The Life of William Shakespeare Essay - 664 Words

â€Å"Sweet the use of adversity which is like a toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.† (William Shakespeare: As You like It, Act ll scene l.) William Shakespeare, the name of a much appreciated and famous playwright/writer, who is this man? Who is the man many English experts from around the world regard as the â€Å"most read and performed playwright in the world†? (Shakespeare’s life: April 23, 2014). Where was he born? Who was his family? Where did he live? Who exactly was William Shakespeare? John and Mary Shakespeare were simple people dealing in farm equipment and wool, when they brought William, the third out of eight children, into the world on April 23, 1564, in the quiet town of Stratford. Joan the first child†¦show more content†¦They soon found themselves with three kids, Susana being the first (born in 1583) followed by the twins, Hamnet and Judith in 1585 (William Shakespeare’s biography: April 23, 2014). The time period of 1585 to 1592 are recorded as the â€Å"lost years† because what William did, and lived is hazy, and regarded as unreliable informations. It was, however, recorded that Hamnet died in an unexplained accident in 1590 (Shakespeare’s life: April 23, 2014). Following the lost years was hi introduction into the theater and writing career, although that wasn’t always easy, he was torn between work in London and his family in Stratford, approximately thirty-three miles away. In 1592 William reappeared as an â€Å"upstart crow†, in a pamphlet by Robert Green. By 1592, William had also already wrote and performed the plays ‘Henry iv series’, and ‘The comedy of Errors’. In 1593 when the theaters closed down due to outbreaks of the bubonic plague, William wrote two long narratives ‘Venis and Adonis’, and ‘The Rape of Lucrece’. 1594 Shakespeare became a shareholder in the lord chamberlain’s men, a popular acting company in London. By 1595 Shakespeare, along with other men, joined together to establish the polygonal theater. Through all his works, by 1600’s Shakespeare’s name was well established in London (William Shakespeare: April 23, 2014). By 1616 Shakespeare health was declining drastically. In March of 1616 he went and had a willShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Life And Life1307 Words   |  6 Pages William Shakespeare s life was very interesting, to say the least about him. â€Å"An English playwright and poet, William Shakespeare is often considered the greatest dramatist the world has ever known and the most recognized poet in the English language† (Lindaman). From a very young age, William was a very bright kid, who had gained a love for theater. Ever since that love as a kid, it only grew stronger. Not only did he have a love for theater, but also poetry. Throughout Shakespeare’s life familyRead MoreEssay on The Life of William Shakespeare1042 Words   |  5 PagesThe Life of William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is one of the most identifiable icons of England. Shakespeare was one of the greatest and most influential playwright and poet during his lifetime. He is known as the greatest dramatist of all time due to his many poems and plays, such as â€Å"Shall I Compare Thee To A Summers Day?† and Romeo and Juliet. However, despite being so well known in the world of literature, there is not much known about the childhood of William Shakespeare. William ShakespeareRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Life And Life3795 Words   |  16 PagesResearch Paper March 23, 2016 William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. Shakespeare was assumedly educated at the King?s New School in Stratford with an ?emphasis on the Latin classics, including memorization, writing, and acting classic Latin plays,? writes an article entitled Shakespeare?s Life, found on Foldger Shakespeare Library. He most likely attended until around age fifteen. In late 1582, Shakespeare at age 18 married Anne HathawayRead MoreThe Life of William Shakespeare669 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeare, extensively known as one of the greatest writers in the history of the English language in addition to England’s National poet. He has been responsible for the construction of an impense amount of histories, comedies, tragedies and poems. A portion of plays written by William Shakespeare were constructed and designed to influence his audience in many different ways. Wither it be social, cultural or economical each play would stimulate the thoughts and emotions of the audienceRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Life And Life3055 Words   |  13 PagesResearch Paper March 23, 2016 William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. Shakespeare was assumedly educated at the King?s New School in Stratford with an ?emphasis on the Latin classics, including memorization, writing, and acting classic Latin plays,? writes an article entitled Shakespeare?s Life, found on Foldger Shakespeare Library. He most likely attended until around age fifteen. In late 1582, Shakespeare at age 18 married Anne HathawayRead MoreThe Life and Works of William Shakespeare 2100 Words   |  8 Pages William Shakespeare was born the third child and the first son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. It is estimated that he was born on April 22 or 23 of 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and he died on April 23 of 1616. For that reason it is typically said that his birthday was also on April 23(Lee 8). He married Anne Hathaway and they had three children. William Shakespeare was a man of many talents who wrote numerous pieces in his lifetime. He wrote comedies, histories, tragedies, and romances. ShakespeareRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Life Experiences997 Words   |  4 Pages Kemal 1 Ayesha Kemal Mrs. Holcombe Period: 7 10/05/14 Shakespeare’s Life Experiences William Shakespeare was born on April 26, 1564 to John and Mary Shakespeare. As a child Shakespeare grew up in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in the United Kingdom. He grew up attending a school called King Edward VI School, where he learned to read, write, and use proper grammar. He continued to attend school until his family had some economic hardships and he was unable to attend university. Instead he got marriedRead MoreEssay about The Life of William Shakespeare1274 Words   |  6 Pages William Shakespeare was a very talented man known for his various works of literature. His works include poems, plays, and sonnets. His works are then broken down into tragedies, comedies, and histories. Shakespeare left this world centuries ago, but his writings continue to live throughout the world today. He has greatly impacted the world of literature and his existence will forever be remembered. In 1564, William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon (Hazell 32). It seems thatRead MoreLife Of The Mother By William Shakespeare1360 Words   |  6 Pageslife of the mother. Marquis believes that abortion is almost always morally impermissible, except in extreme circumstances, because the fetus has a future life. I will simply evaluate each of the authors reasonings that defend their belief, and give my argument for why I believe Don Marquis’ essay is more convincing. (SUMMARY DEFENSE OF ABORTION) Thompson begins by stating â€Å" a fetus is a person and that killing a person is, in essence, murder, and thus morally wrong.† Thompson uses many analogiesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Life And Accomplishments1819 Words   |  8 PagesAs we all know William Shakespeare was a well known and a highly sought after writer, but did he really deserve all that fame? As early as 1709, with Nicholas Rowe s publication of his edition of Shakespeare s works, the little information that we had about William Shakespeare began to show. Other than several early minor accounts, the preface of Nicholas Rowe s edition contained the first biography of William Shakespeare. Rowe presented eleven known facts about Shakespeare s life. By 1821, however

Ice Hockey free essay sample

As I timidly stepped onto the ice,I faltered, and reached for support. The rink that was like asecond home to me had suddenly been transformed into foreignterritory; most likely because of my new uniform and alienweapon. My face felt caged in, as if those thin metal barswere not only meant to protect my face, but to cut me off fromthe outside world. My body felt heavy, my presenceself-conscious and aware of the bodies that glided by withease, and curious looks. These foreigners had every right tobe curious; not only was I a newcomer, I was the only playeron the ice with a long blonde ponytail flowing from myhelmet. My transition from figure skating to ice hockeywas not a spontaneous one; it was a passion I had longed tofulfill and been contemplating for some time. Silenced by myquiet nature and fear of my parents reaction, I hadsuppressed this secret. I feared their disappointment,especially after all the time, effort and money theyd spenton my figure skating. We will write a custom essay sample on Ice Hockey or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Looking back on that ordinaryspring day eight years ago when I declared my boredom withfigure skating and my interest in hockey, I breathe a sighwith many meanings. A sigh filled with relief for a decisionthat had the most positive and significant impact on my life.A sigh laced with fearless determination fed by my drive tobecome equal with the males on my team. For five yearsI was the only female on my team, and one of the few in myleague. I usually received one of two reactions: either aflirtatious Can I have your phone number? or the alwayscomforting extra check and punch in the face. When asked formy number, I replied with in your dreams, or a mockinglaugh. In response to the checks and punches, I retaliatedwith the same force, just enough to lower the aggressorstestosterone and ego a few levels. This challengingsport not only helped me overcome my timid nature, it gave mea confidence and strength of both mind and body I neverthought possible. This self-confidence flourished both on andoff the ice, helping me to excel academically and socially, aswell as athletically. I began concentrating on what was mostimportant to me; I stopped worrying about what others thought. My metamorphosis was triggered when I began playinghockey; I emerged from my cocoon to reveal my true colors. Theexperiences and situations, both positive and negative,encountered during the eight years of hockey have shaped mypersonality, values and future. I may never get theopportunity to become a professional hockey player, but theamount of self-worth I feel as a result of the demanding yearsis rewarding enough. Not that I would mind a championship ringfrom the WNHL on my finger .

ch. 12 intro. to music Flashcard

ch. 12 intro. to music

The Movie Mr. Bones Produced by Anant Singh

The Movie Mr. Bones Produced by Anant Singh Introduction Historians and social scientists have presented various impacts of white colonization to different societies. In historical works, scholars present the British as the master and the owner of property within the colonized societies. Most scholars assert that all the colonizers were rich, powerful, and influential. This argument has become a truth in the current political and social societies, as evidenced by the unabated blame from the colonized to the colonizers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Movie Mr. Bones Produced by Anant Singh specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the purpose of this essay is to present a contrasting scenario of the ‘whites’ in a colonial country based on the movie Mr. Bones by Anant Singh. The producer illustrates a story of a white man who embraced the African culture to an extent of becoming a magician of a fictional Kuvukiland. Particularly the essay descr ibes the plot, analysis and undertakes a critical evaluation of the movie. Description of the movie; ‘Mr. Bones’ A videovision Entertainment production and directed by Anant Singh, Mr. Bones is a fictional story in a traditional south African geography illustrated by Kuvukiland. Mr. Bones, the protagonist, is a white man and interestingly a magician. His role is to mediate between the people of Kuvukiland and their god, known as â€Å"the great one†. The story begins with Mr. Bones presiding over the traditional marriage of the Kuvukiland king, King Ekule. Before Mr. Bones authenticates the marriage, he first performs the rituals using his ‘bones’. Controversy of the story occurs when an Indian man interrupts the marriage ceremony. The man offers a necklace to the king with a precious stone before he dies on the hands of the king. Suddenly, the stone starts to haunt the king; Ekule transforms into a violent Indian man. As all the people in the ceremo ny run for their safety, Mr. Bones is busy pleading to the â€Å"mighty one† to take away the evil spirit from the society. Finally, the god responds and the king transforms back to Ekule. Because of the condition of the king, Mr. Bones seeks for a solution from the â€Å"mighty one†. Through a series of magic and pleading, Mr. Bones establishes that the king should return the precious stone to its home to discard the haunting spirit. In their hunt for the home of the stone, Mr. Bones and his King, Ekule, end up in an Indian town but they do not know the exact geographical position of the town. When Mr. Bones performs his magic, â€Å"the mighty one† directs them to a woman in a red dress. They finally land to Renshi, an Indian woman who develops interest with the stone since her fiancà ©, Kuyti, is a professor in gemstone and she promises to accommodate them in the city. Kuyti investigation establishes that the stone is precious and valuable, in fact, with a v alue of more than $ 6 million US dollars. Because Mr. Bones and his king are nescient and backward, Kuyti deceits them that the stone has no value- it is a glass.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite his lies, Mr. Bones maintains that he should have the custody of the stone and grabs it away from Kuyti. The story continues with a series of attempts by Kuyti to steal the stone from Mr. Bones but all end in vain. Finally, Mr. Bones, Renshi, and King Ekule emerge the victors after successfully returning the stone to its origin (Singh). Although the story contains traditions, which are no more in practice, its intended audience includes the modern political and social societies, which the British colonized. It is a story, which demonstrates to the historical scholars that not all the British were colonizers; some were at the service of the society. It also demonstrates t o the social scientists the impact of the African culture to other societies such as Britain and Indian (Singh). This work is a form of entertainment to the children as it is rich in comical scenarios. Lessons learnt from this work touches societal levels ranging from children to adults, historians to social scientists and politicians. Analysis Purposely, Anant Singh aims to change the perception of the society about the colonization of the world by the European superpowers. Scholars have explored the effects of the colonization particularly to the cultures of the societies colonized with a general assertion that colonizers degraded and imposed their culture to such societies. By using the character of Mr. Bones, a white and indeed a colonizer, Singh demonstrates that there were those whites who assimilated, perhaps colonized by the cultures of the society. The producer uses geographical setting of South Africa; it is the longest colonized society in the world. This has a revelation that not all the whites were indeed colonizers; some loved the cultures of those societies and as illustrated by the character of Mr. Bones, came to integrate with the local people. Singh brings the Indian character into the story to reveal their entrepreneurship efforts and love for money. Professor Kuyti is an outstanding character in this demonstration. Since the story dates back to 1880s, it is vivid that entrepreneurship is a hereditary skill among the Indians. Although English is the main language in presentation of the story, the writer has used a variety of colloquialisms. The author uses the terms â€Å"great one† to describe the power and the might of the god of the Kuvukiland. In order to illustrate the backwardness of Mr. Bones and the people of Kuvukiland comically, the writer uses â€Å"dragon fly† or â€Å"flying monster† to describe an airplane and â€Å"hippo and cockroach† to describe a lorry.Advertising We will write a custom e ssay sample on The Movie Mr. Bones Produced by Anant Singh specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In order to show the Indian perception over the other races, Kuyti refers to Mr. Bones and King Ekule as â€Å"the brothers to baboons†. It is worth noting that the colloquialisms used in this story are simple and direct for the audience to interpret. As mentioned earlier on, this story intends to entertain and educate children and impact on the perception of the scholars on colonization. Critique The story represents the characters as strongly clinched to their traditions and customs. Mr. Bones and King Ekule represent a typical society under colonization while Renshi and Kuyti illustrate a typical Indian society. In fact, these characters conform to traditions of their societies and as a result, they offer several effects to the society of the 21st century. The story reinforces the cultural expectations of an Indian society among the audience s. In contrast, it narrates a different story of colonization to the viewers; it illustrates how the whites were assimilated into the culture of a colonized society. This will change the common knowledge that the white colonizers degraded the cultures of the societies they colonized. According to Schmidt, the public knowledge about issues in the society depends on the information broadcasted in the media (1). It is therefore justifiable that the audience’s perception on this matter of history will change and perhaps offer insight to elicit more studies into the history on the subject. To the audience, the story aims to kindle some emotional responses. First, the audience should believe that the cultural degradation was not a result of colonization by the whites but due to cultural relationships, as represented by the character of Mr. Bones. Secondly, scholars and historians should further contest on their assertions on the effect of colonization to cultures in the colonized s ocieties in order to offer conclusions that are more convincing. The story, though indirectly, has political effects to most societies all over the world. Media plays a very crucial role in political decision-making (Brigg and Muller 132). Political blames by the once colonized societies to their former masters are likely to reduce. Since the story has revealed that colonization was a ‘two-way’ process, no party therefore, should blame the other for issues arising from colonial times. In a broader perspective, the political relationship among all the races of the world and hence international relations will improve. Conclusion The character of the white magician, Mr. Bones, in a black society is a revelation to the modern society that the culture of the colonized society assimilated and colonized some colonial masters.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is a fact, which most historical studies have never ventured to explore. Besides presenting this academic position, Singh illustrates the comedy of an uncivilized society through the characters of Mr. Bones and King Ekule. The story has great social, cultural, and political effects to the modern societies. Mr. Bones’ storyline is indeed a resolution to the conflicts of the 21st century. Brigg, Morgan and Muller, Kate. â€Å"Conceptualizing culture in Conflict Resolution.† Journal of Intercultural Studies 30.2 (2009): 121-140. Schmidt, Diane. â€Å"Public opinions and media coverage.†Journal of Labor Research 14.2 (1993): 1-2. Singh, Anant, dir. Mr. Bones. Videovision Entertainment, 2008. Film.

The Responsibility Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Responsibility Project - Essay Example He just put a block of carrot in place of the missing wheel to balance the chair. The film ends with the concern being settled because someone was selfless and became willing to sacrifice in addressing the needs of others before his own. The film illustrates negative behaviours within an organization – avoiding responsibility and passing problems to someone else. It shows how the worker who first had the chair problem refused to resolve it and just tried to get away with it. It was not only him but also his coworkers did the same thing. In an organization, workers have the tendency to deny their mistakes and hide them as much as possible. This negative practice would most likely result to unresolved problems and conflicts. It also defies the importance of teamwork and respect for others. Nevertheless, the value of sacrifice and selflessness was also demonstrated in the film, which was another example of lack of cooperation. The film shows how an office can be a better place if only each individual would show initiative, problem-solving skills, respect and concern for others, and equality. It also shows that a particular burden of an organization should not be the burden of only one person, even though he is w illing to take charge of the problem. The film also targets the negative implications of having unresolved problems or unaddressed issues in an organization. The bad habits illustrated in the film, when tolerated, could put the survival of an organization at risk. It shows that the workers could not really be trusted even with a minor setback such as a dilapidated chair. If these practices strongly exist in an organization, they would create an unhealthy and discouraging work environment. The issues illustrated in the film create awareness among viewers that unhealthy behaviour really exists in organizations, thus, encourages us to make ways to

Design an evaluation scheme for the Heart of Hackney regeneration Essay

Design an evaluation scheme for the Heart of Hackney regeneration project - Essay Example Hackney becomes a prime business location targeting a low carbon economy and innovative high value manufacturing (Hackney, 2010). It also believed that the developments in the housing stock, schools and public realm make Hackney an attractive location to live in, visit and work at. This paper will proceed to provide an evaluation scheme for the Heart of Hackney regeneration project. The Heart of Hackney regeneration project is a major undertaking not only for the borough but as a national initiative to address urban degradation. The 2012 Summer Olympics became a good excuse to prioritize East London as problems about urban sprawl become international in significance due to global warming and growing integration of cultures. In addressing the objectives and implicit theory of change by the Heart of hackney regeneration project, it is imperative to dig through its economic goals, the underlying factor for all growth aspirations. In the consultation draft (Hackney, 2010), the Hackney Council set the Economic Development Strategy. It acknowledged the opportunity that the borough has at the moment which it also needs to seize in order to fit as â€Å"an engine for London’s renewed economic growth,† (Hackney 2010, p 2). In general, the EDS objective is to help shape the local economic direction in order to provide long-term prosperity for the residents. The Council acknowledged that despite the recent employment growth in Hackney placing it just one percent below the London average did not spell the ideal as the borough still is considered the second most deprived in England due to long-term unemployment. Specifically, the program is currently focused on its Ways into Work program. A mentioned in the report, Hackney is providing interventions to out-of-school youths and unemployed individuals in the form of volunteerism, training, temporary employment, and other means to

Poverty: A Global Issue

Poverty: A Global Issue 2.1 Introduction Poverty is a global issue. All the countries around the world face the problem of poverty, but there are some countries which are poorer than others like the developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. There is no one size fits all definition of the concept of poverty. The poorest people in an industrialized nation maybe well off than the average citizens in a less-developing country. The definition of poverty alternate from regions across the planet. According to the United Nations Human Development Report 1996, the average per capita income of the poorest one-fifth of Americans was $5,814 in 1993. That figure is ten times Tanzanias average per capita income of $580 per year. By Tanzanian standards, Americans in that bottom 20 percent may seem quite well-off. However, by U.S. standards, they are not. They point out that most poor American families own more luxury items and consumer appliances than average Europeans do (UN 1996). Although there are some regions have made considerable progress in reducing poverty, about two thirds of the worlds poor live in Asia and the Pacific, based on a poverty line of one dollar a day. That regions number of the worlds poor exceeds two thirds if the poverty line becomes two dollars. There are more than one billion people in the region whose income is between one and two dollars a day. There are two types of poverty, extreme poverty or absolute poverty and relative poverty. Extreme poverty is known as destitution or absolute poverty and it could be injurious to peoples health and life. In the United States, absolute poverty is traditionally defined as having an annual income that is less than half of the official poverty line (an income level determined by the Bureau of the Census). Absolute poverty in developing nations, as defined by international organisations, like the World Bank, means having a household income of less than US $ 1.25 a day in 2005. Relative poverty is the condition of having fewer resources or less income than the others within a society or country, or compared to worldwide averages. Relative poverty is socially defined and dependent on context, it is a measure of income inequality. The reasons for poverty are not clears. Some people believe that poverty results from a lack of adequate resources on global level-resources such as land, food, and building materials-that are necessary for the well-being or survival of the worlds peopl e. (Adapted from Wikipedia 2012). Other defines poverty as being an effect of the uneven distribution of resources around the world. According to this second line of reasoning, it helps to understand the inequality between the two worlds, one where some people have more than they need to live and one where the people do not have enough to survive. There has been considerable interest in recent years in the ability of non-governmental organisations to work with the poor in order to improve their quality of life and economic status through the provision of credit, skills training, and other inputs for income-generation programmes. The term non-governmental organisation can be broadly viewed as being composed of a wide variety of organisations variously known as private voluntary organisations, civil society organisations and non-profit organisations (McGann and Johnstone,2006). In the cases in where NGOs are totally or partially funded by governments, the NGO maintains its non-governmental status by excluding government representatives from membership in the organization. Defining the term NGOs is ambiguous as they are confusing, contradicting, and sometimes overlapping in defining the terms. The NGOs sector is extremely divers as these organisation have very different structures, goals and motivations. NGOs are generally compos ed of non-profit, voluntary citizens, groups which are organised on a local, national or international level and they have certain interests, causes, or goals. NGOs work in many different fields, but the term is generally associated with those seeking social transformation and improvements in quality of life. There are many NGOs, who are affiliated with international aid and other donors, but NGOs happens not to funds and they try to generate their own, such as selling handicrafts or charging for services. In the recent decades, NGOs have moved from backstage to centre stage in reshaping the world of politics, and are exerting their power and influence in every aspect of international relations and policymaking. NGOs have a positive impact on local and international issues, such as poverty alleviation, conservation of human rights, preserving the environment, and providing worldwide relief. The growth of NGOs has been too a large extent fuelled by the inability of both domestic and international institutions to respond adequately to major economic, social and political changes which have been taking place at a fast pace (Heap, 2000). The nu mber of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) alone rose from 6,000 in 1990 to reach 26,000 in 1996 (The Economist, 1999), and 37,000 in 2002 (UNDP, 2002). Figures for NGOs operating at national level are much higher: Russia, for instance is estimated to have some 277,000 NGOs and India between 1 million and 2 million NGOs (Chicago Tribune, 2007). In 2006, it was estimated that there were some 1.5 million NGOs in the USA alone (McGann and Johnstone, 2006). 2.2 Evolution and Growth of NGOs International non-governmental organizations have been dating back to at least 1839. In 1914 there were 1083 NGOs (UN 2007). International NGOs played a big part in the anti-slavery movement and the movement for womens suffrage, and reached a peak at the time of the World Disarmament Conference. However, the term non-governmental organization only came into popular use with the establishment of the United Nations Organization in 1945 with provisions in Article 71 of Chapter 10 of the United Nations Charter for a consultative role for organizations which are neither governments nor member states (UN 2007). Globalization occurring during the 20th century gave importance to the rise of NGOs globally and most importantly in developing countries. International treaties and international organizations such as the World Trade Organization centred their interests mostly on capitalist enterprises. In an attempt to counterbalance the interests of these international organizations and internati onal treaties, NGOs were developed to emphasize humanitarian issues, developmental aid and sustainable development. Though the term NGO became known to the world in the year 1839 the voluntary sector around the world is much older than this. In England voluntary work made its way back in the medieval time where the poor were being looked after by the monastery. The poor people and the beggars were taken care by the monasteries and churches. It was like this that in England there was the introduction of the Poor Law and later it became the Welfare States. But in the beginning it all started as voluntary work as the clergy men were not paid to help the poor. Voluntary work has always been present, especially among the religious organisations, giving food or money was common. NGOs in its traditional form have been working in different religious trust-based schools, hospitals and orphanages. In India NGOs became known in 1980s but voluntary work started after the independent from the British in 1946. In independent India, voluntary organizations started by Gandhi and his disciples were to fill in the gaps left by the government in the development process. In the 1980s, however, the groups who were now known as NGOs became more specialized, and the voluntary movement was fragmented into different groups. 2.3 Evolution of NGOs in Mauritius NGOs in Mauritius started with voluntary works for the welfare of society. In the past, such type of social works started with the bourgeoisie class, the young girls from the upper class where were doing charity work to help the poor like giving them food and sometimes educating them. Later on this voluntary work was untaken by other agencies like the church or other religious bodies, like for example Arya Samaj who helps poor people by giving free education to their children and till now it is still done. Much of the charity work and voluntary work which are done now were performed in the past by religious organisations. They worked dependently from the government even if the government were allocating them money. NGOs are present where the government or other organisations have failed to cater for those in need. There are a large number of religious organisations that are considered to form part of NGOs according to Macoss. Some examples of these organisations are: Al Marjaan Islam ic Secular Institute, Hindu Maha Sabha, Jummah Mosque Port Louis, Arya Sabha, and Adventist Development Relief Agency. NGOs became known quiet recently thought Macoss (Mauritius Council of Social Service) in Mauritius. The Mauritius Council of Social Service was founded in November 1965 and it was incorporated, under Act 55 of 1970, voted in Parliament, providing the legal framework of the Council. As an Umbrella organisation for NGOS, Macoss seeks to promote Social and Community Development and Voluntary Actions through Non-Governmental Organisations. It helps its members by initiating communication, collaboration and networking among NGOs and between NGOs, Government and private sector, primarily through meetings, workshops, consultation and institutional development activities. Macoss also facilitates its members organisations and strengthens their organisation capacity. Macoss plays a leadership role in good governance, policy, advocacy, capacity building and innovation for a vibrant, efficient and effective Non Government Organisation sector and Civil Society Organisation. 2.4 Causes of Poverty Poverty is like a vicious circle. Poverty causes poverty. Just as the rich people get richer as they are already rich and the poor get poorer because they live in poverty. Poverty has many causes and some of them are very basic. Some experts suggest that poverty is caused due few employment or lack of food. The basic factors that may lead to poverty are: inadequate education and employment opportunities overpopulation, inability to meet standard of living and cost of living, certain economic and demographic trends, the unequal distribution of resources in the global economy, welfare incentives and environmental degradation. 2.4.1 Overpopulation Overpopulation is the situation where large numbers of people have too few resources and too little space, and this is closely associated with poor people. This overpopulation can result from high population density, which is the number of people to land suface, usually showed as numbers of people per square kilometre or square mile, or there are low amounts of resources, or from both. Very high population densities put stress on resources that are available. Only a certain amount of people can be supported on a given surface of land, and that number depends on how much food and other resources the area can provide. In countries where people live by primary means of basic farming, gardening, herding, hunting, and gathering, even where there are larger land surfaces the production of food is still low given the number of people are small is due to the production means. The production means is not intense enough to produce large amount of food to feed large amount of people. 2.4.2 High Standards of Living and Costs of Living People in developed countries generally enjoy a higher standard of living because these nations may have more in terms of resource and wealth than those in developing countries. People who may have adequate resources and wealth in a developing country maybe be considered as poor in a developed country. For example people in America, on average, tend to expect to make, about $30,000 per year. They may also expect to rent a house or an apartment with electricity facilities and water supply, to able to buy food to eat and clothes, and get health care provision. In addition, many of these people hope to afford other expenses, such as, the purchases material not need for survival, such as cars, entertainment and high priced food. In comparison, people in most developing countries usually may consider themselves to be well off if they have productive agriculture, some cattle, and a house made out of mud-bricks. In the rural areas, people can be used to not having water facilities, electric ity, or adequate health facilities. Developed countries tend to have a high cost of living, even the most basic lifestyle with few or no luxuries; can be relatively expensive as compared to developing countries. Most people in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, western European nations, and other developed countries cannot obtain adequate food, clothing, and shelter without ample amounts of money. In some areas, even people with jobs that pay the legal minimum wage may not be able to cover their basic expenses. People who cannot find well-paying jobs often have no spare income for emergency expenses, and many rely on state welfare to survive. In Mauritius about 106,000 citizens or 8.5% of the population live in absolute poverty; this is according to figures released by the Ministry of Finance. These figures reveal that the number of Mauritians living under the poverty line is increasing. From 8.2% in 1996/97, it fell to 7.8% in 2001/2002 to reach 8.5% in 2006/2007. The minimum wage for an adult living in a poor family is estimated at Rs 3,821 monthly. In Rodrigues, the rate of poverty is higher. It is estimated at 32.4% in 2006/2007 against28.7% in 2001/02. 2.4.3 Inadequate Education and Employment Illiteracy and lack of education are very frequent in developing countries. Very often the state of developing countries cannot afford to cater for good educational facilities to the people, especially those living in rural areas. Whereas in industrialized countries nearly all children have access to at least the basic education, in sub-Saharan Africa only about 60 per cent children go to elementary school. Without education, most people in the developing countries are unable to find income-generating work. Poor people are also often propelled schooling so as to concentrate on earning a minimal living. In addition, developing countries tend to have fewer employment opportunities as compared to developed countries, especially for women. Resulting in the fact that, schooling is perceived as being crucial to people. Even in developed nations, unemployment rates may be high. When people do not work, they cannot earn a living; thus, high rate of poverty is a result of high unemployment. The amount of employment that is available also tends to fluctuate; creating high unemployment periods. If the unemployment level in countries with high population increases with only a few points, this leads to millions of people who are able to work and earn a living. Because unemployment figures indicate only the number of people eligible to work who have no job but are seeking employment, such figures are not necessarily an accurate indicator of the number of people living in poverty. 2.4.4 Economic and Demographic Trends Economic trends can sometimes be linked with poverty in many developed countries. In the year 1950s and 1960s, for example, in the United States most people experienced a growth in their income due to economic boom and in Mauritius it was in mid 1970s. The average income of a family was doubled in that period even with inflation. However, there was a rise in the standard of living taking into consideration inflation, between the years 1970s and the years 1990s. Young people and less-educated ones are more affected when there are periods of economic recession as they find it difficult to get a job and support them. Poverty levels have also been increased with changes in labor markets in developed countries. In many developed countries the amount of poor has increased resulting from the inequalities in the distribution of resources. For example, since the 1970s, the 20 percent poorest of all U.S. households have earned an increasingly smaller percentage of the total national income while the wealthiest 5 percent of households have earned an increasingly greater percentage. During mostly of this period, due to an increase in the cost of living the middle and those at the bottom in the distribution line have worsened. 2.4.5 Individual Responsibility and Welfare Dependency There are different schools of thought about individual responsibility for poverty. Some believe that there is a proportion of the society who would stay in poverty no matter what due to the structure of society. While some other thinks that due to some dysfunctions of some social institutions such as the labour force, poverty would be pertaining. According to this school of thought poverty id beyond the control of the people who are in it, but this problem can be remedied if proper policies are implemented. There are other people who think that the poor people tend to stay in poverty intentionally. For example, there are people who choose to take drugs voluntarily leading them to stay in poverty these people can be blame for their situation. Adding to that there are those who think that many people in developed countries tend to throw the blame on cycles of poverty, people who have the tendency to remain poor, or they depend on the generosity of the welfare institutions. Those who support this view includes some politicians, criticize the government to spend too much on the poverty though welfare programs. They argue that such welfare programs encourage people to stay in poverty in so as to benefit from payments continuously. They also argue that these welfare programs discourage marriage and work. In the American society and several other developed countries, being employed reduces their welfare supports and it is the same if a single parent gets married. 2.5 NGOs Performance in Poverty Alleviation in Other Countries According A.K.M. Ahsan Ullah, Jayant K. Routray, (2007), a very important aspect of poverty in Bangladesh is unemployment or being under-employment. These people are dependent mostly on agriculture to survive in the rural areas and most of the time they are not owners of the land or own too little land to be able support their family. There are more than 20,000 NGOs have been performing in Bangladesh with two major aims of alleviating rural poverty and empowerment of the women. However, the phenomena of poverty in Bangladesh are much higher as compared to the East Asian countries and the South Asian neighbours. Since, poverty is persistent in Bangladesh, the great majority of the poor do not own their land, and there is relatively few number of formal sector employment opportunities in rural areas, poverty alleviation strategies of NGOs have focused particularly on the possibilities for generating income as a solution. One of the major reasons for the increasing use of NGOs in countr ies like Bangladesh in the developmental activities is to find an alternative and better channel for development aid in the third world countries. All the NGOs work with two basic missions, to alleviate poverty and empowering the poor, especially women (Lovell, 1996; BRAC, 2000) by organizing them into small groups at the village level, arranging adult literacy programmes, providing necessary training and regular discussions on particular issues. Nearly, 60 million people of the population of Bangladesh have been brought under different health programmes by NGOs. These programmes aimed at reducing childhood and maternal morbidity and mortality; and increasing awareness about sexual health. NGOs non-formal primary education programme has covered about three million children from poor families. Among which the majority of the children are girls. Non-formal primary education programme of the BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) is regarded as the worlds biggest private sector educational system and is being replicated in other countries of the world as well (BRAC, 2000; Proshika, 2001). According to Keith M. Henderson author of Alternatives to imposed administrative reform: the NGOs: In the Caribbean, NGOs serve as intermediate between the micro-level of the poorest household and the formal institution of the state (a role which might otherwise be served by political parties or trade unions). NGOs and local development organizations (LDOs) are widely seen as agents for alternative development, particularly because, as a sector, they have begun to formulate development policy in order to improve considerably the life of the citizens and often with a direct impact on official aid policies. Along with the larger efforts, such as the Village Awakening Movement in India which operates in thousands of villages, and the related Sarvodaya Shramadana movement in Sri Lanka which focused on small scale village improvement projects in more than 8,000 villages, are the Christian Base Communities found in Brazilian rural areas. The State very often is unable to cater for these poor villages in India and rural areas in Brazil. These movements perform important service-delivery functions. In Latin America, pervasive distrust of the US has resulted in a variety of indigenous organizational forms often unsustainable and a fertile ground for grass-roots movements. Considerable attention has been given to the political role of such activities; much of the literature is in Spanish. In Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics, the term foundation covers a multitude of private groups organized for collective action. In Africa, numerous small-scale self-help projects, such as banking schemes, food storage arrangements, barter exchanges, family planning, and traditional medicine centres, have been initiated by peasant farmers with the help of NGOs. According to Mritiunjoy Mohanty (2006) NGOs in Bangladesh have been using the microcredit as a means to alleviate poverty there. Microcredit is the extension of very small loans to impoverished borrowers who typically lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history. It is designed not only to support entrepreneurship and alleviate poverty, but also in many cases to empower women and uplift entire communities by extension. In many communities worldwide, in developed and developing nations alike, women lack the highly stable employment histories that traditional lenders tend to require (2012). Noting the pioneering work done by Mr. Yunus and the Grameen Bank, it is worth recording that it has been providing the poor in Bangladesh as a medium of access to financial resources. There are other NGOs that have walked, struggled and prospered down the same path, as the Grameen bank has since the 1970s and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee or BRAC. To draw attentio n to the role of other NGOs involved in microcredit is not to take away from the catalytic role Mr. Yunus and the Grameen Bank played both at home and abroad in furthering the microcredit movement but it is to show the work they have accomplished together in poverty alleviating in Bangladesh. 2.6 NGOs Performance in Poverty Alleviation in Mauritius There is a number of NGOs working in order to alleviate poverty in Mauritius such as SOS Poverty, Caritas Mauritius and Currimjee Foundation, Le Centre Des Pauvres, Maison Familiale Rurale Du Nord, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ These NGOs help people in different ways like for example in Maison Familiale Rurale Du Nord they try to eradicate poverty by sensitizing youngsters from poor families. The young people are given training in hotel mechanics, agriculture and hospital services. They promote a sense of entrepreneurship among these young people and encourage a sense of social inclusion to help them come out of their poverty. SOS Poverty is a non-governmental and charitable organization set up to fight poverty and social injustices in the country. So far they have implemented a global plan of actions, comprising of several micro projects implemented, laying emphasis on two major factors: Education and Economic. Their field of action consist of pre-primary education, women empowerment like org anising a corporate organisation in order to help women wanting to work and earn a living to come out of poverty. They endeavour to combat poverty through inclusive education/ training programmes and self-help socio-economic programmes. The Currimjee Foundation in association with several other NGOS and NEF (National Empowerment Foundation) has planned out a project on poverty alleviation in Mauritius. The project is about helping people in absolute poverty who cannot afford to build a house. They would be constructing 50 houses in concrete with aluminium ceiling with square metres of 21to 25 and costing around Rs 165,000 each. The Currimjee Foundation also sponsors scholarships of Rs 20,000 to needy students attending University of Mauritius and University of Technology of Mauritius. Le Centre Des Pauvres which is found at Grand Riviere Nord Ouest Port Louis provide poor people with clothes and organise food donation. Children are give education materials such as books, copybooks pencils etc and to smaller children toys are given to them. NGOs have been performing well in different countries around the world. They have been able to help people especially where the government have somehow failed to provide for their citizens. They have brought some light to the peoples life. There are countless things that the NGOs have done the state would not have been able to do as the NGOs works at a micro level. It is easy for them to target the needy people. They have more personal contact with the individual and they are very often on field. And the people also know where to turn to seek help. Poverty alleviation is a tremendous task for every country in the world is it developed countries or developing countries, without the efforts showed by NGOs one third of the work accomplished now would not have been done left alone on the state and other institutions.