumers are visiting. For example, behavioral segments important to the footwear industry, such as fashion-interested, outdoor sports enthusiast or soccer mom, would be based on where the user has gone and/or what they have done on various web pages. Share of U.S. Footwear Retail Sales by Consumer Group and Major Product Category, 2008 (%) Target Market With respect to the segments classified above, the Chucks have been made to target two age groups: the Teens, ranging from 13 to 19 years of age and the entry-level professionals ranging from the age of 20 to 35. The Chucks are designed for both male as well as the female consumers with different variations and patterns for both. The product also offers a unisex range to its consumers. Chucks marketing strategy also targets the zero, mid and upper range income groups. The marketing focus lies mainly on the younger generation, Generation X (Gen X) and Generation Y (The Echo Boomers), who fall in the Aspirer, Explorer or Reformer category based on lifestyles. *The shoes became very popular with rock musicians, and younger generations wore them for their distinctive looks, colors, and comfort and as an alternative to the high priced high performance shoes made by Nike and other companies. They were considered a leisure shoe and also were purchased because they were fashionable.* People from inner-directed hierarchy of stages, particularly I-am-me and Experimental lifestyles are being targeted. Product Positioning of Chucks relative to its competitors Converse once stood for athletic footwear. Now the brand has developed into a fashion statement for the retro-modern sub-culture prevalent in todays generation and is marketed as a Classic shoe for the new generation. Converse has obtained a good position in the buyers mind through better product attributes, price, quality and image, offering the product in a different way than the competitors do. The company offers the product in a variety of colors and styles at an affordable price with high branding, which ultimately helps to position the Chucks, in the buyers perspective, as trendy yet simple shoes. Converse has adopted the Cultural Symbol Approach to position Chucks in the market by associating the product with the basketball legend Chuck H. Taylor and appending his signature with the brand logo. The brand value of Converse is such that owning a pair of Chucks is equivalent to owning a piece of history, which apparently is a value offered by none other in the market. The Product User Approach for positioning the Chucks relative to its competitors. Another advantage Converse enjoys over its competitors is the association of the brand with music. The shoe became associated with puck rock and counter culture after being worn by the bands The Ramones and Blondie, who communicated with both strong music and fashion statements. The Ramones used the shoe as part of their street image with black leather jacket and blue jeans whereas Blondie gave the shoe a glossier menswear revamp creating an alternative suiting look as band members wore red and black colored Chucks with tight black pants, black jackets, shirts and ties on the cover of their Parallel Lines LP. Adopting the Product User Approach to position the Chucks Converse have also collaborated with designer John Varvatos and worked on several innovative marketing and charitable projects. They also released a collection of Converse shoes inspired by Kurt Cobain featuring artwork sourced from Cobains journals. Cobain was often seen wearing Converse and was wearing Chucks when he ki lled himself. The Converse Cobain collection has earned a mixed response from Nirvana fans who have noted that Cobain was particularly concerned about corporate appropriation of counter culture value. The unique selling proposition (USP) of Converse All Star is their simple design, wearing which the consumers declare the ownership of the old-school essence. The classic 2-ply canvas and rubber sole has been the only design that Converse shoes have revolved around and always will. Apart from the image value provided by Chucks, the product also provides its consumers with a diversity of patterns and colors to choose from, a most attractive attribute for the youth. Moreover, Chucks also come in low ankle height design and high boots to suit the style of every individual. The Chucks also compliment almost all outfits for both the genders. Be it under skinny jeans, or a short skirt, Chucks can give a trendy look to all. The big broad colored laces in the shoes can easily be arranged by youngsters in different ways to give a new look on every arrangement. It has also been a fad amongst youngsters to paint the shoes highlighting their individualism. *Therefore, Chucks are more than just shoes. Marketing Mix and Market Position of Chucks This section describes the way Converse uses the tactical marketing tools for marketing Chucks in the United States. This section will cover the product attributes, pricing, distribution channels and promotional activities of Chuck Taylor All Star. Product The benefits provided by Chucks can be classified into three groups: The core benefits of the product comprise of the fact that Chucks are classic kicks that fit any look. They provide a perceived look of self-expression, free-spirit and creativity for every owner. Also, Chucks are easy to care for and teens prefer them because of the low maintenance feature that comes from a simple canvas and rubber design. The actual benefit of the shoe is its exquisite quality for a reasonable price. The Chucks use 2 ply canvas and a sturdy rubber toe-guard, which looks trendy and at the same time protects your feet. Although Chucks are not designed for athletics, they feel pretty comfortable and have a relatively simple design. Another special quality is their ability to transcend cultures; they appeal to punks, rebels, athletes, and kids. Another benefit of chucks is that they come in an unimaginable range of colors and also are packaged in color-themed shoe boxes, making it more appealing to the target consumer base. One of the most important features of chucks is that they provide the consumer with a variety of choices in terms of designs and patterns. The consumer can choose from hi-top, low-top, X-Hi and Slip-On. Above all, Converse is a recognized brand in the market of canvas shoes. Because of this, even after Nike took over Converse, they carried on the range with the same brand name. Augmented benefits include, the consumers being offered with an option to buy a customizable shoe with user-generated content, allowing users to design and select colors for the entire shoe. Consumers are able to create unique custom canvas shoes by uploading their own designs, patterns, illustrations, images and text, and then preview their shoes instantly. Users can also embellish their shoe designs with preset colors and patterns. The shoes are embellished and assembled from scratch within 24 to 48 hours, which enables consumers to receive their shoes in one to two weeks. Apart from all these benefits offered by Chucks, they also come in limited editions for those who want an exclusive shoe. Converse keeps coming up web exclusive offers to increase sales and make consumers revisit the site frequently. The sales and purchase agreement of Converse also offers an easy return within 30 days if the consumer happens to be unsatisfied with his online purchase. If purchased at high-end retailer, satisfaction guarantee Price Converses Chucks are priced quite reasonably relative to its competitors. On one hand, where brands like Sketchers, Vans, Levis, Adidas and Lee Cooper, offer the same quality and style for a high price, Converse All-Stars dont usually cost more than $35-60. Chucks are positioned to suit practically every pocket. Consumers can also avail the Just Reduced and Last Chance offers on particular shoes while purchasing online. The company usually provides discount coupons or vouchers on in-store purchases which can be utilized at the time of the next buy. Place/Distribution Converse has 53 outlets in the Unites States located in all major cities like California, Florida and Texas. (www.converse.com) Apart from exclusive Converse Stores, the product is also distributed to major retailers and is sold to the consumer through a variety of channels. According to data from BIGresearch, in the years 2006-2008 BIGresearch, nearly 18% of adult consumers have no preference for a particular branded outlet, 12% of consumers shop most often at Wal-Mart and Payless for footwear. Chucks can also be bought online from Converses official website www.converse.com. Promotion Apart from competing in price, Converse has to fight for market share through strategies like strengthening brand image and product proliferation. The brand image of Converse is created by extensive marketing campaigns and celebrity endorsements. The product has had a collection of classic advertisements after Nike invested a sum of $4 million post its takeover of Converse. The figure below shoes the growth in the sales of Converse after Nike pushed its promotion. Nike, Inc. Net Sales of Cole Haan, Converse Other Products and Percent of Total Net Sales, 2005-2009 (in millions $) Source: Nike, Inc. annual reports and press releases. Chucks have been marketed by famous personalities like Chuck H. Taylor, The Ramones and Will Smith from the field of sports, music and entertainment respectively. Converse has been actively building up a presence within the hip, indie/alternative music youth culture for the better part of the past decade, in particular emphasizing its retro-tinged Chuck Taylor All Star brand. Previously, the company has tapped musicians like Tokyo Police Club and Matt Kim to design shoes and sponsored collaborative singles from blog-hyped acts, including a recent release from Best Coast, Kid Cudi, and Vampire Weekends Rostam Batmanglij. The company also sponsors rock concerts, a kind of event associated with the target market. Since Converse is more like a community, a part of its advertising is done by its existing consumers through Word of Mouth (WOM) and internet blogs. Influence of Marketing Mix on Buying Behavior for Chucks Though the marketing mix needs to be updated on a regular basis to suit the variable needs of the existing customer base and to foray into newer markets, Converse has always promoted Chucks as an affordable trendy shoe for youngsters. With its classic customizable range of kicks, Chucks directly meets the need of creativity and self-expression for the youth. Also, the association of the brand with music since decades is a strong attraction to the followers of punk rock. Colors, styles, fashions, and what is likely to be hot are important criteria in the design of fashion footwear, and Chucks meet them all. Moreover, Converse is a renowned brand for canvas shoes and this brand familiarity influences the buyers decision to purchase Chuck Taylors each time he walks into a store with the intent of buying a pair of shoes. Chucks are reasonably priced and therefore are more likely, than its competitors, to be purchased. The frequent discounts and offers that Converse comes up with play a significant role in attracting the customers. The vouchers earned on in-store purchases work to persuade the customers to shop at Converse again. With several factory stores in the important cities of the country, Converse has made the purchase of Chucks quite convenient for its customers. Comforters are also lured by the option of website purchases and the availability of the shoe in ubiquitous retailers like Wal-Mart and Payless. The association that Converse has made with the celebrities from all spheres of life, sports to music to media, has helped it make a positive impression on minds of the targeted younger generation. The followers of indie/punk rock also relate with Converse much more than with any other brand, owing to Converses sponsorships of music events. Also, since Converse is a recognized brand, customers tend to buy Chucks since influencers or the reference groups possess the shoe. Conclusion Converse is a recognized brand in the fashion footwear industry, which positions its Shoe, Chucks All Star, as a shoe of self-expression. The product is reasonably priced and targets the younger generation of students and young professionals. With a variety of designs and colors, high quality standards and relatively low pricing, Chucks are amongst the most preferred shoes in the target market. Converse promotes Chucks through a number of distribution channels and celebrity endorsements. Overall with its marketing activities Chucks has been a successful brand. The only area in which Chucks are lagging is the athletic footwear segment which is huge market to be forayed in.

Ishmael, the Sacrifice of Abraham :: Islam History Religion Religious Papers

Ishmael, the Sacrifice of Abraham Introduction The tragedy of strained relations between Islamic and Judeo-Christian countries is a part of everyday life. One need only pick up a newspaper or check the news story of the day via television, radio, or internet to learn of the latest violent attack by a suicide bomber or military retaliation on such an attack. The terrorist attacks have been perpetrated by countries that are predominantly Islamic with the counter attacks coming from a well-armed Israel, supported by US arms sales as well as US silence. Arecent CNN talk show byline queried, â€Å"Are we at war with Islam?† One does sometimes wonder. Israel has long held a policy of counter attack to deal with terrorists harbored by governments of neighboring countries. Following 9/11, the United States government adopted this policy. As part of this new policy the US military went after terrorists in Afghanistan and destroyed the country’s infrastructure as well as innocent civilians in the process. In early 2003, Iraq was attacked for the same reasons, with the same resulting damage. Terrorism directed against Iraqis and Coalition forces as well as military retaliation by Coalition forces continues to make the headlines in occupied Iraq. The cycle of violence continues. To say the cause of political friction in the Middle East is due to religious differences is too simplistic as well as unduly inflammatory. Other things come into play, such as protection of US interests involving energy production, and even control of the water supply by Israel and its neighboring countries. However, to say the violence has nothing to do with religious differences denies the past 4,000 years of history. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, three of the world’s great religions, have their roots as well their â€Å"holiest places† in the Middle East. All three religions revere Abraham as a common ancestor. Yet all three have had bloody interchanges throughout history. How and why did Abraham’s children become such a dysfunctional family? Where is God in this â€Å"family feud?† Finding answers to these theological questions that could help provide a peaceful future are important for all. Conflicts surrounding this â€Å"family of God† involve more people and places than were involved even 50 years ago. For example, currently there are more Muslims living in the United States than Methodists (Geisler and Saleeb, 2001).1 The Story of Ishmael One must wonder what event or events provided such fertile ground for violence and bad feelings to thrive?

Process or Reality Therapy

Reality therapy is an active, directive, and didactic model for change that stresses the person’s present behavior. A basic tenet of reality therapy is that individuals are responsible for their own behavior. It is a common sense approach an can be used by a wide variety of persons as well as highly trained professionals (Videbeck, 2007). The focus of reality therapy is behavior, not attitude, insight, feelings, one’s past, or unconscious motivation. This model refutes the medical model and encourages positive growth and success.It concentrates on what the clients can do practically to change behavior to fulfill their needs. The client is asked to identify wants and needs. They are asked to evaluate their behavior, formulate a plan for change, and follow though with their plan (Read, 1997). Reality therapy is grounded in the assumption that we all create our inner world. How the real world exists is not important, but rather what is important is the way we perceive it t o exist. Behavior is an attempt to control our perceptions of external world to fit our internal and personal world (Fatout, 1992).The process of reality therapy is: 1) Make friends – establish a warm, supportive relationship, and insist that clients take a look at the lives they are choosing to lead. 2) Focus upon daily activities and ask what they are doing now. 3) Ask the question: Is what you are doing helping you? 4) Help the client make a plan to do better. Using reality therapy requires a lot of time used in planning and checking with the client on how the plans are being carried out. 5) Commitment to the plan. 6) No excuses.7) No nourishment.These two go together, when there is commitment to plan, there is no excuse for not following through. 8) Never give up. To approach a person with the idea that, if things don’t work, we’re going to give up. Always have as your motto â€Å"We have just begun to fight. † 9) Once the relationship has developed a level of trust and friendship, introduce the client to Jesus Christ and present the plan of salvation. Incorporating biblical principles is the area of problem solving (Watson & Watson, 2005).