Gurukulam

Takshila Magazine

2011-03-06T21:58:00.000-08:00

Please find a link to the Takshila Magazine.
http://www.ctuniv.org/university-press.htm

Magazine can be downloaded from the left-side panel

Best regards,

Car Blind spot solution -

2009-08-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

I found this info quite useful for me. It might be use for you (just in-case).

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August 18, 2009, 8:33 am
Are Blind Spots a Myth?
By Christopher Jensen

In an effort to reduce lane-change accidents, some automakers are trying radar to eliminate blind spots that could conceal an adjacent vehicle.

For example: Ford’s Blind Spot Information System, or BLIS, which uses radar located in each rear-quarter panel to scan for objects between the rear bumper and the outside mirror. If an object is detected, a small warning light in the side-view mirror illuminates. Recently, I tried BLIS on the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, on which it is a $1,595 option, and it worked well, picking up a vehicle in the blind spot. But there is the cheaper way to eliminate blind spots.

Long ago I found the idea in a 1995 paper done for S.A.E. International by George Platzer, an engineer from Rochester Hills, Mich. In that paper, “The Geometry of Automotive Rearview Mirrors — Why Blind Zones Exist and Strategies to Overcome Them,” he described the problem and a far cheaper method to eliminate the blind spot.

Here’s the short and less technical version of what it says: The driver leans his head against the driver’s window and sets the mirror so that the side of the vehicle is just visible. Then, the driver leans to the middle of the vehicle (between the front seats) and does the same thing with the passenger-side mirror.

It is necessary to check that the mirrors are properly set, of course. Here’s how that is done: Watch a vehicle approach in the rear-view mirror. It should appear in the side-view mirror before it leaves the rear-view mirror. And then it should appear in the driver’s peripheral vision before it leaves the side-view mirror. When I Platzer-ized the Fusion Hybrid, I could see the nose of a vehicle appear just as the BLIS warning light illuminated.

So, what is the point of a system like BLIS.? In an interview, Steve Kozak, Ford’s chief safety engineer, acknowledged that side mirrors can be set to eliminate the blind zone. But most drivers don’t adjust their mirrors that way so BLIS is a valuable safety aid, he said.

“If we could train everyone in the United States to do it that way, then I think we would probably be a lot better and we wouldn’t need a system like this,” he said.

One other component of BLIS is what Ford calls Cross Traffic Alert. It scans about 65 feet on either side of the vehicle’s rear. The idea is to make it easier to back out of a parking spot.

Mr. Platzer has yet another alternative. He patented a mirror system called BlindZoneMirror that uses a smaller mirror that is integrated into part of the side-view mirror. Each mirror is engineered for a specific vehicle, he said.

Mr. Platzer licensed BlindZoneMirror to Magna International, and it was introduced on the Ford Edge, on which it is standard on all models, and Chevrolet Traverse, on which it is standard on all but the base model. The BlindZoneMirror was a winner in the 2009 Automotive News’ PACE Awards, which honor “superior innovation and technological advancement.” The PACE judges described the mirror as “an elegant and inexpensive solution” to a recognized safety problem

An Increasingly Affluent Middle India Is Harder to Ignore

2009-07-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

C.K. Prahalad, professor of strategy at the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business, is looking for the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid. In his book by that name, he says that huge markets exist among the poor in countries such as India, and that multinationals should tailor their plans and products to these consumers. At the other end of the spectrum, luxury goods manufacturers are pouring into India. The International Herald Tribune will hold its annual global conference on luxury in New Delhi in December. It joins a crowded calendar of luxury events.

Somewhere between these extremes is the real Indian market. It does not lie in the metros or the villages. "The Indian urban growth story until now has been driven largely by metros," says Ashok Rajgopal, a partner in the media and entertainment practice at Ernst & Young, a global assurance, tax, transaction and advisory-services firm. "This is now moving beyond metros into smaller towns."

Several recent studies bolster the case for the rise of Middle India. According to the 2008 edition of the RK Swamy BBDO Guide to Market Planning, 51 districts in India have at least one town with a population of more than 500,000. Together, they have twice the market potential of the four metros (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata) combined.

According to a study this year by the Future Group, an Indian retailer, and the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), the ratio of spending to earning is higher in Tier II towns such as Nagpur, Jaipur, Surat and Coimbatore than it is in the metros. An earlier NCAER study, in 2004, had shown a higher percentage of the rich in Middle India than in some metros. For instance, the North Indian state of Haryana had a small-town crorepati density of 280. (Crorepati density is defined as the number of families who annually earn more than Rs1 crore -- about $250,000 -- per 1 million people.) The relative numbers for Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai were 180, 191 and 291, respectively. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the growth of the small-town rich continues.

Amid this data come two studies that attempt to look beyond the numbers: "The Bunty Syndrome," by advertising agency Euro RSCG India in October 2007, and "The Dhoni Effect: Rise of Small Town India," by Ernst & Young in March 2008.

The titles require some explanation. "Bunty and Babli are popular names for boys and girls in small-town India," says Suman Srivastava, CEO of Euro RSCG India. "Contrary to popular belief, it is not the urban Indian who drives trends, but the long-ignored Buntys and Bablis. They are on the move. There is a sense of urgency, excitement and confidence as they race ahead. Marketers and their agencies cannot afford to ignore them. They are the future market, not just of India, but the world." (The names Bunty and Babli draw their inspiration from the success of a 2005 Bollywood film titled Bunty Aur Babli. The movie follows the wild road trip of its two ambitious title characters, whose origins lie in small Indian towns.)

Coming of Age

"The Dhoni Effect" draws its name from India's cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Cricket is a religion in India, and Dhoni, from the small town of Ranchi in Eastern India, is one of its flashier successes in recent times. His very name conjures up the coming of age of Middle India.

"The Dhoni Effect identifies a phenomenon where rapidly growing small towns of India are taking center stage," says Rajgopal of Ernst & Young. "This research highlights the growing affluence levels, increased awareness due to media penetration, improved physical connectivity, and significant changes in consumption patterns with high aspiration levels of small-town India that are compelling marketers to take notice."

All this is giving rise to new markets and products. Spending power moved from downtown Mumbai's Marine Lines to the distant suburb of Malad many years ago. Now it is going further, to Madurai and Moradabad. And demands are different. One example: In the last few years, the male skin whitening category, which didn't even exist a decade ago, has grown 150% annually to $100 million. Most of this growth has come from Middle India.

While the studies have similar broad conclusions, their methodologies are different. Consider, first, the Dhoni Effect. "We are focusing on the Tier I, II and III towns, which are the key urban towns, and the rest of urban India besides the metros," Rajgopal explains. "These towns are very critical, as the next round of growth will come from them."

The study divided India into four sections: the top six metros (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata), the key urban towns (22 chosen cities), the rest of urban India (urban cities not part of the key urban towns), and rural India. Big advertisers, media planning experts and marketing consultancies provided qualitative inputs. Published data provided quantitative inputs.

The key findings:

* Increasing affluence has led to increased consumption growth in key urban towns and rural markets, which have been relatively untapped until now. A separate study of 100 cities' consumption spending by research agency Indicus Analytics shows that metros constitute about 30% of the total consumption market. This implies that the key urban towns, the rest of urban India and rural India together garner almost 70%. Given the larger consumer base of these markets, an increase in share of relevant consumers would imply larger numbers being added in these markets than in the metros. This is evident in product categories such as telecom, where subscriber growth in the four metros is a scorching 58% but in the rest of India it is even higher, at 93%.

* The relevant consumer base is large and growing, as are affluence levels. Towns such as Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore and Pune have three-quarters or more of the affluence levels of Mumbai. On growth potential they do even better. That small-town urban India is attractive in terms of purchasing power, time spent on media, and product consumption comes across clearly.

* Physical reach has increased to less-developed sections of the key urban towns. Logistics has traditionally been the big challenge for marketing beyond metros, especially in Tier III and Tier IV towns and rural India. Recent investments and developments in infrastructure and connectivity have brought marketers into closer contact with key urban towns, the rest of urban India and rural areas. The movement of organized retail into smaller towns has made things easier and more cost-effective for marketers.

* Media reach has increased significantly. Rising disposable incomes, easier access to credit and improved retail reach have helped push television, satellite and radio in the key urban towns in absolute terms.

The study points out some problem areas. Limited measurement tools for judging media effectiveness beyond metros reduce marketers' inclination to invest in media in the key urban towns. Second, as key urban towns have traditionally been price-sensitive and volume-driven, marketers have relied on price promotions over advertising spending. And third, there is a skew toward decision-makers' markets, which leads to a disproportionate focus on metros by media planners and marketers.

The Dhoni Effect suggests that advertising money may not be going to the right places. "Clearly, a realignment of media spends toward small-town urban India is the need of the day," Rajgopal says. "Investment in these future growth areas would definitely reap benefits in the years to come."

Sanjeev Kotnala, associate vice president and national head of communication at DB Corp., publishers of Hindi daily newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, says the media must wake up to this new reality. It is a mistake to assume that Middle India is made up of the poorer cousins of the people in the metros, Kotnala says, because the people there think very differently.

If they were not different, Kotnala says, Dainik Bhaskar would have it easy. "We could edit the paper in one place and print all over," he says. Instead, the newspaper has more than 30 editions. Or take Dhoni. "We did a fast check over the phone to get the reaction of people to his name," Kotnala says. "In the metros, he is perceived as a star and an icon. In the small towns the associations are with 'captain,' 'rich' and 'long hair.'" (Dhoni was appointed Dainik Bhaskar's brand ambassador in June.)

India's Many Small Millions

Exploring the differences between Metro India and Middle India is what the second study -- the Bunty Syndrome -- is all about. This is part of an ongoing study on what the agency calls "prosumers." Prosumers are the 20% to 30% of all consumers who can be thought of as being opinion spreaders. (This is different from opinion leaders, a tiny minority.)

"India's rapid economic growth has set the tone for a fundamental change in the country's consumer set," says Srivastava. "The same energy that lifted hundreds of millions of people out of desperate poverty has created a 300 million-plus middle class, a middle class that's not prudent about spending any more. We've quickly moved from being a savings-oriented nation to a nation that's willing to indulge. Sample this: The share of wallet for personal grooming in urban India is a whopping 9%." Entertainment, Srivastava says, accounts for close to 5% of wallet share across all socio-economic categories.

But it is easy to go wrong in this market. "The Indian billion is made up of many small millions, and each million is a different million," Srivastava says. "Marketers must [acknowledge] these differences and myths lest they miss the great opportunity that is India."

What are some of these myths?

Myth: The Indian middle class lives in the metros.

Reality: Of the 80 million households that constitute the Indian middle class, only 25 million are in Tier I cities. Close to 55 million belong to the smaller towns. Mercedes sells more cars in small-town Ludhiana than it does in Mumbai.

Myth: India is a "price sensitive" market.

Reality: For products such as Vim Bar dishwashing detergent and Head & Shoulders shampoo, the Indian market easily absorbed price hikes of 13% and 18%, respectively, in 2007. Yet for years, candy manufacturers have been trying in vain to increase prices from 50p to Re 1. Value sensitivity, not price sensitivity, is the buzzword.

Myth: Imported is always premium.

Reality: Euro RSCG's brand momentum study in 2004 showed that eight of the top 10 brands in the country were of Indian origin. The days of "imported equals premium" are long past.

"The Indian middle class does not follow the norms that most mature markets do," Srivastava says. "The probable reason is that the core of the market has shifted from being middle aged and urban to young and Tier II. Many rules of the game are being challenged, the primary one being the quintessential 'trickle-down theory.' Attitudes and behavioral trends that got formed in the Tier I markets would trickle down into the small towns and rural markets. What sold in Tier I would also percolate down and sell in Tier II cities."

The Bunty Syndrome draws on quantitative studies performed by Euro RSCG in 2005 and 2007. It attempts to understand the attitude and behavior of youth in Tier I and II cities. "It studies their attitude toward and interaction with various categories, as well as creates a psychographic picture of their attitude toward life," Srivastava says. "Marketers need this lens to view the market, as it will allow them to communicate better with what we believe is the new future market for India."

What defines a Bunty consumer? Here are some characteristics:

* High confidence in their abilities, much higher than that of their counterparts in Tier I cities.

* Reemergence of Gandhian values. Social conscience is at an all-time high.

* Pride of being Indian. Youth in Tier II cities have always been proud of being Indian, and that belief has become even stronger.

* Walking on the wild side. The desire to experience the unknown -- a constant need for adventure -- is much more prevalent among youth in Tier II cities.

* Family as the cornerstone of existence. With rapid nuclearization of families and the advent of social networking, one might expect to see increased importance of friends over family. But the opposite is true. Even in the selection of role models, parents seem to trump the more prolific cricketers and Bollywood stars.

A Middle India All Its Own

The Dhonis, Buntys and Bablis -- and the efforts to track them -- have brought a newfound realization that there is indeed a growing Middle India, and one that is different. "I believe that the overall evidence does indicate the presence of a Middle India which has its own characteristics," says Sridhar Samu, assistant professor of marketing at the Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business (ISB). "It is not a smaller version of metro India. It is different in the values and the relationships between people."

"I believe that the difference in attitudes comes from the aspirations of the people living in these types of regions," Samu says. "People in Middle India are more willing to make the trade-off between the better quality of life available there versus the opportunities available in the metros. Of course, some of them are forced to live there because of their jobs, and these people may be waiting to get the opportunity to move to a metro. But large numbers of people living in Middle India live there by choice, and they seem to value the quality of life more than the conveniences in a metro."

Roopa Purushothaman, chief economist at Future Capital Holdings (and co-author of the 2003 BRIC -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- report by Goldman Sachs) makes a further distinction. She cuts Middle India down the middle. "There are certain differences between the Tier II and Tier III cities," she says. "For instance, penetration of financial services is quite high in Tier II cities. In the smaller Tier III cities, however, penetration of financial services is not high at all. Here, it is penetration of consumer durables that is very high. The Tier III cities may be a good place to test-market or launch new higher-end products and consumer durables. Typically these places are not even on the radar screens of marketers because the population numbers are not high enough."

Is the growth of Middle India a sort of natural progression that has happened in other countries? Are there lessons Indian marketers can draw from elsewhere? Opinion is divided.

"This is quite like how other countries too have evolved," Purushothaman says. "In terms of income distribution, the middle class in the smaller cities looks like the middle class in the mega cities at the turn of the century. There is a growing aspirant class in these locations, and this is what is bringing about faster changes in the consumer pattern."

Others differ in the details. "This middle segment is similar to certain other developing countries in Africa, or Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia," says Harish Bijoor, CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults, a brand and business strategy consulting firm. Bijoor is also a visiting faculty member at ISB. "Over time, there is a creeping globalization that gobbles up the middle segment and everything becomes urban. Today, India is 26% urban and 74% rural. My prognosis is that by 2046, India will be 2% rural and 98% urban." Adds Samu, of ISB: "This pattern seems to follow to some extent what happened in the U.S., though not completely. In the U.S. market, people migrated to the suburbs in order to get away from the metros. In India, this does not seem to have happened; rather, the smaller cities became bigger and became Middle India."

Srivastava calls the Bunty Syndrome unique because of factors peculiar to India: the change from an agrarian to a service economy, the growth of backward castes, nuclearization of families, greater world travel, a media boom, and the speed of change being fastest in the smaller cities. "All emerging markets are facing some degree of remixing as global culture clashes with local cultures," Srivastava says. "The Bunty Syndrome is our own take on this remixing."

Bijoor's company did a typecasting exercise recently across nine countries to assess how many "types" of people exist in different cities. (Types were classified by their similar marketing behavior.) In New York, they found 14 different types of people. In Boston, they found 9 and in Tokyo 11. In Middle India, the diversity was awesome. In Bhopal, they found 213 types and in Vijayawada 171 types.

This may be one of the reasons why marketing in India is regarded as much more difficult than fighting for pieces of market share in the West. "Marketing companies have a big responsibility toward these people and need to tailor their products and services," says Samu of ISB. "Companies need to devise innovative strategies. Advertising could also be different and may need to use local references." While having a celebrity such as film star Shah Rukh Khan, for example, may attract people's attention, it is more than likely that they would treat such ads as merely entertainment. "Local ads may have more of an impact," Samu says, "especially given the language differences."

The Bunty Syndrome study provides examples of how companies are adapting to the needs and demands of Middle India. Consider how some of the Bunty traits defined earlier are being tapped:

* Confidence: Grasim, a brand of suits, through the message of "be self-made," has saluted the "We'll get there no matter what" spirit of the youth. The message is enhanced by the use of a celebrity (the actor Akshay Kumar) who has made a name for himself on his own in a field where relatives already in the profession are seen as a prerequisite for creating equity in the industry.

* Gandhian values: Idea, a mobile-services brand, has propagated caste equality, while Tata Tea has tried to appeal to the young in Tier II cities with a call to "wake up to the issues."

* Pride: Durables brand Voltas has challenged the monopoly of Korean brands in the air-conditioner space by projecting itself as "India's own AC."

* Family values: The concept of being able to give back to parents has been used to good effect by MasterCard and HDFC Bank.

One Marketer's Experience

Suparna Mitra, head of marketing for the watches division of Titan Industries, sheds light on her company's Middle India experience: "Titan has been aware of and has been addressing this market for some time now. It was one of the first companies to set up exclusive stores in these towns and has an early-mover advantage. For Titan, 50% of watch sales come from the top 10 towns [including metros] and the 11th to 100th towns account for another 35%.

"At this point there are some differences in the products being sold in the metros and in the smaller towns. For instance, the average price in the top 10 towns is 10% higher than the products sold in Middle India. There are also different levels of acceptability in terms of styles and modernity, etc. But, given the exposure, increasing disposal incomes, and similar levels of aspirations, it is just a matter of time before this changes.

"We are already seeing it happen. For instance, last year Titan had a high-priced collection called Raga Crystals as part of its sub-brand Raga, which is aimed at women. This collection, which was studded with Swarovski crystals, was priced at around $200 at the top end of the range. We estimated a certain amount of sales, most of it from the metros. But when we actually introduced the product, we found that it was selling right down to smaller towns.

"While the realities of the Middle India consumer may be different from the urban or metro consumer, his expectations and aspirations are the same," Mitra says. "A marketer has to aim at the aspirations and not at the realities."

What is Happiness

2009-06-09T00:09:00.000-07:00

Happiness!

We all search for - we all long for, yet we do not recognize when it arrives.

Happiness is not a metaphor - it is a science - it is an interaction of neurons and biochemical produced by a response to a specific event/thought/situation.

Thus, if one can produce such biochemical with say $1 would have same happiness if one require to spend $1000 to produce the same chemical.

It is not the external agent which interacts with the nerve - it is the biochemical that interacts with the nerve.

Following video of Dr. Ricardo might give you further insight of the HAPPINESS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peA6vy0D5Bg

Happy!!
Ryan Baidya

Could India Become a Solar Leader?

2009-06-05T22:56:00.001-07:00

Green Inc. - Energy, the Environment and the Bottom Line
June 5, 2009
Could India Become a Solar Leader?
By James Kanter

India may be gearing to turn itself into the global leader in solar power generation, a sign that major developing nations could become renewable energy hubs to rival Germany and the United States.

Called the National Solar Mission, the Indian plan outlines a target for 20,000 megawatts of solar capacity by 2020, according to a draft copy obtained by Greenpeace and posted to the Web.

“This would be the most ambitious solar plan that any country has laid out so far,” said Siddharth Pathak, a climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace India.

India would generate 100,000 megawatts of solar power by 2030 and 200,000 megawatts by mid-century under the plan.

The plan acknowledges the high cost of solar compared with other sources of energy, and coal in particular. But it says costs could be driven down to between 4 and 5 rupees per kilowatt hour by the period 2017-2020, making solar cost-competitive with fossil fuels.

There would be one million rooftop systems with an average capacity of 3 kilowatts by 2020 to cut the use of diesel for daytime power while generation parks could be built in the “exclusion” zones around nuclear plants, where people are not allowed to live but solar facilities could be safely installed.

Crucial to the project would be building up local manufacturing capacity. The plan envisages training 100,000 specialists by 2020. It also foresees the need for processing facilities for raw materials, factories and technology parks for making components and equipment and generation parks to produce electricity.

India can now make 700 megawatts of photovoltaic modules each year, according to the plan. The aim would be to make 20,000 megawatts of solar cells annually by 2017 and to establish expertise in solar thermal technologies.

Total costs would be 85,000 and 105,000 crores ($18.5 billion to $22.8 billion) over a 30-year period. To help finance the project, the plan foresees a significant tax on gasoline and diesel — fuels the government currently subsidizes.

The plan also foresees a feed-in tariff, solar power purchase obligations for Indian authorities, tax breaks for manufacturers, and exemptions on tariffs for imported equipment. A so-called Solar Energy Authority of India would be set up to manage the system.

But Greenpeace emphasized that help from rich countries would be essential for India to meet its goals.

“India needs international support,” Mr. Pathak said. “The industrialized world needs to come up with solid proposals on technology and finance to help developing countries deliver on ambitious plans like this one,” he said.

Obama's speech in Egypt -June 4, 2009

2009-06-04T07:47:00.000-07:00

Obama's speech in Cairo
Thursday June 4th, 2009
An Historic Event.
-------------------------

Text of President Barack Obama's speech at Cairo University( Transcribed)

Good afternoon. I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has had stood as a beacon of Islamic learning. And for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress.

I'm grateful for your hospitality and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. And I'm also proud to carry with me the good will of the American people and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: Assalamu-alaikum.

(APPLAUSE)

We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and Muslims around the world, tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation but also conflict and religious wars.

More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims and a Cold War in which Muslim majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.

Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11, 2001, and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and western countries but also to human rights.

All this has bred more fear and more mistrust. So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.

I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap and share common principles, principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.

I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. I know there's been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust nor can I answer in the time that I have this afternoon all the complex questions that brought us to this point.

But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other, to learn from each other, to respect one another, and to seek common ground.

As the Holy Quran tells us, Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.

(APPLAUSE)

That is what I will try to do today, to speak the truth as best I can. Humbled by the task before us and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.

Now, part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I'm a Christian. But my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and at the fall of dusk.

As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith. As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Islam. It was Islam at places like Al-Azhar that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's renaissance and enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities...

(APPLAUSE)

It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra, our magnetic compass and tools of navigation, our mastery of pens and printing, our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires, timeless poetry and cherished music, elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.

(APPLAUSE)

I also know that Islam has always been a part of America's story. The first nation to recognize my country was Morocco. In signing the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second president, John Adams, wrote,

The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims. And since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States.

They have fought in our wars. They have served in our government. They have stood for civil rights. They have started businesses. They have taught at our universities. They've excelled in our sports arenas. They've won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest building and lit the Olympic torch. And when the first Muslim American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same holy Quran that one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, kept in his personal library.

(APPLAUSE)

So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn't. And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.

(APPLAUSE)

But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as...

(APPLAUSE)

Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire.

We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal. And we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words, within our borders and around the world.

We are shaped by every culture. Drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept, E pluribus unum: Out of many, one.

Now much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected president.

(APPLAUSE)

But my personal story is not so unique. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores. And that includes nearly 7 million American Muslims in our country today who, by the way, enjoy incomes and educational levels that are higher than the American average.

Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state in our union and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it.

So let there be no doubt...

(APPLAUSE)

... let there be no doubt, Islam is a part of America. And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations: to live in peace and security, to get an education and to work with dignity, to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.

Of course, recognizing our common humanity is only the beginning of our task. Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead. And if we understand that the challenges we face are shared and our failure to meet them will hurt us all.

For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations.

When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. When innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience.

(APPLAUSE)

That is what it means to share this world in the 21st Century. That is the responsibility we have to one another as human beings. This is a difficult responsibility to embrace, for human history has often been a record of nations and tribes, and, yes, religions subjugating one another in pursuit of their own interests.

Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners to it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership, our progress must be shared.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, that does not mean we should ignore sources of tension. Indeed, it suggests the opposite. We must face these tensions squarely. And so, in that spirit, let me speak as clearly and as plainly as I can about some specific issues that I believe we must finally confront together.

The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all its forms. In Ankara, I made clear that America is not and never will be at war with Islam.

(APPLAUSE)

We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject, the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as president to protect the American people.

The situation in Afghanistan demonstrates America's goals and our need to work together. Over seven years ago, the United States pursued Al Qaida and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go by choice. We went because of necessity. I'm aware that there's still some who would question or even justify the offense of 9/11. But let us be clear. Al Qaida killed nearly 3,000 people on that day.

The victims were innocent men, women, and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet Al Qaida chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach.

These are not opinions to be debated. These are facts to be dealt with. Make no mistake, we do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan. We see no military -- we seek no military bases there. It is agonizing for America to lose our young men and women. It is costly and politically difficult to continue this conflict.

We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and now Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can. But that is not yet the case.

And that's why we're partnering with a coalition of 46 countries. And despite the costs involved, America's commitment will not weaken. Indeed, none of us should tolerate these extremists. They have killed in many countries. They have killed people of different faiths but, more than any other, they have killed Muslims. Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings, the progress of nations, and with Islam.

The Holy Quran teaches that whoever kills an innocent is as -- it is as it if has killed all mankind.

(APPLAUSE)

And the Holy Quran also says whoever saves a person, it is as if he has saved all mankind.

(APPLAUSE)

The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few. Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism; it is an important part of promoting peace.

Now, we also know that military power alone is not going solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That's why we plan to invest $1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with Pakistanis to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses, and hundreds of millions to help those who've been displaced.

That's why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend on.

Now, let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible.

(APPLAUSE)

Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said, I hope that our wisdom will grow with our power and teach us that the less we use our power, the greater it will be. Today America has a dual responsibility to help Iraq forge a better future and to leave Iraq to Iraqis.

I have made it clear to the Iraqi people...

(APPLAUSE)

I have made it clear to the Iraqi people that we pursue no basis and no claim on their territory or resources. Iraq's sovereignty is its own. And that's why I ordered the removal of our combat brigades by next August. That is why we will honor our agreement with Iraq's democratically-elected government to remove combat troops from Iraqi cities by July and to remove all of our troops from Iraq by 2012.

(APPLAUSE)

We will help Iraq train its security forces and develop its economy. But we will support a secure and united Iraq as a partner and never as a patron.

And finally, just as America can never tolerate violence by extremists, we must never alter or forget our principles. 9/11 was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable. But in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals.

We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States. And I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.

(APPLAUSE)

So America will defend itself, respectful of the sovereignty of nations and the rule of law. And we will do so in partnership with Muslim communities, which are also threatened. The sooner the extremists are isolated and unwelcome in Muslim communities, the sooner we will all be safer.

Now, the second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world. America's strong bonds with Israel are well-known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.

Around the world the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries. And anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented holocaust. Tomorrow I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich.

Six million Jews were killed, more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless. It is ignorant, and it is hateful.

It's about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path.

Now, I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons that others do not. No single nations should pick and choose which nation holds nuclear weapons. And that's why I strongly reaffirmed America's commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons.

(APPLAUSE)

And any nation, including Iran, should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That commitment is at the core of the treaty. And it must be kept for all who fully abide by it. And I am hopeful that all countries in the region can share in this goal.

The fourth issue that I will address is democracy.

(APPLAUSE)

I know there has been controversy about the promotion of democracy in recent years. And much of this controversy is connected to the war in Iraq. So let me be clear. No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation by any other. That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people.

Each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election.

But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed, confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice, government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people, the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas. They are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, there is no straight line to realize this promise. But this much is clear. Governments that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, successful and secure. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them. And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments, provided they govern with respect for all their people.

This last point is important because there are some who advocate for democracy only when they're out of power. Once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others.

(APPLAUSE)

So no matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who would hold power. You must maintain your power through consent, not coercion. You must respect the rights of minorities and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise. You must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party.

Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy.

(AUDIENCE MEMBER SHOUTS)

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedom. Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance. We see it in the history of Andalusia and Cordoba during the Inquisition. I saw it firsthand as a child in Indonesia where devote Christians worshipped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country.

That is the spirit we need today. People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind and the heart and the soul.

This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive. But it's being challenged in many different ways. Among some Muslims, there's a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of somebody else's faith.

The richness of religious diversity must be upheld, whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt.

(APPLAUSE)

And if we are being honest, fault lines must be closed among Muslims as well as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq.

Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which people protect it. For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation.

That's why I'm committed to work with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat. Likewise, it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit, for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear.

We can't disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretense of liberalism. In fact, faith should bring us together. And that's why we're forging service projects in America to bring together Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

That's why we welcome efforts like Saudi Arabian King Abdullah's interfaith dialogue and Turkey's leadership in the Alliance of Civilizations.

Around the world, we can turn dialogue into interfaith service so bridges between peoples lead to action, whether it is combating malaria in Africa or providing relief after a natural disaster.

The sixth issue -- the sixth issue that I want to address is women's rights.

(APPLAUSE)

I know...

(APPLAUSE)

I know, and you can tell from this audience, that there is a healthy debate about this issue. I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal. But I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality.

(APPLAUSE)

And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well- educated are far more likely to be prosperous.

Now let me be clear, issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, we've seen Muslim-majority countries elect a woman to lead.

Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life and in countries around the world. I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.

(APPLAUSE)

Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity, men and women, to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal. And I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice.

That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim- majority country to support expanded literacy for girls and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams.

(APPLAUSE)

Finally, I want to discuss economic development and opportunity. I know that for many, the face of globalization is contradictory. The Internet and television can bring knowledge and information but also offensive sexuality and mindless violence into the home.

Trade can bring new wealth and opportunities but also huge disruptions and change in communities. In all nations, including America, this change can bring fear; fear that, because of modernity, we lose control over our economic choices, our politics, and most importantly, our identities, those things we most cherish about our communities, our families, our traditions, and our faith.

But I also know that human progress cannot be denied. There need not be contradictions between development and tradition. Countries like Japan and South Korea grew their economies enormously while maintaining distinct cultures. The same is true for the astonishing progress within Muslim majority countries from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai.

In ancient times and in our times, Muslim communities have been at the forefront of innovation and education. And this is important because no development strategy can be based only upon what comes out of the ground nor can it be sustained while young people are out of work.

Many Gulf States have enjoyed great wealth as a consequence of oil, and some are beginning to focus it on broader development. But all of us must recognize that education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century. And in too...

(APPLAUSE)

And in too many Muslim communities, there remains underinvestment in these areas. I am emphasizing such investment within my own country. And while America, in the past, has focused on oil and gas when it comes to this part of the world, we new seek a broader engagement.

On education, we will expand change programs and increase scholarships like the one that brought my father to America.

(APPLAUSE)

At the same time, we will encourage more Americans to study in Muslim communities. And we will match promising Muslim students are internships in America, invest in online learning for teachers and children around the world and create a new, online network so a young person in Kansas can communicate instantly with a young person in Cairo.

On economic development, we will create a new core of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim majority countries. And I will host a summit on entrepreneurship this year to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations, and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.

On science and technology, we will launch a new fund to support technological development in Muslim majority country and to help transfer ideas to the marketplace so they can create more jobs. We will open centers of scientific excellence in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia and appoint new science envoys to collaborate on programs that develop new sources of energy, create green jobs, digitize records, clean water, grow new crops.

Today, I'm announcing a new global effort with the organization of the Islamic Conference to eradicate polio. And we will also expand partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal health.

All these things must be done in partnership. Americans are ready to join with citizens and governments, community organizations, religious leaders, and businesses in Muslim communities around the world to help our people pursue a better life.

The issues that I have described will not be easy to address, but we have a responsibility to join together to behalf of the world that we seek, a world where extremists no longer threaten our people and American troops have come home; a world where Israelis and Palestinians are each secure in a state of their own and nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes, a world where governments serve their citizens and the rights of all God's children are respected. Those are mutual interests. That is the world we seek.But we can only achieve it together. I know there are many, Muslim and non-Muslim, who question whether we can forge this new beginning. Some are eager to stoke the flames of division and to stand in the way of progress. Some suggest that it isn't worth the effort, that we are fated to disagree and civilizations are doomed to clash.

Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur. There is so much fear, so much mistrust that has built up over the years. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward. And I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith in every country. You more than anyone have the ability to reimagine the world, the remake this world.

All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart or whether we commit ourselves to an effort, a sustained effort to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children and to respect the dignity of all human beings.

It's easier to start wars than to end them. It's easier to blame others than to look inward. It's easier to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path. There is one rule that lies at the heart of every religion, that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

(APPLAUSE)

This truth transcends nations and peoples, a belief that isn't new, that isn't black or white or brown, that isn't Christian or Muslim or Jew. It's a belief that pulsed in the cradle of civilization and that still beats in the hearts of billions around the world. It's a faith in other people. And it's what brought me here today.

We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written. The Holy Quran tells us, Mankind, we have created you male and a female. And we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.

The Talmud tells us, The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.

The Holy Bible tells us, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

(APPLAUSE)

The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth.

Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

RESUME Must-FIVE points

2009-05-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

by Joe Turner, for Yahoo! HotJobs

As the economy has worsened and millions of job seekers are chasing after fewer and fewer jobs, what you put on your resume has become more important than ever. Before you send your resume anywhere, run it through this quick five-point checklist to determine if it needs a tune-up or a complete overhaul.

1. Clear Objective

There has been a lot of debate lately among the resume-writing "chattering classes" about whether today's resumes even need an objective. After 15 years of reading resumes for my clients, my answer is definitely, "Yes." However, I should clarify. By "objective," I'm not referring to the fluff that most job seekers concoct. The objective should be your targeted job title and nothing more. This focuses the resume and necessitates that you use the rest of the resume to support why you're the best candidate to fill this particular job title. It also leaves no doubt in your reader's mind about who you are.

2. Opening Statement

Does your resume open with a long paragraph titled, "Summary of Qualifications"? Problem: Of the thousands that I've read over the years, most are nothing more than fiction. Long laundry lists of skills and assorted keywords. Two of the biggest offending phrases are "results-driven" and that ever popular "proven track record."

If your resume looks like this, you might want to rethink your approach. Don't bore your reader by emphasizing keywords and hackneyed clichs. Employers want to know how you can solve their problem right now. Don't annoy them by failing to answer this urgent question.

Instead, include a simple, concise opening statement. This one sentence is usually called a Unique Selling Proposition. It should define who you are, your single biggest strength and end with a benefit that you offer. Ideally it should be something measurable, since everything boils down to dollars. This strips away the fluff and quickly answers that critical question in their mind. Do this, and you make it easy for them to call you.

3. Measurable Results

OK, now you have a great opening statement. For Act Two, you must back that up with added proof. Don't rely on tired clichs. Tantalize them with a bulleted list of specific achievements. By achievements, I mean an end result that reaped some benefit for either your employer or the client you've worked for.

This may require that you think outside your box or cubicle. Regardless of your role, you have a bottom-line impact on your employer. Your job is to communicate your true value clearly and specifically to your next employer. It may take a bit of effort to develop these bullets. And that's all they should be. No more than a one-sentence brief description of the benefit or result and how you accomplished it.

If you can put together a concise list of five to seven good achievements that are Return-on-Investment (ROI)-oriented, you'll score a lot quicker than relying on those unexciting clichs.

4. One Job Title, One Resume

Resume readers are very focused and they're looking for specific items. They have very short attention spans and can be easily distracted. When they get distracted, they start getting confused, and when that happens, they screen you out and reach for the next resume.

So, if you are looking for a position as a project manager, tell them why you're a great project manager. That's all they want to know. Don't tell them about how you used to work as a carpenter or how you managed and ran your own consulting business. They don't want or need to know about your other unrelated careers or positions. Even if you were great at them.

Use one resume to sell one job title. If the resume doesn't clearly explain why you're the best project manager in your city, then either drop the information or minimize it because it doesn't belong there.

Stick with one career on one resume and you'll have less chance of getting screened out.

5. "Above the Fold"

Place all of your most important selling information at the very top half of page one. Most resume readers spend about 20 seconds of actual eyeball time before they decide to move to the next resume. They are not going to waste their time looking through your resume to find critical information, such as how you "increased revenues $350K" or "decreased labor costs by 12%." This information should be polished like gemstones and presented on a silver platter at the very top of the first page. Do this, and they'll be spending a lot longer than 20 seconds on your resume.

As a recruiter, Joe Turner spent 15 years finding and placing top candidates in some of the best jobs of their careers. The author of "Job Search Secrets Unlocked" and "Paycheck 911," Joe also hosts his weekly "Job Search Guy Radio Show" on JobRadio.fm as well as other locations. You'll find free tips and advice here.

PAGES FROM HISTORY: INDIAN INFLUENCE ON TIBET

2009-05-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

PAGES FROM HISTORY: INDIAN INFLUENCE ON TIBET

By Prof. A.V. Narasimha Murthy, former Head, Department of Ancient History & Archaeology, University of Mysore.

Exactly fifty years ago, His Holiness Dalai Lama came to India in exile after the Chinese aggression of Tibet. From then on, the fourteenth religious leader of Tibet has been living in India hoping to get back to his motherland when the congenial atmosphere sets in there.

Actually, Dalai Lama is not a personal name but it denotes the exalted position like Shan-karacharya, Jeeyar, Jagadguru etc. In about 1550 AD, a Tibetan guru of Lama faith visited the court of Mongol Chief Altan Khan. The Khan was pleased by the scholarship and compassionate attitude of this Tibetan monk (Blod-nams-rgya-mto) and gave him the title 'Tale' meaning ocean of knowledge and compassion.

In course of time 'Tale' became Dalai. As he was following Lama religion, he came to be called Dalai Lama, and all the succee-ding chiefs assumed that title. It is believed that Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of Bodhisatva Avalokitesvar, like the avataras of the Hindu religion, to help the people to attain salvation. Except the one Dalai Lama (Yantan) who was the great grandson of Altan Khan, all others are of Tibetan origin. The present Dalai Lama was born in 1935 and next year he will enter into 75th year and that will be a great occasion for the Tibetans.

Gampo of Ancient Tibet

Though India welcomed Dalai Lama and extended a hand of friendship fifty years ago, actually India's contact with Tibet goes back to more than 1500 years. Tibet was a group of small States and Gampo united all of them in about 620 AD and the Chinese king gave his daughter in marriage to him. Gampo defeated the Hindu king of Nepal and Nepal became a part of Tibet for sometime. Gampo introduced Buddhism to Tibet and hence he is considered as the Father of ancient Tibet. Tibet defeats China

During 6th-7th centuries AD Tibet became so powerful as to attack China and occupy parts of that country. Unable to drive the Tibetans out of their country, the Chinese king agreed to give fifty thousand rolls of silk cloth as tribute to Tibet. After sometime, the Chinese stopped this tribute and immediately Tibet waged a war on China and defeated it. The Chinese king made a treaty with Tibet by surrendering huge amounts of gold and silk and this is recorded on a stone dated 821 AD which is still available in Lhasa.

Padmasambhava

Then came another important Chief Trison Dexen who took great interest in the development of Buddhism. After visiting India many times, he was greatly impressed by the famous Nalanda University. There was a famous scholar by name Padmasam-bhava at Nalanda and Dexen invited him to visit Tibet and teach Buddhism. Padmasambhava accepted the offer and went to Tibet. It was he who started the Lama School of Buddism. Actually Lamaism is a harmoious combination of Saivism, Tantric cult and Mahayan Buddhism.

There was a competition in Tibet between the religious teachers who came from China and the scholars from India headed by Padmasambhava in 792 AD. The Chinese scholars were unable to explain Tao philosophy whereas Indian scholars could explain the tenets of Buddhism in attractive language and people voted for Indian Buddhism. Chinese scholars left Tibet. Indian scholars began translating Sanskrit and Pali texts into Tibetan.

Dipankara

Then came another scholar Dipankara, also called Atisha, who was the Vice-Chancellor of the Vikramashila University in India. He built many Buddhist monasteries and educational institutions and became a patron of Buddhism. Actually he stands next only to Buddha and Padmasambhava in religious hierarchy.

The Indian Buddhist scholars gave equal opportunity for women also in religious matters. Worship of Buddha, Bodhisatva and other deities also became popular. These concepts looked attractive to common people and by this Indian Buddhist scholars gained an upper hand in Tibet.

Mongol attack

When things were moving in this congenial way, the notorious Changez Khan attacked Tibet. He looted Lhasa, killed hundreds of people and carried all Tibetan wealth to Mongolia. The Tibetans were happy that Khan did not carry Buddhist manuscripts. Tibetan Sakya King Godan explained to his subjects thus: 'Money and wealth which we have lost at the hands of the Mongols can easily be earned but the Buddhist works if lost could not have been replaced or earned again'. However, the Mongolian influence on Tibet continued.

Panchen Lama

But Indian influence continued in Tibetan religious and social life as revealed by the stories of Naropa and Tilopa.

An Indian scholar started a monastery at a place called Samye which had rarest of Buddhist manuscripts. The Mongolian Gusri Khan died in 1655 AD and his successors did not show much interest in ruling over Tibet. In the meantime, Chinese began to interfere in Tibetan political affairs. Dalai Lama practically became the head of Tibet. Just to undermine the influence of Dalai Lama over Tibet, the Chinese appointed Panchen Lama as the head of Tibet. This inaugurated the tradition of Panchen Lama in Tibetan history.

The Chinese expected that there would be quarrel between Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama so that they could intervene. But they were disappointed as Panchen Lama accepted the superiority of Dalai Lama. Even now Dalai Lama enjoys a superior status. Without any other course, the Chinese made an aggression against Tibet which resulted in Dalai Lama coming to India fifty years ago.

I had the good fortune of presenting a research paper on Indian influence on Tibet at a conference held in Buddha Gaya which was inaugurated by Dalai Lama. After listening to my paper, His Holiness remarked that Indians know more about Tibetan history than the Tibetans themselves. He was further happy to know that I was from Mysore city close to Bylukuppe, the Tibetan colony.

Thus Tibetans are friends of India for the past 1500 years. A long standing friendship indeed !

INDO-US relationship -

2009-05-06T23:29:00.001-07:00

Transcript: Senior ex-US diplomat on India-US relations

Published: May 6 2009 09:04 | Last updated: May 6 2009 09:04

This is an edited version of a speech on “The Future of US-India Relations” delivered by Robert D. Blackwill, former US envoy to India, in New Delhi on 5 May 2009

Let me begin by very briefly putting US-India relations in its geopolitical context. We are, of course, in the worst global recession since the 1930’s. There is dangerous instability in many parts of the globe. And we are also facing the most perilous international security situation since before the 1973 Middle East war. Developments in the Greater Middle East are uniformly awful. Instability and violence is rising in Iraq as the United States begins to undertake its military withdrawal beginning with the major cities. Iran defiantly pursues its nuclear weapons program. Prospects for progress between Israel and the Palestinians are the grimmest in 25 years. The basic trends in Afghanistan are negative. Pakistan pulsates, perhaps fracturing at its core. Russia’s relations with the West are bad and unlikely to get much better very soon if at all. The effects of the rise of Chinese power on Asia writ large are, as Don Rumsfeld would put it, “a known unknown.” Much of the developing world is reeling from world economic downturn.

This is the treacherous context in which US-India relations in the near-term – the next several years – will develop. Before addressing this more immediate period, let me emphasize that in my view, the United States and India have a very bright future together in the decades ahead. I stressed that in an initial speech as American Ambassador in India on September 7, 2001. I believed it then and I believe it now. As my mentor, the incomparable Henry Kissinger, has put it – “The world faces four major problems — terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the movement of the centre of gravity from the Atlantic region to Asia and the impact of a globalised economy on the world order. The US and India have compatible, indeed overlapping, vital national interests in all four areas.”

If Henry Kissinger’s strategic framework reflected in this quotation is the best way to view US-India bilateral ties over the very long run, the subject of my speech today is shorter term in approach. I will look today at prospects for the Indo-American relationship in the next few years. Here is my headline in that regard. It will take very hard work and skillful diplomacy from both governments to keep the US-India relationship on its current plateau and to avoid a steady decline in our bilateral ties. I try to explain why in the rest of this presentation.

Let me stress that the Obama Administration in my view has an affirmative view of India. It admires India’s remarkable democracy. It is positively influenced by the Indian-American community whose political voice is growing in the United States. It hopes that India will become a partner on climate change and non-proliferation issues. It wishes to increase markedly the volume of US-India trade.

Thus, I take entirely at face value my old friend and Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg’s March 26 speech in which he said that “In the twenty-first century, the emergence of India as strong, stable, democratic and outwardly looking global player with global interests has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of the international system and the security and well-being of all, in a positive sum game,” and, “The real test of the relationship between the US and India will be how we work together on the great common challenges of our era – strengthening the global trade and investment system, addressing transnational threats like nuclear weapons proliferation, terrorism and pandemic disease, and meeting the urgent danger that is posed by climate change.” In short, I believe the Obama Administration genuinely wants good relations with India and will work hard toward that end.

Having said that, I am concerned that there may be a substantial change underway in the quality and the intensity of US-India relations which goes counter to the good intentions of the two sides. Let me explain what I have in mind and what worries me.

President George W. Bush based his transformation of US-India Relations on the core strategic principle of democratic India as a key factor in balancing the rise of Chinese power. To be clear, this was not based on the concept of containing China. As you know, there is no better way to clear a room of Indian strategists than to advocate containing China. Rather, it centered on the idea that the United States and India in the decades ahead both had enormous equities in promoting responsible international policies on the part of China and that deep US-India bilateral cooperation in that respect was in the vital national interests of both countries. It was with this strategic paradigm in mind that the Bush Administration treated Indian with at least as much importance as China. For my analytical purposes here today, I am not saying whether this strategic approach regarding India and China on the part of the Bush Administration was right or wrong. There were critics of this approach, including my good friend Brent Scowcroft, who believes that such an Asian balance of power paradigm is both antique and dangerous in the current era. In any case, without this China factor at the fore in Washington, in my view the Bush Administration would not have negotiated the Civil Nuclear Agreement and the Congress would not have approved it.

At the same time, the long US-India negotiation on the civil-nuclear deal concentrated Washington minds on the bilateral relation and created over time strong relationships between the principal policy makers on the two sides. More important, it led to the de-hyphenization of US-India relations, separating India as a rising great power from India-Pakistan history and singularity, especially during George W. Bush’s second term.

Although it is certainly early days, there are preliminary indications that the Obama Administration has a different policy orientation towards India. First, it is not clear that the Obama Administration has the same preoccupation with the rise of Chinese power and India’s balancing role in it. Rather, Washington is now naturally focused on US-China economic relations, the G-2 as some analysts have named it, not least because of PRC holdings of US Treasury bonds and its major place in the world economy. So China today appears, at least to me, to be on a substantially higher plane in US diplomacy than India which seems to have been downgraded in Administration strategic calculations. Thank goodness the US-India 123 Agreement was completed because I am skeptical that it would have been successfully concluded under current conditions by this American Administration and Congress. In any case, there is no positive issue that I can see on the horizon that would have the same positive function and effects on US-India relations in the next several years as did the Civil Nuclear Agreement.

Moreover, I believe that it is fair to say that there is no one at the top of the Obama Administration who knows much about India. Let me stress this was also true in 2001 when the Bush team took office but they learned about India over the years for the reasons that I have suggested. By the same token, unsurprisingly there are now no close relationships between the policy makers in Washington and in New Delhi. This is nobody’s fault but just the way it is and as we know in life, unfamiliarity often breeds suspicion. Unfortunately, I do not see the evolution of events that would produce such policy intimacy between the two nations. At the same time, there are numerous issues that could cause a variety of problems in the US-India relationship in the next months and years.

This list obviously must begin with Pakistan. This is clearly the most serious issue between the United States and India. For every good reason, the Obama Administration is devoting enormous thought to Pakistan, since it is the most dangerous foreign policy problem that Washington presently faces. Indeed, in my judgment, the evolving situation in Pakistan is potentially the most dangerous international situation since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. As Vice President Biden has warned: “It is hard to imagine a greater nightmare for America than the world’s second-largest Muslim nation becoming a failed state in fundamentalists’ hands, with an arsenal of nuclear weapons and a population larger than Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea combined.” And President Obama deserves great credit for his April 29 statement that, “on the military side, you are starting to see some recognition just in the last few days that the obsession with India as the mortal threat to Pakistan has been misguided, and that their biggest threat right now comes internally.” It has been many, many years since an American President has spoke so publicly, truthfully and bluntly to the leadership and people of Pakistan.

In my view, the United States has four vital national interests concerning what the Obama Administration calls AfPak, a holistic concept that unfortunately has been dear to the hearts of the Pakistan army for decades: 1) to prevent Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and materials from coming into the possession of Islamic extremists; 2) to ensure that Afghanistan does not again become a sanctuary for terrorists to launch attacks against the United States and its Allies and friends; 3) to avoid war between India and Pakistan; and 4) to prevent the Taliban and its radical collaborators from gaining control of Pakistan. Under the dynamic leadership of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke—relentless, experienced, charismatic as the New York Times accurately describes him, Obama policymakers are attempting to positively influence Pakistan where every single important trend that I can identify is negative and getting worse. Hats off to Ambassador Holbrooke and the Administration for their strategic thinking in seeing Pakistan as America’s most pressing important international problem and the one that currently poses the greatest threats to US vital national interests.

The Administration clearly has its work cut out for it. The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen recent confirmed that elements of the ISI maintain links with extremists on Pakistan’s borders with both Afghanistan and India. General David Petraeus, head of the US Central Command, speaks of cases “in the fairly recent past” where the ISI appeared to have warned Jihadis that their positions had been discovered. And the New York Times recently pointed out that ISI support to Taliban commanders extends to “money, military supplies and strategic planning guidance”.

In addition, we all know of the spreading Wahabi-based fanaticism and violence inside Pakistan, away from the Taliban’s Pashtun mountain strongholds and into Punjab. The possible effect of such an enveloping US preoccupation with Pakistan seems on its way in practical terms to re-hyphenating the US-India relationship, leading the Administration to see India largely through the lens of deeply disturbing developments in Pakistan, at the expense of a focus on strategic cooperation writ large between Washington and New Delhi. This will produce an understandable and growing US interest in trying to reduce tensions in the India-Pakistan relationship, not least because Islamabad will speciously argue that tensions with India and the Kashmir dispute are preventing it from moving robustly against the Islamic terrorists within their midst. So India may well encounter eventual US pressure from on the subject of Kashmir. This would be ironic since the Indian Government reached through secret negotiations with General Musharraf a momentous breakthrough on Kashmir which alas did not survive Musharraf’s downward spiral and ultimate fall from power.

I strongly support the Administration’s efforts to internationalize the Pakistan problem and to bring to bear as many external resources and capabilities as possible to try to begin to improve the situation in Pakistan. However, it would be a mistake for Washington to treat India as mostly at the margin of US consideration of policy toward Pakistan, as a lesser player on issues related to the future of Pakistan. After all, it is India that is the object of Pakistan obsession, as President Obama pointed out. It is India that is continually attacked by terrorists based in Pakistan with the support of elements of the Pakistan military and today infiltration across the Line of Control is increasing. It is India that Pakistan claims is illegally occupying Kashmir. And it is only India that could again find itself at war with Pakistan, triggered by another Mumbai-like attack. So India is profoundly connected to the future of Pakistan, not on the periphery of it.

Let me make another point concerning Pakistan. Some Administration officials opine that the United States, India and Pakistan are now together in facing “a common threat, a common challenge, a common task”, in seeking to defeat Islamic terrorists based in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Oh, if that were only so. But it is not. If you doubt me, please ask any member of the Pakistan army which has for three decades regarded Islamic terrorists as an abiding policy instrument against India and a crucial element in Pakistan’s enduring concept of strategic depth. These objectives are deep in ISI’s DNA and there is no magic wand available in Washington that will make that hard fact disappear. In short, there is no sign that the Government of Pakistan has made a fundamental national choice to seek to rid itself of Jihadism. Indeed, Secretary of State Clinton stated it well in April 23 testimony before the Congress, when she said that the Pakistan government “is basically abdicating to the Taliban and to the extremists.”

I conclude my remarks centered directly on Pakistan by observing that no one in Washington on either side of the political aisle has a set of penetrating prescriptions that promise to end the internal slide of Pakistan. (If I may say so, the same is true in India.) Conditioning military assistance on the Pakistan army acting vigorously against the Taliban and its allies should be a US requirement. Training the Pakistan army in counter-insurgency techniques makes sense. Working out joint management of Predator attacks would reduce the public outcry in Pakistan. Diversifying NATO supply routes into Afghanistan to avoid over-dependence on Pakistan would help. Staying out of Pakistan’s domestic politics is a must. Reducing the American public footprint in Pakistan would certainly be wise to try to deprive the Taliban of nationalist anti-foreign space. Attempting over the very long term to strengthen Pakistan civil society is a good Western investment.

But none of this gets in the next year or two at the fundamental problem. Islamic extremism is systemically on the rise in Pakistan and elites there—both civilian and military—do not appear to have the will or the means to resist. One, of course, urgently hopes that will change, but it is important to understand that US policy instruments are too weak to affect importantly these evolving and disturbing societal trends in Pakistan. Put another way, in my judgment, American policies cannot improve the current deteriorating internal situation in Pakistan. That is a preeminent task for Pakistanis. But maladroit US actions can make the situation in Pakistan worse.

This brings me to Afghanistan, which presents another set of potential differences between Washington and New Delhi. First, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is now commonly said in the US that NATO cannot win in Afghanistan as long as Taliban sanctuaries exist in Pakistan. But as George Friedman concludes, “While U.S. and NATO forces must rely on increasingly unreliable Pakistani supply routes to fight the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan — fearful that the United States and India will establish a long-term strategic partnership — has the incentive to keep the jihadist insurgency boiling (preferably in Afghanistan) in order to keep the Americans committed to an alliance with Islamabad, however complex that alliance might be.” One must then ask how likely is it that Islamabad and the Pakistan military will change its long-time policy approach to Afghanistan?

As you know, the Obama Administration has announced in detail its policies regarding the war in Afghanistan, a conflict that the United States and its Allies are not winning and may be losing. As Henry Kissinger has noted, “The conventional army loses if it does not win. The guerrilla wins if he does not lose.” Perhaps with this in mind, President Obama has ordered the deployment of 21,000 US troops to Afghanistan, over and above the 40,000 already there. But he has made clear that in order to defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban, America will have to embark on a long and expensive campaign of nation building in Afghanistan and solicit assistance and support from Afghanistan’s neighbors.

I applaud the emphasis that the Administration is now putting on preventing Afghanistan from once again becoming a sanctuary from which terrorists can plan and carry out attacks against the United States and its friends and Allies. Consistent with the German philosopher Nietzsche’s admonition that, “Man’s most enduring stupidity is forgetting what he is trying to do,” what we should be trying to do in Afghanistan is not, as Secretary of Defense Bob Gates stresses, attempting to make that country a modern democratic “Valhalla.” That goal is far beyond America’s and indeed the world’s capabilities.

The preeminent Australian expert David Kilcullen has an entirely different emphasis, “Counterinsurgency demands the continuous presence of security forces”; “local alliances and partnerships with community leaders; creation of self-defending populations”; and “operation of small-unit ground forces in tandem with local security forces.” In short, counterinsurgency does not require improved governance, not to say democratic practices, from the capital, a fundamental transformation that is highly unlikely in Afghanistan. Long distance American admonitions, no matter how well intentioned, will not change that Afghan reality. I will go even further. Any US strategy toward the Taliban that depends on substantially improved performance from the government in Kabul will fail.

Rather, the fate of Afghanistan one way or the other will be decided at the local and village level in the longer run by the competence and fighting spirit of the Afghan army and by economic development which ordinary Afghans can see and feel. Both these crucial projects will take several years at a minimum to accomplish and, therefore, Washington should stop talking about an exit strategy from Afghanistan. The only exit strategy available to the United States in the next year or two is defeat. I am convinced that the Obama Administration knows this to be true and for many reasons the US will not cut and run from Afghanistan as some in New Delhi’s salons seem to believe.

At the same time, it appears to me that India does not figure in an important way in US calculations regarding Afghanistan. Washington does not object to India’s economic development activities in Afghanistan, but is apparently sensitive to Islamabad’s complaints that India’s real objective in Afghanistan is to deprive Pakistan of the strategic depth that as I said a moment ago has preoccupied Pakistan military planners for decades. So the Administration may not give sufficient weight to India’s views regarding Afghanistan as say compared to those of Pakistan, the NATO Allies, Iran, China and Russia and seeks to limit the degree of Indian involvement in Afghanistan. This is especially odd given that according to polls, 74 per cent of Afghans see India favorably while 91 per cent of Afghans believe that Pakistan is playing a negative role in their country. For Washington to believe that India will not be a major player in the long-term future of Afghanistan is to ignore centuries of history, culture and mutual interaction between the two.

Finally, there is the notion emanating from Washington of so-called “reconciliation” with so-called “moderate” Taliban. This is a terrible idea, one of the very worst floating around Washington. Apart from the problem of defining the nature of an oxymoronic “moderate Taliban.” would such a “reconcilable” Taliban be against terrorism against India? Not likely. Moreover, under current conditions in Afghanistan in which NATO may be losing the war, such a move on Washington’s part could only be regarded by the resurgent Taliban as a serious sign of weakness and consequently fortify its will to win. As the great post-war Secretary of State Dean Acheson once trenchantly observed, “Negotiating … assumes parties more anxious to agree than to disagree.” Who believes that concept currently applies to the Taliban? A moment may come in this long war when it will make sense for the United States to try to fracture the Taliban in Afghanistan by offering incentives to those willing to stop fighting. But that time, if it ever comes, would surely only be in the context of NATO succeeding militarily on the ground in Afghanistan, not before.

That brings us to Iran which is another knotty issue in US-India relations and a potential source of considerable bilateral tension. The Obama Administration is embarking on a diplomatic effort to persuade Tehran to suspend its nuclear weapons activities, a US initiative that all of us should applaud. However, this effort in my judgment has no chance of succeeding without a parallel strengthening of economic sanctions against Tehran. So it is just a matter of time before the US seeks to enlist India in applying a much more stringent sanctions regime concerning Iran, likely because of Russian opposition outside the legal authority of the UN Security Council. For many reasons with which you are all familiar, India is unlikely go along with such an American proposition.

China – It is not clear how Washington’s dominant preoccupation with economic cooperation with China will affect Indian Government calculations related to the US-India bilateral relationship and regional and Asian security. But if the US treats China in a privileged fashion and downgrades the quality of its substantive interaction with New Delhi, this is unlikely to produce spontaneous concessions from the Indian side on other matters of importance to Washington.

Nuclear Reprocessing and Civil-Nuclear Cooperation—Although it will undoubtedly be a tough negotiation, it seems likely that Washington and New Delhi will begin a reprocessing agreement this calendar year which would promote the sale of US nuclear reactors to India. Were that negotiation to break down, recriminations would surely fly from both capitals.

India’s Nuclear Weapons – There are a cluster of issues related to India’s nuclear weapons. The Obama team endorses both the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and a freeze on the production of fissile material. Neither of these appears to be acceptable to the Indian Government today. President Obama is planning to put Vice President Biden in charge of what is expected to be the difficult job of getting the Senate to ratify the CTBT. Speaking recently, a senior Indian official said that India would not accept the CTBT because it “was not explicitly linked to the goal of nuclear disarmament.” Finally, it is not clear at least to me how the Obama team basically regards India’s nuclear weapons – as a destabilizing factor in South Asia; as a fact of life to grudgingly tolerate; or as a natural development from a close democratic collaborator and rising great power?

Climate Change – Secretary of State Clinton told delegates from 16 countries at a recent State Department conference on energy and climate that “The United States is fully engaged and determined to lead and make up for lost time both at home and abroad.” The Washington Post reports that “Days after the Obama administration unveiled a push to combat climate change, Indian officials said it was unlikely to prompt them to agree to binding emission cuts, a position among emerging economies that many say derails effective action.

“If the question is whether India will take on binding emission reduction commitments, the answer is no. It is morally wrong for us to agree to reduce when 40 percent of Indians do not have access to electricity,” said a member of the Indian delegation to the recently concluded U.N. conference in Bonn, Germany, which is a prelude to a Copenhagen summit in December on climate change. Given how seriously the Obama Administration takes global warming, this issue risks being an increasing irritant in the US-India relationship.

WTO/Protectionism/H 1-B Visas—Despite appeals against trade protectionism, India imposed fresh tariffs on iron, steel and soybean oil in the early days of the financial crisis. Such a severe economic environment leads each country to fend for itself first — and India is no exception and neither is the most protectionist US Congress in many decades. In the same vein, President Obama’s stimulus package stops US companies, largely in banking and financial services, that take federal bailout money from hiring H-1B visa holders for two years if they have laid off American workers in the previous six months. The Administration has vowed to tighten restrictions and step up oversight of all work visa applications. These protectionist pressures are unlike to subside any time soon.

I have enumerated a whole host of potential and even likely problems in the US-India relationship in the next few years. In concluding, I would like to suggest what the United States and India should do in the period ahead to avoid systemic deterioration in our bilateral ties. Here are my personal policy prescriptions.

Pakistan –There should be intimate, intensive and utterly private US-India talks on how to deal with a turbulent and increasingly chaotic Pakistan in the period ahead, including examining the policy implications of various specific scenarios regarding deteriorating events in Pakistan. What seemed worst case a year ago in Pakistan may be on our mutual doorstep in the months ahead. I recognize that this is an exceptionally sensitive suggestion but it is absolutely necessary for a host of reasons, not least because it would be the United States and India that would be most affected by a Talibanisation of Pakistan. With that in mind, how can it be that we are not comprehensively and candidly talking together about it? Indeed, there may come a time if Pakistan continues its gradual descent into anarchy when the United States and India may be forced to adopt together, along with Iran and other nations, a strategy of attempting to quarantine the Wahabi infection as much as possible within Pakistan and to try to minimize its export.

Afghanistan – NATO is not currently winning the long war in Afghanistan. And the US, because of concerns in Islamabad, continues to find India more a liability than an asset regarding the future of Afghanistan. As an Indian friend said to me in 2002. “You Americans seem to think that Afghanistan is a scone, it is a baklava”. How prophetic he was. India will be a major player in Afghanistan whether the US likes it or not. That should be regarded in Washington as a positive factor as it seeks to reverse the problematical trends in Afghanistan and Washington should encourage India to enlarge its role in that country.

International Terrorism - This cluster of issues I have just mentioned is, of course, closely connected to the rise of Islamic extremism and the War on Terror. It is difficult to think of two countries outside of the Middle East that will be more strategically affected by this phenomenon than India and the United States. We talk far too little about this together, including what to say and do about it. In any case, Washington must not differentiate between “Bad Taliban” which kill American and “Good Taliban” which do not, but do mount attacks against India. Such a misguided US distinction would be poison for the US-India relationship.

Iran – In both countries there is considerable domestic political resonance and controversy surrounding this issue. It will not be diminished under the public spotlight. Washington needs to decisively accept India’s civilizational ties to Iran and act on that fact in American policies; and New Delhi needs to decisively accept and act in its policies on the fact that if Iran acquires a nuclear arsenal, it will dangerously disrupt regional and global equilibrium and be very bad for India over the long-term. I believe that the Obama Administration has it right in its approach to Iran. It is attempting to avoid a situation in 2010 or so in which the President faces essentially a binary choice regarding how to deal with Iran’s nuclear weapons program – either to launch a US military attack on those facilities with disastrous long term consequences, or to acquiesce to an Iranian nuclear weapons capability with disastrous long term consequences. So I believe that India should be far more forthcoming regarding much stronger international economic sanctions against Iran. That is the best hope for avoiding a catastrophe in the Middle East.

China – Again a delicate subject. But managing the rise of Chinese power is likely to be the most important strategic challenge for both countries in the next two decades. Containment is not an option but attempting together to shape Chinese policies in positive directions is. In particular, Washington should abandon any thoughts of a G-2. As former NSC Senior Director for Asia Dennis Wilder has written, “The G-2 moniker worries Asians… From Japan to India, there are concerns that America’s search for a solution to its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression may lead the Obama administration into not only expanded strategic economic and political dialogues with China but a full-blown strategic partnership. As the center of gravity of U.S. economic interests moves from Europe to Asia, they worry, the United States could become enamored of a “China first” approach.” This mistake must be avoided.

Civil Nuclear Cooperation – The two sides should initiate the US-India reprocessing agreement in the next six months. India should put aside any thought of renegotiating the 123 Agreement. If that Agreement is reopened, it will never be concluded.

Nuclear weapons – India should continue to cooperate closely with the US on non-proliferation and Washington should accept that India will mount a slow and modest upgrade of its nuclear arsenal in the years ahead. The United States should treat India as a nuclear weapons state. Any American backsliding in that regard would produce a very strong negative reaction from New Delhi.

Defense Cooperation – We need intensified interaction between the two militaries on military doctrine, force planning, weapons acquisition, interoperability, joint exercises, intelligence exchange, and threat assessments. In the next five years perhaps nothing would have such a positive long term impact on the bilateral relationship as India’s purchase of its next generation multi-role combat aircraft from the United States.

East Asia Security – Relations between India and Japan are improving. This is good for both countries and for the United States. These contacts should develop into governmental trilateral strategic discussions.

The Middle East – India has pervasive and growing vital national interests in the region but the two capitals mostly do not talk about it in a serious way. That should change.

Climate Change – The two sides should agree to disagree and not allow this issue to infect other dimensions of the bilateral relationship.

WTO – This may be in the too hard category given the differences between Washington and New Delhi but at a minimum both sides should drain the theatrics out of their exchanges on the subject.

US-India bilateral trade – Given the many challenges to bilateral relationship ties that I have discussed today, US-India trade and investment in the next few years is more important than ever. Indeed, it can have a salutary effect on the other aspects of the relationship. So I strongly encourage CII and the Indian business to intensify their engagement with American counterparts.

I would like to end my presentation as I began it, by expressing optimism with regard to the long-term prospects for the US-India relationship. The combination of our largely overlapping vital national interests and shared democratic values should produce a bright future for strategic collaboration between New Delhi and Washington in future decades. But in the immediate period before us, our bilateral ties are likely to be more problematical than we have seen in recent years. I want to stress that there is nothing inevitable about this. The two governments through their respective policies can avoid a downturn in our bilateral interaction and I, of course, hope that is what they will do. Ralph Waldo Emerson may have been overdoing it a bit when he asserted that, “There is properly no history, only biography.” But he is right that the individual leaders at the top of our two governments, beginning with the American President and Indian Prime Minister, will have a determining impact on the near-term outlook for US-India relations. We wish them well.

Ambassador Blackwill is former US Ambassador to India, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Planning and Presidential Envoy to Iraq. He is currently Senior Fellow at the RAND Corporation. His speech reflects his personal views.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009

Think out side the Box

2009-05-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

Think Outside the Box -
correction; Think outside the "space-time" BOX (also know as space-time continuum.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Star Trek's Warp Drive: Not Impossible
Clara Moskowitz
Staff Writer
SPACE.com clara Moskowitz
staff Writer
space.com Wed May 6, 10:04 am ET

The warp drive, one of Star Trek's hallmark inventions, could someday become science instead of science fiction.

Some physicists say the faster-than-light travel technology may one day enable humans to jet between stars for weekend getaways. Clearly it won't be an easy task. The science is complex, but not strictly impossible, according to some researchers studying how to make it happen.

The trick seems to be to find some other means of propulsion besides rockets, which would never be able to accelerate a ship to velocities faster than that of light, the fundamental speed limit set by Einstein's General Relativity.

Luckily for us, this speed limit only applies within space-time (the continuum of three dimensions of space plus one of time that we live in). While any given object can't travel faster than light speed within space-time, theory holds, perhaps space-time itself could travel.

"The idea is that you take a chunk of space-time and move it," said Marc Millis, former head of NASA's Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project. "The vehicle inside that bubble thinks that it's not moving at all. It's the space-time that's moving."

Already happened?

One reason this idea seems credible is that scientists think it may already have happened. Some models suggest that space-time expanded at a rate faster than light speed during a period of rapid inflation shortly after the Big Bang.

"If it could do it for the Big Bang, why not for our space drives?" Millis said.

To make the technique feasible, scientists will have to think of some creative new means of propulsion to move space-time rather than a spaceship.

According to General Relativity, any concentration of mass or energy warps space-time around it (by this reasoning, gravity is simply the curvature of space-time that causes smaller masses to fall inward toward larger masses).

So perhaps some unique geometry of mass or exotic form of energy can manipulate a bubble of space-time so that it moves faster than light-speed, and carries any objects within it along for the ride.

"If we find some way to alter the properties of space-time in an imbalanced fashion, so behind the spacecraft it's doing one thing and in front of it it's doing something else, will then space-time push on the craft and move it?" Millis said. This idea was first proposed in 1994 by physicist Miguel Alcubierre.

In the lab

Already some studies have claimed to find possible signatures of moving space-time. For example, scientists rotated super-cold rings in a lab. They found that still gyroscopes placed above the rings seem to think they themselves are rotating simply because of the presence of the spinning rings beneath. The researchers postulated that the ultra-cold rings were somehow dragging space-time, and the gyroscope was detecting the effect.

Other studies found that the region between two parallel uncharged metal plates seems to have less energy than the surrounding space. Scientists have termed this a kind of "negative energy," which might be just the thing needed to move space-time.

The catch is that massive amounts of this negative energy would probably be required to warp space-time enough to transport a bubble faster than light speed. Huge breakthroughs will be needed not just in propulsion but in energy. Some experts think harnessing the mysterious force called dark energy — thought to power the acceleration of the universe's expansion — could provide the key.

Even though it's a far cry between these preliminary lab results and actual warp drives, some physicists are optimistic.

"We still don't even know if those things are possible or impossible, but at least we've progressed far enough to where there are things that we can actually research to chip away at the unknowns," Millis told SPACE.com. "Even if they turn out to be impossible, by asking these questions, we're likely to discover things that otherwise we might overlook."

Follow the DREAMS -

2009-05-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

Stop making excuses and get started

By Luke Johnson

Published: April 28 2009 22:00 | Last updated: April 28 2009 22:00

In my travels, I meet quite a few would-be entrepreneurs. Some of these characters have a vision of starting or buying a business, but always seem to find reasons to do nothing. Their excuses as to why they have not created an enterprise sound convincing, but in truth none of them really stands up to close examination.

First on the list tends to be a lack of capital. There are lots of solutions to this one. My first business, when I was 18, was a venture with an Oxford nightclub where student friends and I promoted themed evenings and took the door money, while the venue owners kept the bar takings. The operation needed no capital at all – always the best type for absolute beginners.

Other situations may need some funding, but often less than founders think. I am often impressed at how first-time restaurateurs seem to fit out premises on a shoestring – using second-hand equipment, helping out themselves with the refurbishment and so on.

Most things can be done on a budget if your life’s dream depends on it. And even now there is equity backing out there. There are all sorts of pockets of institutional and private cash for a sound project, from government agencies to angel investors. It has never been easy to tap these sources of finance, so you need to be good – and persistent. Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks, did more than 250 presentations to raise the early-stage funding to really kick-start his coffee bar chain.

A second imagined obstacle is income: people get addicted to a nice safe salary as an employee, and are unwilling to give it up for the uncertainties of the entrepreneurial life. It is true that plenty of the self-employed earn less than they would working for others – and may put in longer hours. But they do it because of the freedom and fulfilment it brings – and because they refuse to give up on their hopes.

Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks, did more than 250 presentations to raise the early-stage funding to really kick-start his coffee bar chain

During my early 20s I took little time off – when I wasn’t working for others, I ran sideline businesses at weekends and during holidays – until I felt able to finally break free and become a full-time entrepreneur. In some ways I wished I had not delayed, but had taken the plunge straight from university.

I accept that there are those who have heavy domestic responsibilities – a mortgage, family obligations and so forth. But anything really worth having requires sacrifice – do you want to deny yourself opportunities and live a life of regrets? Right now many are facing redundancy, so there may not be any salary coming in anyway – what have you got to lose?

A third reason is the idea: too many wannabe entrepreneurs are waiting for a breakthrough concept to arrive one day, fully formed and ready to launch. But capitalism is not like that.

Most new businesses do something pretty similar to many others – they provide familiar services or products, fulfilling a definite demand – with perhaps an incremental improvement. You do not need an earth-shattering invention to achieve success.

Those triumphs are rare, and usually happen after immense heartache. What you want is a solid proposition that generates sales and cash quickly, using the skills you already possess, with economics you understand, and serving a known market.

A fourth reason is risk aversion. Too many people fear failure more than they want to win. Of course, your start-up might prove a vain attempt at the prize, so you may lose money, time and pride. But 2009 is, in fact, a great time to fail. All around us companies and institutions are going wrong, including many of the world’s largest and grandest. Everyone who has achieved much has suffered setbacks. And you know what? No one really notices or cares. As Confucius said: “Our greatest glory lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.”

I predict that many great companies will be started in the next year or two, by those brave enough to believe in the future, energetic enough to seize the day and optimistic enough to deny the possibility of defeat.

There is never a perfect time to begin the journey. But if you have ambition and are willing to apply the effort, stop making excuses – get out there and start battling.

lukej@riskcapitalpartners.co.uk
The writer is chairman of Channel 4 and runs Risk Capital Partners, a private equity firm

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009

MBA Teaching in India - need systemic change

2009-05-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

Class of 2009' learns to Teach For India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/Class-of-2009-learns-to-Teach-For-India/articleshow/4484065.cms

PUNE: When Rachita Parekh was teaching at a business school in Pune, she was appalled at the lack of logic students displayed even at the post graduate level. However, she realised that the problem was not with the students but with the system of teaching in India. That was when she decided to join the Teach for India programme.

Rachita is one of the 80-odd fellows who have been selected for Teach for India a programme which seeks to bring equity in education which was launched in a grand event on Monday at the Symbiosis campus in Vimannagar.

It was the first time that the selected fellows for the class of 2009 came together with their parents, relatives and friends to witness the launch. The first day of the pre-service training for the Teach for India movement was held on Monday. This five-week full-time training aims at equipping fellows to learn the keys to excellent teaching and leading, which they will then apply over the next two years in classrooms in Mumbai and Pune.

Addressing the gathered fellows, Shaheen Mistri, chief executive officer, Teach for India said, "There is not a single doubt that all the individuals gathered here will bring about a change in the system. The class of 2009 consists of individuals from top campuses and companies with multiple options but, I'm glad that all of you chose to join the Teach for India movement."

Teach For India is a national programme that aims to narrow the educational gap in India by placing India's most outstanding college graduates and young professionals, of all academic majors and career interests, in low-income schools to teach for two years.

Anu Aga, board member, Teach for India said, "This movement will fulfil the needs of India. These fellows will be transformed through the experience of teaching. I'm sure these fellows will overhaul the education system in the coming years."

The fellows were selected from over 2,000 applications from across the country and abroad who underwent a rigorous three-step selection process and finally the class of 2009 was formed. After the pre-service training, the fellows will be placed in municipal and low-income schools wherein they will impart knowledge.

Gaurav Singh, another fellow selected for the Teach for India movement said, "I'm here for a dream. When I was small I was told stories of the golden bird. But, I don't want to tell stories of the golden bird to my kids, I want to show them the golden bird. People say that I've taken a great step by joining this movement as it will add to my profile for my masters degree. But I'm not here to build my profile, but to change the system and create a better future."

The fellows will get an opportunity to build personal and professional relationships with others in the programme, who have diverse academic and professional backgrounds, a common history of success and a unifying commitment to ending educational inequity.

Barun Mohanty of Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, the co-founder of teach for India said, "This movement perfectly fitted with out aim to transform lives of the urban poor by providing better education hence we came together."

A small interaction session with the fellows and the parents and relatives and friends took place which was followed by a small introduction of all the fellows. Girish Bhakoo, another board member, Teach for India, said, "There will be many challenges for these fellows in the coming two years, but I'm sure they will lead by example and will make a great difference."

The fellows were presented with a pin-wheel even as all the 80-odd individuals gathered on stage to mark the closing of the event.

Job Interviw

2009-05-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

You only have one chance to make a good first impression, and you only have a few minutes to do just that in a job interview.

According to a Robert Half International (RHI) survey of 150 senior executives at the nation's 1,000 largest companies, hiring managers form either a positive or negative opinion of job candidates within just 10 minutes.

Brandi Britton, senior regional vice president with RHI, says, "Your behavior may be under scrutiny from the moment you arrive for the interview." Use these tips from Britton and other career and job-search gurus to make sure you wow them from the minute you walk in the room.

1. "A firm, non-sweaty handshake, eye contact, and a nice smile make you seem likeable. Likeable people are hired most often."
-- David Lewis, an executive with Express Employment Professionals and an expert on career development

2. "Prepare to engage in small talk, which helps to break the ice and puts both parties at ease and also demonstrates your ability to make conversation with potential clients, coworkers, and executives."
-- Brandi Britton, Robert Half International

3. "Be prepared with everything you can possibly know about the company and the person who is doing the interview."
-- Executive coach Beth Ross

4. "Don't take the head of a table or sit down until you are invited to do so to demonstrate how you'll behave in professional situations."
-- Patty DeDominic, cofounder of DeDominic & Associates, a professional coaching and business services firm

5. "Open with penetrating questions that prove beyond a doubt that you've done your homework on the company, the position, the department, the industry, and/or the competition."
-- Ford Myers, author of "Get the Job You Want Even When No One's Hiring"

6. "Practice your answers to commonly asked interview questions so that you come across as a well-prepared candidate."
-- Certified executive career coach Cheryl Palmer, Calltocareer.com

7. "If asked to talk about yourself, always answer from a professional sense. Telling people about your family and what you do on the weekends is definitely the wrong approach. You want to solely focus on the areas of your work in which you are most effective and productive."
-- Careers and resume expert Lauren Milligan, Resumayday.com.

8. "Become an object of interest by the questions you ask! Leave them wanting more with the quality of content you add to the conversation (versus noise)."
-- David Nour, consultant and author of "Relationship Economics"

9. "Mirror the body language of the interviewer. If they are leaning forward, you should be doing the same. This builds rapport on a sub-conscious level, giving the feeling of a deeper connection."
-- Job market expert Jabez LaBret, ThawingtheJobMarket.com

10. "Your interview strategy must include proof that you have successfully completed job-relevant tasks. A good strategy is to marry a strength and a specific example to prove that you are accomplished at what you do. Quantify accomplishments using numbers, percentages, and dollars whenever possible."
-- Barbara Safani, president, CareerSolvers.com

Education - MBA in India-school

2009-05-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

*India's Business Schools Out of Date
*Grads Return to Build Up Skills for Fast-Changing Economy

By Rama Lakshmi
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, May 3, 2009

NEW DELHI -- Barely eight months after leaving prestigious Delhi University
with an undergraduate degree in commerce, Reena Dubey is back in the
classroom, poring over a textbook on debt recovery and taking notes on
India's banking industry.

"I studied economics, accounting, trade, corporate tax planning and
industrial law for three years. But I was still clueless when I graduated,"
said Dubey, 22. "All my education was bookish and theoretical."

Hoping to secure an entry-level job as a credit-card collection agent, Dubey
enrolled this month in a skills-building course offered by New Delhi's
Avsarr training academy for new graduates who want to work in India's
booming banking and retail industries.

"India's job market has changed, but my degree has not equipped me for it,"
she said.

Dubey's deflating discovery mirrors the experience of most of the 3.2
million Indians who receive undergraduate degrees each year. The
Confederation of Indian Industry says that 25 percent of technical graduates
and 15 percent of other graduates can be readily employed in the jobs that
the recent boom has generated in telecommunications, banking, retail, health
care and information technology.

"The stark reality is that our education system churns out people, but
industry does not find them useful," said T.K.A. Nair, principal secretary
to the prime minister, addressing a recent New Delhi conference on linking
education to employability. "The necessary development of skills is missing
in our education."

About 69 percent of unemployed Indians are educated but lack skills,
according to the Confederation of Indian Industry. Only 6 percent of the
workforce has a professional certification other than a degree, a figure the
Labor Ministry says it hopes to boost to 12 percent within five years. In
February, the government announced an ambitious plan to address the skills
gap by improving vocational training and encouraging cooperation between
educational institutions and industry.

The problem is compounded by demographic changes that experts say will
greatly expand the country's working-age population in coming years.

Today, about 54 percent of Indians are younger than 30. Census projections
suggest that the proportion of Indians in the 15-to-64 age group will
increase steadily, from 62.9 percent in 2006 to 68.4 percent in 2026. By
2020, the average age in India is expected to be 31, compared with 37 in
China< http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/countries/china.h tml?nav=el>and
48 in
Japan< http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/countries/japan.h tml?nav=el>.
Census reports say that India is entering the advantageous "demographic
dividend" phase just as China leaves it.

In a report last year, however, the Finance Ministry said that if that
growing workforce does not develop skills soon, the country could instead
face "a demographic nightmare": a surplus of educated people and a shortage
of qualified workers as labor requirements continue to shift from
agriculture to industry.

"This is the biggest wake-up call for India. Our schools and colleges do not
provide the skills that India's new economic drive demands," said Amit
Kapoor, a professor at the Management Development Institute in Gurgaon, near
New Delhi. "People are graduating without learning how to get things done,
without complex problem-solving skills, without knowing how to put their
theoretical education into practice, and with poor articulacy. Our schools
are centers of rote learning and give out degrees without imparting
employable skills."

The problem extends even to India's much-hyped engineering graduates, who
have been the backbone of the country's booming outsourcing industry in the
past decade.

Every year, India produces about 650,000 engineers. But Pratik Kumar,
executive vice president for human resources at the information-technology
and outsourcing giant Wipro, says his company considers fewer than a quarter
of them employable.

"The biggest problem is the poor quality of teachers," he said. "The
teaching profession is unable to attract good talent. It is often the last
resort for people who could not make it elsewhere."

In the past three years, Wipro has created several funds to finance grants,
research scholarships and sabbaticals for teachers in engineering schools.

"This is not philanthropy," Kumar said. "If we don't do this now, it will
hinder the future growth of our industry."

According to a recently released report by the Confederation of Indian
Industry and the research group Technopak, "most industries are struggling
to achieve their growth targets because of a shortage of skilled labor." The
report says some companies have begun hiring skilled blue-collar workers
from abroad and recommends the creation of "skill councils" for different
industries that would track data, set standards and design training
curricula.

But there is a cultural barrier to overcome, as well.

When the Confederation of Indian Industry set out a few years ago to make
India the "skill capital of the world," it found that the word "skill" was
frowned upon by many educated Indians.

"It is associated with low-level jobs in people's minds. 'Skill' is not
meant for educated persons," said Vijay Thadani, who chairs the group's
national committee on education. "We have to change that perception, to
bring social acceptability and recognition to the word. We keep repeating
that skill is a bankable, certifiable asset. Skill is currency."

World govts race to contain swine flu outbreak

2009-04-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

World govts race to contain swine flu outbreak

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard, Ap Medical Writer

WASHINGTON – The world's governments raced to avoid both a pandemic and global hysteria Sunday as more possible swine flu cases surfaced from Canada to New Zealand and the United States declared a public health emergency. "It's not a time to panic," the White House said.

Mexico, the outbreak's epicenter with up to 86 suspected deaths, canceled some church services and closed markets and restaurants. Few people ventured onto the streets, and some wore face masks. Canada became the third country to confirm cases, in six people, including some students who — like some New York City spring-breakers — got mildly ill in Mexico. Countries across Asia promised to quarantine feverish travelers returning from flu-affected areas.

The U.S. declared the health emergency so it could ship roughly 12 million doses of flu-fighting medications from a federal stockpile to states in case they eventually need them — although, with 20 confirmed cases of people recovering easily, they don't appear to for now.

Make no mistake: There is not a global pandemic — at least not yet. It's not clear how many people truly have this particular strain, or why all countries but Mexico are seeing mild disease. Nor is it clear if the new virus spreads easily, one milestone that distinguishes a bad flu from a global crisis. But waiting to take protective steps until after a pandemic is declared would be too late.

"We do think this will continue to spread but we are taking aggressive actions to minimize the impact on people's health," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

President Barack Obama's administration sought to look both calm and in command, striking a balance between informing Americans without panicking them. Obama himself was playing golf while U.S. officials used a White House news conference to compare the emergency declaration with preparing for an approaching hurricane.

"Really, that's what we're doing right now. We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size or seriousness of this outbreak is going to be," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters.

Earlier, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the outbreak was serious, but that the public should know "it's not a time to panic." He told NBC's "Meet the Press" that Obama was getting updates "every few hours" on the situation.

In Mexico, soldiers handed out 6 million surgical-style masks to deal with a deadly flu strain that officials say may have sickened 1,400 people since April 13. Special laboratory tests to confirm how many died from it — 22 have been confirmed so far out of 86 suspected deaths — are taking time.

The World Bank said it would send Mexico $25 million in loans for immediate aid and $180 million in long-term assistance to address the outbreak, along with advice on how other nations have dealt with similar crises.

The World Health Organization and the U.S. were following a playbook of precautions developed over the past five years to prepare for the next super-flu. The WHO on Saturday asked all countries to step up detection of this strain of A/H1N1 swine flu and will reconsider on Tuesday whether to raise the pandemic threat level, in turn triggering additional actions.

A potential pandemic virus is defined, among other things, as a novel strain that's not easily treated. This new strain can be treated with Tamiflu and Relenza, but not two older flu drugs. Also, the WHO wants to know if it's easily spread from one person to a second who then spreads it again — something U.S. officials suspect and are investigating.

"Right now we have cases occurring in a couple of different countries and in multiple locations, but we also know that in the modern world that cases can simply move around from single locations and not really become established," cautioned WHO flu chief Dr. Keiji Fukuda.

There is no vaccine against swine flu, but the CDC has taken the initial step necessary for producing one — creating a seed stock of the virus — should authorities decide that's necessary. Last winter's flu shot offers no cross-protection to the new virus, although it's possible that older people exposed to various Type A flu strains in the past may have some immunity, CDC officials said Sunday.

Worldwide, attention focused sharply on travelers.

"It was acquired in Mexico, brought home and spread," Nova Scotia's chief public health officer, Dr. Robert Strang, said of Canada's first four confirmed cases, in student travelers.

New Zealand said 10 students who took a school trip to Mexico probably had swine flu, and on Monday it said three students in a second group just back from Mexico probably have it as well. Spanish authorities had seven suspected cases under observation. In Brazil, a hospital said a patient who arrived from Mexico was hospitalized with some swine flu symptoms. A New York City school where eight cases are confirmed will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

China, Russia and Taiwan began planning to quarantine travelers arriving from flu-affected areas if they have symptoms. Italy, Poland and Venezuela advised citizens to postpone travel to affected parts of Mexico and the U.S.

Multiple airlines, including American, United, Continental, US Airways, Mexicana and Air Canada, are waiving their usual penalties for changing reservations for anyone traveling to, from or through Mexico, but have not canceled flights.

The U.S. hasn't advised against travel to Mexico but does urge precautions such as frequent hand-washing while there, and has begun questioning arriving travelers about flu symptoms.

___

Associated Press writers Mark Stevenson and Olga R. Rodriguez in Mexico City; Frank Jordans in Geneva; Mike Stobbe in Atlanta; and Maria Cheng in London contributed to this report.

Steel Wars: Europe and the U.S. Accuse China of Dumping

2009-04-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

As a part of the final class on International Business (MBA), we will discuss anti-dumping and trade war. Following news would be the basis of the discussion.
----------------------------

Steel Wars: Europe and the U.S. Accuse China of Dumping

By LEO CENDROWICZ / BRUSSELS Leo Cendrowicz / Brussels – Sat Apr 25, 1:40 am ET

Are Europe and the U.S. headed for a steel war with China? Brussels and Washington have long complained that China unfairly helps its steel makers. Now the recession - and the different way steel firms are responding to it - is adding to the angst.

In February the alliance of European steel manufacturers Eurofer accused China of systematically distorting steel markets through subsidies. The result, say Europe's steel makers, has been "irrational capacity extension." The European Commission has slapped duties on Chinese steel pipe imports, and is now threatening World Trade Organization action as well.

On April 8, the U.S. steel industry filed an antidumping suit with American authorities against Beijing, alleging that $2.7 billion of pipe steel was unfairly dumped onto the American market last year. Eurofer General Director Gordon Moffat calls it a "perfect storm" for a trade war. "Demand has fallen off a cliff since October," Moffat says. "We know China is simply waiting for demand to return before flooding the markets."

Steelmakers around the world have indeed been hit by falling demand from automakers, shipbuilders, construction and heavy engineering sectors. Tight credit and the need to generate cash flows have resulted in a massive drop in steel inventories industry-wide.

But where European and U.S. steel mills are cutting back on production, China seems to be expanding. Luxemburg-based ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steelmaker, is slashing output by half, for instance. Yet state-supported Chinese steel companies are actually ramping up both capacity and output, according to Chinese government figures. The China Iron and Steel Association says that the production of crude steel has risen since December, from 1.2 million tons a day to 1.4 million. (China's annual excess production capacity is already about 100 million tons, more than the annual U.S. steel output.)

China's steel makers employ some 2.5 million people and Beijing is desperate to keep those jobs going. But U.S. and European rivals say China isn't playing fair and accuse Beijing of subsidizing steel companies, offering preferential tax rates, giving access to low-priced materials, and exempting steel firms from labor and environmental rules.

European and U.S. steel makers say those policies have artificially depressed steel prices and helped boost China's share of total E.U. steel imports from 2% in 2003 to 30% today and its share of U.S. imports from 4% in 2003 to 19% today. "The Chinese are in trouble and they must decide between allowing growth rates to fall - something that is politically very difficult - or annoying their trading partners by dumping their exports," says Paul Scott, managing consultant at London-based mining analysts CRU. "They are likely to choose the lesser of two evils, exporting their way out of the problem, and this could trigger a trade war."

WHO declares international concern over swine flu

2009-04-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

WHO declares international concern over swine flu

By FRANK JORDANS, Associated Press Writer Frank Jordans, Associated Press Writer Sat Apr 25, 4:56 pm ET

GENEVA – The World Health Organization warned countries around the world Saturday to be on alert for any unusual flu outbreaks after a unique new swine flu virus was implicated in possibly dozens of human deaths in North America.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the outbreak in Mexico and the United States constituted a "public health emergency of international concern."

The decision means countries around the world will be asked to step up reporting and surveillance of the disease, which she said had "pandemic potential" because it is an animal virus strain infecting people. But the agency cannot at this stage say "whether or not it will indeed cause a pandemic," she added.

Chan made the decision to declare public health emergency of international concern after consulting with influenza experts from around the world. The emergency committee was called together Saturday for the first time since it was created in 2007.

In theory, WHO could now recommend travel advisories, trade restrictions or border closures, none of which would be binding. So far it has refrained from doing so.

The agency also held off raising its pandemic alert level, citing the need for more information.

Earlier, Chan told reporters that "it would be prudent for health officials within countries to be alert to outbreaks of influenza-like illness or pneumonia, especially if these occur in months outside the usual peak influenza season."

"Another important signal is excess cases of severe or fatal flu-like illness in groups other than young children and the elderly, who are usually at highest risk during normal seasonal flu," she said.

Several Latin American and Asian countries have already started surveillance or screening at airports and other points of entry.

At least 62 people have died from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness in Mexico, WHO says. Some of those who died are confirmed to have a unique flu type that is a combination of bird, pig and human viruses. The virus is genetically identical to one found in California.

U.S. authorities said eight people were infected with swine flu in California and Texas, and all recovered.

So far, no other countries have reported suspicious cases, according to WHO.

But the French government said suspected cases are likely to occur in the coming days because of global air travel. A French government crisis group began operating Saturday. The government has already closed the French school in Mexico City and provided French citizens there with detailed instructions on precautions.

Chilean authorities ordered a sanitary alert that included airport screening of passengers arriving from Mexico. No cases of the disease have been reported so far in the country, Deputy Health Minister Jeanette Vega said, but those showing symptoms will be sent to a hospital for tests.

In Peru, authorities will monitor travelers arriving from Mexico and the U.S. and people with flu-like symptoms will be evaluated by health teams, Peru's Health Ministry said.

Brazil will "intensify its health surveillance in all points of entry into the country," the Health Ministry's National Health Surveillance Agency said in a statement. Measures will also be put in place to inspect cargo and luggage, and to clean and disinfect aircraft and ships at ports of entry.

Some Asian nations enforced checks Saturday on passengers from Mexico.

Japan's biggest international airport stepped up health surveillance, while the Philippines said it may quarantine passengers with fevers who have been to Mexico. Health authorities in Thailand and Hong Kong said they were closely monitoring the situation.

Asia has fresh memories of an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which hit countries across the region and severely crippled global air travel.

Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries have also seen a number of human deaths from H5N1 bird flu, the virus that researchers have until now fingered as the most likely cause of a future pandemic.

The Dutch government's Institute for Public Health and Environment has advised any traveler who returned from Mexico since April 17 and develops a fever over 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit (38.5 Celsius) within four days of arriving in the Netherlands to stay at home.

The Polish Foreign Ministry has issued a statement that recommends that Poles postpone any travel plans to regions where the outbreak has occurred until it is totally contained.

The Stockholm-based European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said earlier Saturday it shared the concerns about the swine flu cases and stood ready to lend support in any way possible.

___

Associated Press Writer Maria Cheng in London, and AP writers around the world contributed to this report.

What are the common attributes among the Mega successful Entrepreneur

2009-04-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

If you want to be an entrepreneur, you must read the following article-
Ryan Baidya
Biopreneur
-------------------------

Billionaire Clusters

by Duncan Greenberg
Wednesday, April 1, 2009provided by

Want to become a billionaire? Up your chances by dropping out of college, working at Goldman Sachs or joining Skull & Bones.

Are billionaires born or made? What are the common attributes among the uber-wealthy? Are there any true secrets of the self-made?

More from Forbes.com:

• In Depth: Billionaire Clusters

• The 2009 Billionaire List

• The Next Billionaire Boom

We get these questions a lot, and decided it was time to go beyond the broad answers of smarts, ambition and luck by sorting through our database of wealthy individuals in search of bona fide trends. We analyzed everything from the billionaires' parents' professions to where they went to school, their track records in the early stages of their careers and other experiences that may have put them on the path to extreme wealth.

Our admittedly unscientific study of the 657 self-made billionaires we counted in February for our list of the World's Billionaires yielded some interesting results.

First, a significant percentage of billionaires had parents with a high aptitude for math. The ability to crunch numbers is crucial to becoming a billionaire, and mathematical prowess is hereditary. Some of the most common professions among the parents of American billionaires (for whom we could find the information) were engineer, accountant and small-business owner.

Consistent with the rest of the population, more American billionaires were born in the fall than in any other season. However, relatively few billionaires were born in December, traditionally the month with the eighth highest birth rate. This anomaly holds true among billionaires in the U.S. and abroad.

More than 20% of the 292 of the self-made American billionaires on the most recent list of the World's Billionaires have either never started or never completed college. This is especially true of those destined for careers as technology entrepreneurs: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, and Theodore Waitt.

Billionaires who derive their fortunes from finance make up one of the most highly educated sub-groups: More than 55% of them have graduate degrees. Nearly 90% of those with M.B.A.s obtained their master's degree from one of three Ivy League schools: Harvard, Columbia or U. Penn's Wharton School of Business.

Goldman Sachs has attracted a large share of hungry minds that went on to garner 10-figure fortunes. At least 11 current and recent billionaire financiers worked at Goldman early in their careers, including Edward Lampert, Daniel Och, Tom Steyer and Richard Perry.

Several billionaires suffered a bitter professional setback early in their careers that heightened their fear of failure. Pharmaceutical tycoon R.J. Kirk's first venture was a flop--an experience he regrets but appreciates. "Failure early on is a necessary condition for success, though not a sufficient one," he told Forbes in 2007.

According to a statement read by Phil Falcone during a congressional hearing in November, his botched buyout of a company in Newark in the early 1990s taught him "several valuable lessons that have had a profound impact upon my success as a hedge fund manager."

Several current and former billionaires rounded out their Yale careers as members of Skull and Bones, the secret society portrayed with enigmatic relish by Hollywood in movies like The Skulls and W. Among those who were inducted: investor Edward Lampert, Blackstone co-founder Steven Schwarzman, and FedEx founder Frederick Smith.

Parents Had Math-Related Careers

The ability to crunch numbers is normally a key to becoming a billionaire. Often, mathematical prowess is hereditary. Some of the most common professions among the parents of American billionaires for whom we could find that information were engineer, accountant and small-business owner.

September Birthdays

Of the 380 self-made American tycoons who have appeared on the Forbes list of the World's Billionaires in the past three years, 42 were born in September--more than in any other month. Maybe that's because September is the month the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans is published.

Tech Titans Who Dropped Out of College

Forget everything your guidance counselor told you: You don't have to go to college to be successful. More than 20% of the self-made American moguls on the most recent list of the World's Billionaires never finished college. Many of them made their fortunes in tech. Among them: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, (Oracle) and Theodore Waitt (Gateway).

Skull and Bones

Goldman Sachs

A stint at investment bank Goldman Sachs is a prime credential for becoming a finance billionaire. Of the 68 self-made American billionaires that derive their fortunes from finance, at least eight cut their teeth in Goldman's investment banking, trading, or asset management divisions. The company's crown jewel: its "risk arbitrage" unit, which launched the careers of billionaires Edward Lampert and Daniel Och, as well as former billionaires Tom Steyer and Richard Perry.

Click here for the full list of billionaire clusters.

Best books about India

2009-04-03T17:42:00.001-07:00

By SUDHIR KAKAR

1. Ka
By Roberto Calasso
Knopf, 1998

"Suddenly an eagle darkened the sky," begins "Ka," Roberto Calasso's vivid retelling of Indian myths. Calasso brings ancient stories as alive for a non-Indian reader as they continue to be for most Indians. For in India, tales about the origins of the world, of man and sex and death, are not cadavers on the dissecting table of mythologists. The stories are worked and reworked into modern forms -- never more captivatingly than by Calasso in "Ka" -- and they continue to be the preferred medium for the expression of metaphysical and social thought.

2. Slowly Down the Ganges
By Eric Newby
Scribner, 1966

In 1963, Eric Newby and his wife, Wanda, undertook a 1,200-mile journey by boat from the Himalayan origins of India's most sacred river, through the country's densely populous plains, to the river's terminus in the Bay of Bengal. The Newbys and their crew ran aground 63 times in the first six days, and plenty of miseries followed, but in "Slowly Down the Ganges," the laconic Newby reports every mishap, every miscommunication, with an appealing sense of humor. He is full of warmth toward India and its people, but he has a keen eye and is always conscious of his outsider status among the Hindus: "However well-intentioned he might be, and however anxious to participate, for a European to bathe in the Ganges . . . was simply for him to have a bath."

3. Autobiography of an Unknown Indian
By Nirad Chaudhuri
Macmillan, 1951

In his "Autobiography of an Unknown Indian," Nirad Chaudhuri (1897-1999) gives us a tragi-comic portrait of an Indian middle class eternally caught between the traditional and the modern. His memoir begins early in the 20th century, when he was growing up in rural Bengal; it then describes his youth in Calcutta and his life as a struggling writer in Delhi just after Indian independence in 1947. When the book was published, many Indians were outraged by Chaudhuri's paeans to the country's recently departed British rulers and by his detestation of all things Indian. With the passage of time, though, Chaudhuri's intemperate outbursts and his attacks on his countrymen's failings came to be regarded as part of his lovable eccentricity. The book remains one of the best chronicles of the Indian middle class's enduring love affair with the West, even if England has since been replaced by the U.S. as the object of desire.

4. India: A Wounded Civilization
By V.S. Naipaul
Knopf, 1977

The year is 1975, during the period known as the Emergency, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi suspended the country's constitution and assumed dictatorial powers. Naipaul, who was born in an Indian immigrant enclave in Trinidad, recounts his travels through a "wounded" country. India "isn't my home," he notes, "and yet I cannot reject it or be indifferent to it." Instead, he is often hostile toward it, especially toward modern Indian art, architecture and literature. He does not restrict his complaints to modernity; he also rails against the dead weight of India's past. The country might have won its independence from Britain, but it is "a land of far older defeat." With the declaration of the Emergency, he writes, "it is necessary to fight against the chilling sense of a new Indian dissolution." Luckily, India survived its flirtation with dictatorship, a time that Naipaul memorably captures in this portrait of a country in distress.

5. The Collected Essays of A.K. Ramanujan
By A.K. Ramanujan
Oxford, 1999

A.K. Ramanujan (1929-93) was one of India's finest English-language poets, a devoted folklorist and a scholar of Indian literature. His essays crystallize a theme that runs through much of his work: the interplay between the India of the past -- both personal and collective -- and the Western-centric modern nation. The collection includes his classic "Is There an Indian Way of Thinking?," wherein Ramanujan argues that Indian thinking is overwhelmingly "context sensitive," in contrast to the "context free," or abstract, thinking of the West. Ramanujan was that rare writer who combined the mind of a scholar with the heart of a poet.

Mr. Kakar's books include "The Indians: Portrait of a People." His "Mad and Divine: Spirit and Psyche in the Modern World" will be published in May by the University of Chicago Press.

IBMgmt Transcripts For Week 11 - HGU

2009-04-02T23:08:00.000-07:00

BRANDING:

To succeed in branding one must understand the needs and wants of customers and prospects. Need to do this by integrating one's brand strategies through the company at every point of public contact.A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for customers intensifies day by day. It's important to spend time investing in researching, defining, and building brand. After all brand is the source of a promise to consumer. It's a foundational piece in marketing communication and one do not want to be without.
The Objectives that a good brand will achieve include:

Delivers the message clearly
Confirms your credibility
Connects your target prospects emotionally
Motivates the buyer
Concretes User Loyalty

GLOBAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT:

There is a growing trend among companies to develop new products by tapping into expertise and resources in multiple countries, both within and outside their own firms. Realizing that products may be designed with the world market in mind, (Not just a region, or National markets) companies like Intel, TI, IBM, HP, Oracle, Microsoft, Pfizer, Nestle, P&G etc. are bringing personnel together, physically and/or electronically, from distant sites into global new product development teams. This global teams are a relatively new phenomenon, constituting the next wave of corporate development. A recent survey of firms found that nearly 75% are using global teams for a range of tasks, and almost two-thirds claim these teams have led to innovations in product and service offerings. Some major trends which contribute to the growing use of global teams are:

1. Increasing cost of new product development, thus favoring spreading innovation costs among several business units.
2. Shortening new product life cycles which is forcing companies to introduce innovations faster and better.
3. Rising technological competencies in countries outside the traditional triad. India is now the second largest exporter of software programs.

LOCATION OF R & D ACTIVITIES:

1. Past tendency to keep activities centrally located with parent corporation headquarters.
2. Using foreign based resources improves ability to compete successfully at international level.
3. Outsourcing shortens product development cycle time.
4. Determine by the existence of specific skills.

REASONS FOR R & D INVESTMENTS ABROAD:

1. To aid technology transfer from parent to subsidiary.
2. To develop new and improved products specifically for foreign markets.
3. To develop new products and processes for application in world markets of the firm.
4. To generate new technology.

Rural Economy in India and GDP turn-around

2009-04-02T23:01:00.000-07:00

By HARSH JOSHI

India has long protected its farmers. Corporate India now hopes farmers will do the same for them.

As consumer confidence and retail sales tumble in India's cities, the country's villages are emerging as a bright spot.

Bloomberg News

Nearly 60% of rural workers are farmers or employed on the country's farms, the Rural Marketing Association of India says. So rural consumption is largely propped up by farm price supports and employment schemes -- political offerings worth billions of government rupees that have added to four consecutive years of farm sector growth.

It all makes the lure of this massive market -- more than 700 million Indians live in the villages -- more urgent for corporate India.

Products and marketing targeted specifically to shoppers with lighter wallets are in. And companies that have long established distribution networks in the countryside, such as Hindustan Unilever, are in a sweet spot.

Others are chasing the rural consumer with greater energy.

Godrej Consumer Products, for example, recently began selling smaller-size packages of hair dyes and soaps; it's also deploying vans and additional stockists to remote villages. Already 35% of its sales come from rural regions. Godrej says its countryside business is growing by 25% a year compared with 20% overall.

Maruti Suzuki, which makes one of two cars sold in India, has begun hawking some models at rural festivals. Rural sales rose to 8% of total sales in the year ended March 31, from 3.5% the previous year.

Profiting from the rise of rural India is, in effect, a high volume, low margin proposition. The corporate winners will be those who grasp this concept and shape their product offerings accordingly.

But they know they can count on one thing in this very political of nations: The importance of the vast rural voting bloc means the protective cosseting the countryside economy now enjoys is likely to continue for some time.

Write to Harsh Joshi at harsh.joshi@dowjones.com

Ecuador buys seven helicopters from India

2009-04-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-03 10:04:29

QUITO, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Ecuadorian Air Force said Thursday it has bought seven helicopters from India for transporting personnel and rescue operations.

Of the seven choppers, one will be exclusively used by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, news reports said.

Five of the seven HAL helicopters, Dhruv, are being assemble in the air base of Taura, in Guayaquil. The choppers were bought from the Indian company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited at a cost of 50 million U.S. dollars.

The helicopters have the capacity of carrying 15 passengers and can fly a maximum altitude of 21,000 feet.

The training to fly the helicopters will take some three months, and two Indian pilots will stay in Ecuador for two years to train the pilots, according to Rodrigo Bohorquez, commander of the Ecuadorian Air Force.

Cyber-spies hack computers of 3 RP gov’t offices

2009-03-31T07:36:00.001-07:00

Cyber-spies hack computers of 3 RP gov’t offices

By DAVID DIZON/ abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/30/2009 6:18 PM

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Suspected cyber-spies from the Chinese mainland have hacked into computers of at least three government offices in the Philippines as well as the Asian Development Bank office based in Manila, Canadian researchers said over the weekend.

In the study titled “Tracking Ghostnet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network”, the research team Information Warfare Monitor said a cyber spy network based almost entirely in China has hacked into computer networks around the world, stealing classified information from governments and private organizations in more than 100 countries including the Philippines.

The Ottawa-based think tank, composed of SecDev Group and University of Toronto’s Munk Center for International Studies, said the cyber-espionage network compromised 1,295 infected computers in 103 countries. Thirty percent of the infected computers are considered high-value and include the ministries of foreign affairs of Iran, Brunei, Bangladesh, Latvia and Indonesia.

In the Philippines, the cyber-espionage system has infected one computer in the Department of Foreign Affairs, two computers in the Department of Science and Technology, one computer in the Bureau of International Trade Relations of the Department of Trade and Industry and at least one computer in the Asian Development Bank.

Two computers in the Embassy of Thailand in the Philippines were also infected with malware that allows hackers to steal sensitive data and take control of the computers. The study said the embassy computers were most likely infected in August 2008 after a spike in malware infections spread across 46 countries.

The cyber-espionage ring also infected computers of the Associated Press office in the United Kingdom, the Office of the Dalai Lama in India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretariat in Indonesia and Malaysia.

The Department of Justice on Monday said the alleged hacking of government computers in the foreign affairs, trade and industry and science and technology departments is a matter of national security.

“If you hack diplomatic exchange, that will affect national security,” Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez told reporters.

Gonzalez said he will order an investigation as soon as he receives confirmation of the alleged hacking incident.

DFA Spokesman Ed Malaya said the department “takes seriously reports such as this, and will carefully look into its details, including the methodologies used to arrive at their observation.”

“As part of due diligence, we will undertake all measures to maintain and ensure the integrity of our IT systems,” he added.

Cyber-espionage

The Canadian team said the GhostNet system directs infected computers to download a Trojan known as gh0st RAT that allows attackers to gain complete, real-time control of the computers. The infected file is usually a seemingly harmless Word or PDF file which, once opened, unleashes malicious code on the machine.

The code exploits a vulnerability in the user's computer, and uses it to order the computer to connect with a server somewhere else in the world. Once infected, hackers can search and download files and covertly operate microphones and web cameras attached to the computer.

The study found that the network was based almost exclusively in the Hainan province in China, although the researchers stopped short of saying the Chinese government was involved in the system.

In the study, the research team said it had not been able to ascertain the type of data obtained by the attackers apart from the basic system information and file listings of the documents.

It noted, however, that the system was focused on the governments of South and Southeast Asian nations.

“Many of the high confidence, high-value targets that we identified are clearly linked to Chinese foreign and defense policy, particularly in South and South East Asia. Like radar sweeping around the southern border of China, there is an arc of infected nodes from India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Vietnam, through Laos, Brunei,
Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan,” the study noted.

The group, however, said the malware could have been deployed “by a random set of infected computers that just happens to include high profile targets of significance to China, collected by an individual or group with no political agenda per se.”

It said a single individual or group of individuals such as criminal networks could have targeted the high value computers for profit. It also did not discount the possibility that the network of infected computers could have been targeted by a state other than China, but operated physically within China to mislead authorities.

The researchers say their findings should serve as a wake-up call to policy makers, as they "demonstrate the relative ease with which a technically unsophisticated approach can quickly be harnessed to create a very effective spynet.” -- With reports from RG Cruz and Marieton Pacheco, ABS-CBN News

Dalai Lama thanks India for 50 years of hospitality

2009-03-30T21:43:00.001-07:00

Dalai Lama thanks India for 50 years of shelter

17 hours ago

NEW DELHI (AFP) — The Dalai Lama thanked India on Monday for sheltering him and thousands of other exiled Tibetans who have been forced to flee their homeland in China over the last 50 years.

The Tibetan exile community has been based in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala since 1959, when the Dalai Lama, their spiritual leader, escaped over the Himalayas following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

"We are extremely grateful to this country for the past 50 years, for what the Indian government and the Indian public have done for us," the 73-year-old Buddhist monk told reporters in New Delhi.

"India has extended maximum help to the Tibetan community," he said at the opening of a photography exhibition to mark the anniversary of the uprising.

Dharamshala serves as the Dalai Lama's base. It also houses the Tibetan parliament, offices of the government-in-exile, and schools and cultural centres that teach the Tibetan language and traditions.

China has ruled Tibet since 1951, after sending in troops to "liberate" it the previous year

India predicts China war by 2017

2009-03-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

India predicts China war by 2017
Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:25:14 GMT

The US and India have expressed concern over growing Chinese army power in the region.

The Indian army has predicted a war with its nuclear-armed neighbor China by 2017 as Beijing continues to strengthen its military muscle.

A secret military exercise, called 'Divine Matrix', by the Indian troops visualized a war scenario with China, the Hindustan Times reported Saturday.

"A misadventure by China is very much within the realm of possibility with Beijing trying to position itself as the only power in the region," a senior army officer told the daily following the maneuver.

An Indian military's assessment has outlined that Beijing would rely on information warfare (IW) to bring New Delhi down on its knees.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Pentagon released a report warning that China was busily trying to arm its forces with weapons that can be used to nullify the superiority of any naval and air power that could disrupt the balance of region.

China is concerned about growing ties between Washington and New Delhi. A controversial deal allowing India access to civilian nuclear technology has not been well-received among Chinese officials.

New Delhi, meanwhile, is suspicious of Chinese relations with India's long-time rival Pakistan.

India and China fought a brief but bloody war over border dispute in 1962 with a decisive victory for the Chinese.

Dragon’s Shadow over Arunachal

2009-03-28T22:00:00.001-07:00

Beware of the dragon
I. Ramamohan Rao

Dragon’s Shadow over Arunachal
by R.D. Pradhan.
Rupa.
Pages 192. Rs 395.

IN March this year, the Tibetans in India observed the 50th year of the escape of the Dalai Lama from Tibet following the Chinese occupation of Tibet. They expressed the hope that the Tibetans, who are presently living in their homeland, would be able to live in peace and freedom.

It was perhaps, unintentional but timely, that we have a new book written by the first Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, R.D. Pradhan, entitled Dragon’s Shadow over Arunachal.

During his assignment between 1987 and 1990, Ram Pradhan and his wife travelled all over Arunachal by road and air, met people of all the 16 districts, each distinct from the other in its own way. They interacted with the tribal chiefs without patronising them. Pradhan was able to carry forward the efforts of Sir Verrier Elvin and the officers of the Indian Frontier Administrative Service in instilling in the people with a sense of belonging to India.

He discovered that many tribes from Arunachal, while having distinct traditions, had strong links with the rest of India. That there are temples associated with Bhishma, that Lord Krishna had married Rukmini, an Idu-Mishmi girl, and that every year on Makar Sankranti day on January 14, people from far off came to Parasram Kund, near Tezu, on the Lohit river for a holy dip.

As Governor, Pradhan studied India’s border problem with China.`A0Many have blamed Jawaharlal Nehru for trusting China. He entered into an agreement on Tibet in 1954 and helped China being ushered into the non-aligned meet at Bandung in 1955. Nehru’s efforts were directed to make China a strong friend of India, even though he was skeptical of Chinese intentions.

That Nehru was skeptical about China is brought out in the remark he made to G. Parthasarathi, who called on him on March 18, 1958, just before he left for China as Ambassador: "So, GP, what has the foreign office told you: Hindi Chini bhai bhai?`A0Don’t you believe it! I don’t trust the Chinese one bit, despite Panchsheel and all that. The Chinese are arrogant, devious, hypocritical and thoroughly unreliable. In fact, they have deliberately chosen to be anti-Indian. Your brief from me, therefore, is to be extremely vigilant about all Chinese intentions, policies and actions towards us."

Pradhan says Nehru was not naive in his personal assessment of China.`A0After the Longju incident in August 1959, in his letter to the Chief Ministers on October 1, 1959, he foresaw the tension erupting into conflict and warned the Army. The author quotes Kautilya to say that it is left to the genius of a country’s leadership to make "an ally or an adversary of a neighbouring state". Nehru made consistent efforts to turn China from an adversary to a friend, but he failed.

Nehru could never live down the wrong judgment he made about Chinese intentions to wage war against India in 1962. He died on May 27, 1964, a disillusioned man bequeathing the border issue to his successors. The Chinese were not able to deflect Indira Gandhi in 1971 when India decided to support the Mukti Bahini in Bangladesh. Over the years, India has gradually strengthened its economy and defences.

There was a distinct change in Chinese attitude towards India after the Sumdrong Chu incident in 1986 when India decided to open a post there in response to Chinese movements in the area. Efforts commenced to persuade Rajiv Gandhi to visit China.`A0

The author quotes what Chinese Foreign Minister Wu told H. K. Dua (then working for the Hindustan Times): "The objective of talks during Rajiv Gandhi’s visit could only be to arrive at an agreement on ‘principles’. Without such an agreement, he added, no border problem could ever be resolved."

Pradhan had the opportunity of briefing Rajiv Gandhi before his visit to China. The world witnessed the famous handshake of Deng Xiaoping with Rajiv Gandhi in Beijing in December 1988 followed by remarks to his ‘young friend’: "Starting with your visit we will restore our relations as friends." The agreement on ‘principles’ was worked out. The Joint Working Group set up then on the boundary question has been meeting ever since over two scores or more times.

The Chinese had agreed in 1988 that the two governments would identify where the Line of Actual Control is located along the Sino-Indian border. There has been no response by China on this matter for over two decades.

China has been laying claims to areas in Arunachal, particularly Tawang.`A0When it faced an international outcry before the Olympic Games, China expressed its appreciation of the Indian approach.`A0However, the tone changed soon after the conclusion of the games.

Pradhan points out that India has made the mistake of not developing infrastructure in the North East all these years.`A0The policy changed last year when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Arunachal, called it "Our land of the Rising Sun" and announced the implementation of projects costing Rs 100 billion.

The Chinese expressed displeasure over Manmohan Singh’s remarks, to which Pranab Mukherjee responded by saying that Arunachal was an integral part of India and the Prime Minister did not do anything that was not warranted by announcing schemes for the development of the region.

The author points out that unless we are careful "we may find the Dragon occupying physically the space in the North East. And the people of Arunachal face the threat".

Dalai Lama to pray for peace in India

2009-03-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will visit eight places of prayer and worship in the national capital Tuesday to pray for peace in India.
The Dalai Lama will go to the Gandhi Smriti, Acharya Sushil Muni Ashram, Chilla of Hazarat Nizamudin Aulia, Judah Hyam Synagogue, Gurdwara Rakab Ganj, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Mahabodhi Society of India and Birla Mandir, a statement from the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of the Dalai Lama said.

He will be accompanied by “some Indian friends” and “Tibetan colleagues”, the statement added.

“This will be first a gesture of gratitude and appreciation by his holiness on behalf of the Tibetan people on the 50th anniversary of his arrival into exile in India. It will also be a gesture, celebrating the diversity of India and its long history of inter-faith harmony.”

The day will also mark the culmination of the week-long Thank You India festival organised here to commemorate 50 years of the Tibetan community in exile.

The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 and his government-in-exile, which is not recognised by any country, is based in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala

IBMgmt Transcript for Week 10 - HGU

2009-03-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

GLOBAL BUSINESS:

Global Business consists of transactions that are devised and carried out across national borders to satisfy the objectives of individuals, companies, and organizations. These transactions take on various forms, which are often interrelated.Primary types of international business are import-export trade and foreign direct investment (FDI). The latter is carried out in varied forms, including wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures. Additional types of international business are licensing, franchising, and management contracts.

STAGES IN PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN PLANNING:

When planning a promotional campaign, need to keep in mind that a campaign generally consists of three desired outcomes:
- Promotional message reaches the intended and targeted audience. - Message is understood by the audience. - Message stimulates the recipients and they take action.

Seven Stages:
Determine the target audience
Determine campaign objectives
Determine the budget
Determine media strategy
Determine the message
Determine campaign approach
Determine campaign effectiveness

PLANNING PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGNS:

Target Audience:
Cause related marketing.
Global image campaigns.
Research to determine multi-market target.

CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES:

1. Global Objectives
- General guidelines and control for broad based campaigns.
2. Regional Objectives.
3. Local Objectives
- Specific and measurable targets (awareness, image, market share) for individual markets.

THE BUDGET:

1. The promotional budget links marketing objectives with media, message, and control decisions.
2. Acts as a control mechanism.

MEDIA STRATEGY:

1. Development of media schedule
a. Target audience characteristics
b. Campaign objectives
c. Budget.

2. Media vehicle chosen based on
a. Media availability in market.
b. Product or service offered.

PRODUCT INFLUENCES:

Product advertising restrictions
a. National consumer protection registration.
b. Advertiser’s responses.

AUDIENCE CHARACTERISTICS:

Strategy is to reach the intended target audience with the minimum of waste.
Media distribution.

GLOBAL MEDIA:

1. Print publications.
2. Pan-regional Radio and TV
3. Important global media characteristics
4. Advertisers in Global Media.

Financing India $1 at a time

2009-03-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

Washington, Mar 25 (PTI) India received remittances to the tune of USD 45 billion in 2008, making it the top recipient ahead of neighbouring China, according to a World Bank report.
However, remittances would decline by five to eight per cent this year to USD 290 billion, World Bank's 'Migration and Development Brief' said.

India received USD 45 billion in remittances last year followed by China, which got USD 34 billion, the bank said in a statement.

The other nations to receive high remittances include Mexico (USD 26 billion), Philippines (USD 18 billion) and Poland (USD 11 billion).

"Remittances will fall to USD 290 billion in 2009, from the last year's high of USD 305 billion.

"Even with a drop of 5-8 per cent, remittances will still outstrip private capital flows, expected to fall by half in 2009, and official development aid, typically around USD 100 billion," the multilateral lending agency said.

According to the World Bank, remittances flowing to developing countries from Russia, South Africa, Malaysia and India are "especially vulnerable to the rolling economic crisis". PTI

A video to watch

2009-03-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=12582289&ch=4226720&src=news

MBA-teaching - build the person NOT the skills only

2009-03-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

I just received this article. It certainly made my day. I had been teaching all these days and had been wondering if I had been doing the right things for the students. This article certainly supports my initiatives and vision of MBA-teaching - build the person NOT the skills only.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are MBAs the Problem?
9:00 PM Monday March 16, 2009
by Julia Kirby

It took only a few months, and now the search for culprits behind the current economic mess has arrived on campus. What caused the recession? America's business schools. As the New York Times points out, some of the most prominent poster children for the crisis and bailout are financial sector leaders who learned their management chops at top-ranked MBA programs. Naturally the question arises: just what are these people teaching?

As someone who's seen quite a lot of what business school professors focus on, I'm convinced that the curriculum is part of the solution, not the problem.

It still might be true that an MBA holder is more likely to focus too narrowly on investment returns--to the detriment of the greater good--than a non-MBA would. But it's not what they're learning that causes this, rather it's who they are. I say this in light of a concept that is familiar to educated managers: self-selection bias.
Why is it, after all, that aspiring managers choose to earn an MBA? Sure, they may deplore their current knowledge deficit, having gained skills in only one business function and industry.

But whether that's true or not, they've certainly figured out that the MBA offers an attractive return on investment. That payback can happen in different ways. The low-risk option is to enroll in a relatively inexpensive program on a part-time basis (especially when tuition reimbursement is available from one's employer). A higher risk, higher return option is to enroll in a top-ranked school, quit your job, move your family and pay maximum tuition for a chance to earn an elite degree.

You see where I'm headed. The type of person who has the appetite for this second kind of risk-reward equation--plus the brains to excel in a rigorous academic setting--is the same type that Wall Street firms have been so eager to hire. The financial sector hasn't valued people for what they learned in their top-tier business schools, but for the kind of intestinal fortitude that got them there, their willingness to make huge sacrifices, and the drive they have to attain that MBA, at nearly any cost.

That's suggests a correlation between the MBA and the financial sector meltdown, but not causation. So does that let top MBA programs off the hook? Not at all. As B-schools consider what to teach and how to teach it, they need to keep this self-selection bias in mind.

When building an MBA program, a great B-school used to ask: What does the average manager need to become a great manager? Now the B-school has to ask: What does the average manager who's motivated to enroll in a top-ranked MBA program need to become a great manager?

IBMgmt Transcript For Week 9 - HGU

2009-03-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

ENTRY STRATEGIES: CHAPTER 7

When an organization has made a decision to enter an overseas market, there are a variety of options open to it. These options vary with cost, risk and the degree of control which can be exercised over them. The simplest form of entry strategy is exporting using either a direct or indirect method such as an agent, in the case of the former, or counter trade, in the case of the latter. More complex forms include truly global operations which may involve joint ventures, or export processing zones. Having decided on the form of export strategy, decisions have to be made on the specific channels. Many agricultural products of a raw or commodity nature use agents, distributors or involve Government, whereas processed materials, whilst not excluding these, rely more heavily on more sophisticated forms of access. These will be expanded on later.

MAJOR TYPES OF ENTRY STRATEGIES:

Exporting Strategies:

Indirect Exporting
Direct Exporting

· Independent Distribution.

· Sales Subsidiary.

Local Production

Licensing

· Company lacks time and knowledge for other strategy.

· Market potential may be too small.

Franchising

· Marketing program to include branding, logo etc. (a special form of licensing).

· Method of operation and other support.

Local Manufacturing Base

· Contract Manufacturing

· Assembly

· Full-Scale Production

Ownership Strategies:

Joint Ventures
Strategic Alliances
Collaborative Strategies
Mergers and Acquisition
Portal or e-Business strategies.

ENTRY STRATEGY ANALYSIS:

Cost estimating.
Asset levels estimating.
Forecasting Profitability.

STRATEGY CONFIGURATION:

Most entry strategies combined with some of the various entry options.
Deciding on the best strategy mix is called strategy configuration.
Business is the set up of just one legal business unit.

EXIT STRATEGIES:

1. Its company’s decision to actually abandon the market.

2. Many do so for a number of reasons:

a. Failure to meet profit objectives.

b. Changes in political, economic or legal environment.

c. Pressures from home market.

d. Need to conserve necessary operating resources.

IBMgmt Transcript for Week 7 - HGU

2009-03-05T14:22:00.001-08:00

STRATEGIC PLANNING: CHAPTER 6

Strategic planning is a management tool used to help an organization do a better job and to ensure that member of the organization are working toward the same goals, to assess and adjust the organization's direction in response to a changing environment. The selected strategy is implemented by means of programs, budgets, and procedures.

Implementation involves organization of the firm's resources and motivation of the staff to achieve objectives. The way in which the strategy is implemented can have a significant impact on whether it will be successful. In a large company, those who implement the strategy likely will be different people from those who formulated it. Care must be taken to communicate the strategy and the reasoning behind it. Otherwise, the implementation might not succeed if the strategy is misunderstood or if lower-level managers resist its implementation because they do not understand why the particular strategy was selected.

GLOBAL MARKETING EVOLUTION:

The scope of marketing is broadened when the organization decides to sell across international boundaries, this being primarily due to the numerous other dimensions which the organization has to account for.

When organizations develop into global marketing organizations, they usually evolve into this from a relatively small export base. Some firms never get any further than the exporting stage. Marketing overseas can, therefore, be anywhere on a continuum of "foreign" to "global". It is well to note at this stage that the words "international", "multinational" or "global" are now rather outdated descriptions. In fact "global" has replaced the other terms to all intents and purposes. "Foreign" marketing means marketing in an environment different from the home base, it's basic form being "exporting".

GLOBALIZATION DRIVERS:

1. Market Factors: New consumer groups, developed infrastructures, globalization of distribution channels.

2. Cost Factors: Avoiding cost inefficiencies and duplicated efforts.

3. Environmental Factors: Reduced governmental barriers, rapid technological evolution.

4. Competitive Factors: Rapid product innovation, introduction, distribution.

THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS:

The Strategic Planning should clearly define objectives and assessment of both internal and external situation to formulate strategy, implement the strategy, evaluate the progress, and make necessary adjustments to stay on track.

MARKET AND COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS:

1. Need to understand the structure of the global market industry; the common features of customer requirements and choice factors.

2. Internal Analysis: To examine the readiness.

FORMULATING GLOBAL MARKETING STRATEGY:

1. Formulation begins with a series of strategic decisions.

2. Choice of competitive strategy: Cost leadership, Differentiation, Focus.

3. Country Market Choice:

a. Concentration or diversification.

b. Factors in country markets selection:

· The stand-alone attractiveness of the market.

· Global strategic importance of the market.

· Possible synergies offered by the market.

BT-Brinjal damages liver, pancreas, intestinal and even inter-generational

2009-03-01T20:52:00.000-08:00

India shouldn't approve Bt brinjal: Analyst
Press Trust Of India / Mumbai March 02, 2009, 0:09 IST

Genetically modified (GM) food, including the latest Bt Brinjal, affects human health in various ways and should not be approved by India, latest studies have confirmed.

“Bt Brinjal, like many other GM crops, has recently been shown by independent analysis to impact health adversely,” a well-known food and trade analyst Devinder Sharma said here.

When GM food was tested on rats, the results were alarming and should not be allowed to enter India,” Sharma, from the Delhi-based Forum for Food Security and Biotechnolgy, said.

“The evidence linked GM food showed stunted growth, impaired immune systems, damages to liver, pancreas, intestinal and even inter-generational effects. Latest studies have confirmed that GM foods affect fertility as well,” he added.

If the consumers do not raise their voices and question the decision, to be taken by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) to approve Bt brinjal (genetically modified using a gram positive soil swelling bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis), it would create health problems, he cautioned.

“Normal brinjal and the Bt variety will have similar appearance and you may not be able to distibgusih it. You will not be able to exercise your informed choice of not eating Bt brinjal,” Sharma cautioned.

Throught of the Month

2009-02-28T22:22:00.000-08:00

I received the following thought from a friend and enjoyed it once again.

This for us to remember just before we about to forget.........

As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes. My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. So they never try to break free." My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that somethings are impossible, simply just because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further.... Why shouldn't we try it again?

"YOUR ATTEMPT MAY FAIL, BUT NEVER FAIL TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT."

Warren Buffett

2009-02-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

Word of Optimism from Warren Buffet

Warren Buffet on Feb 28, 2009 said America has faced bigger economic challenges in the past, including two World Wars and the Great Depression.

"Though the path has not been smooth, our economic system has worked extraordinarily well over time," Buffett wrote. "It has unleashed human potential as no other system has, and it will continue to do so. America's best days lie ahead."

IBMgmt Transcript for Week 6 - HGU

2009-02-26T00:31:00.000-08:00

GLOBAL MARKET OPPURTUNITIES:

To stay in the competition globally, every company need to serve the international market, and must be localized from translating languages to adapting all contents to meet cultural standards. When the domestic market shows improvement, expanding to an overseas market can be a right step toward seeking continued growth. The initial decision to globalize requires a great deal of planning. A firm that wants to take advantage of expansion must first have a dynamic strategy that is appropriate for its organization and is consistent with its resources and objectives.

In India products sales is quite good and GDP is increasing. Networking is the main criteria.

QUALITY CONTROL:

In engineering and manufacturing, quality control and quality engineering are used in developing systems to ensure products or services designed and produced to meet or exceed customer requirements. These systems are often developed in conjunction with other business and engineering disciplines using a cross-functional approach. The thorough Research is required.

EVALUATING OPPURTUNITIES:

Evaluating Global Market Opportunities involves a series of processes:

1. The Screening Process:

2. The Selection Process

3. The Grouping process

1.The Screening Process:

Level 1: There is a Macro level Research which identifies preliminary opportunities, such as; Macro General Research Variables: Data to be collected on each country.

a. Economic statistical data.

b. Political environment and stability.

c. Socio-cultural structure & features.

d.Geographic and climate.

Level 2: Macro Specific

a. What is the market size and development?

b. What is the growth history for like products?

c. Availability of market data?

Level 3: Micro level Research

a. What are the competition, existing and potential?

b. What are the conditions of market entry?

c. What is the projected level of sales?

d. What is the probable acceptance level of product?

e. What is the reliability of information available and gathered?

f. What is the cost of entry?

g. What is the potential timeline for profit?

Level 4: Corporate Factors

a. Once potential targets identified

b. What corporate factors must be considered?

c. For successful implementation.

2. The Selection Process:

To develop selection criteria at both macro and micro level. Requirement is:

Market Indexes: Economist Intelligence Unit - EIU.com, publishes three useful indexes apart from economic data,

a. Market Size

b. Market Growth

c. Market Intensity

Necessity for on-going screening:

a. Once target markets are selected there is a natural tendency to focus on them and ignore others.

b. Since the world market is constantly changing, the global marketer should continually screen previously rejected targets.

3. The Grouping Process:

a. Many ways to group countries together.

b. Often important to do so to consider as a single market.

- Major activities affected by grouping: Market Research, Product development & modification, Distribution channels, Promotion and Personal selling.

c. Main reasons for grouping: Economies of scale and Critical mass.

Verbal Non-Verbal Communication

2009-02-24T07:48:00.001-08:00

Non-verbal communication

Introduction to non-verbal communication

in communication with others only 30 % of the communication is verbal, 70 % is non-verbal

non-verbal communication involves gestures, facial expressions, eye contact …

our non-verbal behaviour is mostly subconscious

Comparing verbal and non-verbal communication

both are symbolic, communicate meaning and are patterned

all societies have different non-verbal languages

the non-verbal communication is more than just body language; the use of time and personal space, our voice etc.

non-verbal communication is learnt through relations with others

non-verbal behaviours can reinforce, substitute for or contradict verbal behaviour

we often trust our non-verbal behaviour to reveal our true feelings

The universal use of non-verbal communication

there is some universality in non-verbal communication, especially in facial expressions

six basic emotions are communicated by facial expressions in much the same way in most societies:

happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, anger and surprise

but what causes the non-verbal behaviours can vary

Non-verbal codes

SILENCE

the use of silence in conversations

HAPTICS

the use of touching

high-touch cultures and low-touch cultures

VOCAL CUES

rate, pitch, loudness, articulation, tone, accent, pronunciation etc.

ARTEFACTS

things, objects, decorations etc.

Misunderstandings can be avoided if we are aware of and understand our cultural differences

The more we know of other cultures, the greater the possibility is of a successful communication!

Believe and Vision: "SLumdog Millionaire"

2009-02-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

I have seen scientific research done by a graduate student but put aside by the mentor believing that was not worth publishing. But, after a decade later that dusty file - brings home Nobel Prize.

Tonight we saw - Movie version of Nobel-prize at Oscar. A low budget movie -that about to put aside -catches the center attention -

and here is the news:

".....

Shot in India on a modest budget of $14 million, "Slumdog Millionaire" traces the life of a Mumbai orphan who overcomes poverty, betrayal, police torture and other hardships on his way to a reunion with his childhood love and success on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

The film nearly got lost in the shuffle as Warner Bros. folded its art-house banner, Warner Independent, which had been slated to distribute "Slumdog Millionaire." It was rescued from the direct-to-video scrap heap when Fox Searchlight stepped in to release the film....."

Take home message is - Believe and vision.

IBMgmt Transcript for Week 5 - HGU

2009-02-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Gross Domestic Product:

To explain in simple words, the statistic used to measure the economy of a country is GDP – Gross Domestic Product. For Example: The U.S. economy, as measured by GDP, is everything produced by all the people and all the companies in the U.S. It represents the total dollar value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period.

Usually, GDP is expressed as a comparison to the previous quarter or year. For example, if the year-to-year GDP is up 3%, this is thought to mean that the economy has grown by 3% over the last year.

THE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT: CHAPTER 4

The Economic Environment can be defined as a ‘totality of economic factors, such as employment,income, inflation,interest rates, productivity, and wealth, that influence the buying behavior of consumers and firms’.

There are few countries who are major exporters of almost all kinds of goods. Likewise, India, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, is the main Exporting countries in the world.

However, France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Japan, United States, Canada, Russia are considered to be Major Industrialized countries of the world. Such countries are expected to have highly developed economies and be democracies.

ECONOMIC INTEGRATION:

Economic Integration is a term used to describe how different aspects between economies are integrated. As economic integration increases, the barriers of trade between markets diminish. The most integrated economy today, between independent nations, is the European Union and its Euro Zone.

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states, located primarily in Europe.

Euro Zone consists of 16 European Union (EU) states which have adopted the euro as their sole legal tender. It currently consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS:

The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas but Cuba. The proposed agreement was an extension of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, Mexico and the United States. Against the market are positioned Cuba, Venezuela and later Bolivia, Ecuador, Dominica, Nicaragua and Honduras, which entered the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas in response, and not strongly opposing but not supporting Argentina, Chile and Brazil.

The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which was being negotiated by 34 countries of the Americas, was intended to be the most far-reaching trade agreement in history. Although it was based on the model of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), it went far beyond NAFTA in its scope and power.

The FTAA would have introduced into the Western Hemisphere all the disciplines of the proposed services agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) - the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) - with the powers of the failed Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI), to create a new trade powerhouse with sweeping new authority over the Americas.

NORTH AMERICAN INTEGRATION:

In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) joined the economic futures of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with systematic rules governing trade and investment, dispute resolution, and economic relations. However, economic integration among the three countries extends considerably beyond trade and investment. The NAFTA agreement takes a very narrow view of integration, barely addressing such vital issues as immigration policy and labor markets, the energy sector, environmental protection, and law enforcement. NAFTA created the world’s largest Free Market - $ 390 million US, Canada and Mexican consumers and a total output of $ 10 trillion.

INTEGRATION IN ASIA:

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

East Asia Economic Group.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

INTEGRATION IN AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST:

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The African Union (AU).

The Arab Maghreb Union.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

THE POLITICAL AND LEGAL ENVIRONMENT: CHAPTER 5

Political Systems:

Individualism

Democratic

Collectivism

Totalitarian.

There are at least four major dimensions of a country's political environment of concern to the International Business:

1. The political system and ideology

2. The role of government in the economy

3. Political instability

4. The country's international political relationships.

Legal Systems: Rules or Laws that regulate behavior.

Property Rights

Private action

Public action.

The legal environment for protecting information is developing slowly along with the adoption of IT.

EXPORT CONTROL – US EXPORT CONTROL SYSTEMS:

Export Administration Act.

Munitions Control Act.

Determinants for Export Controls: National Security, Foreign Policy, Nuclear non proliferation.

Dual use items:

a. Goods used for both military and civilian.

b. Controlled for other purposes.

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Green-India

2009-02-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

Today, I would like to see how all of you are doing and hope we all
are sound in health and spirit. With Politepreneur (R) president Obama we are seeing many good activities -Biotech-potential (with lifting of Stem-cell research ban), making F/M pay-equal, right to fight, mercury-treaty initiative and Green-energy push.

Speaking of Greentech - I just have come across a reporting by Thomas
Friedman from New Delhi (see below). I get to know him in late 90s
when he was with LATimes and did an article on our Hepatitis-C (a
BioZak/UCLA) project. Anyway, here is the article - Rgds/RYAN

February 15, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist
Yes, They Could. So They Did.
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

New Delhi

So I am attending the Energy and Resources Institute climate
conference in New Delhi, and during the afternoon session two young
American women — along with one of their mothers — proposition me.

“Hey, Mr. Friedman,” they say, “would you like to take a little spin
around New Delhi in our car?”

Oh, I say, I’ve heard that line before. Ah, they say, but you haven’t
seen this car before. It’s a plug-in electric car that is also powered
by rooftop solar panels — and the two young women, recent Yale grads,
had just driven it all over India in a “climate caravan” to highlight
the solutions to global warming being developed by Indian companies,
communities, campuses and innovators, as well as to inspire others to
take action.

They ask me if I want to drive, but I have visions of being stopped by
the cops and ending up in a New Delhi jail. Not to worry, they tell
me. Indian cops have been stopping them all across India. First, they
ask to see driver’s licenses, then they inquire about how the green
car’s solar roof manages to provide 10 percent of its mileage — and
then they try to buy the car.

We head off down Panchsheel Marg, one of New Delhi’s main streets. The
ladies want to show me something. The U.S. Embassy and the Chinese
Embassy are both located on Panchsheel, directly across from each
other. They asked me to check out the rooftops of each embassy. What
do I notice? Let’s see ... The U.S. Embassy’s roof is loaded with
antennae and listening gear. The Chinese Embassy’s roof is loaded
with ... new Chinese-made solar hot-water heaters.

You couldn’t make this up.

But trying to do something about it was just one of many reasons my
hosts, Caroline Howe, 23, a mechanical engineer on leave from the Yale
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and Alexis Ringwald, a
Fulbright scholar in India and now a solar entrepreneur, joined with
Kartikeya Singh, who was starting the Indian Youth Climate Network, or
IYCN, to connect young climate leaders in India, a country coming
under increasing global pressure to manage its carbon footprint.

“India is full of climate innovators, so spread out across this huge
country that many people don’t get to see that these solutions are
working right now,” said Howe. “We wanted to find a way to bring
people together around existing solutions to inspire more action and
more innovation. There’s no time left to just talk about the problem.”

Howe and Ringwald thought the best way to do that might be a climate
solutions road tour, using modified electric cars from India’s Reva
Electric Car Company, whose C.E.O. Ringwald knew. They persuaded him
to donate three of his cars and to retrofit them with longer-life
batteries that could travel 90 miles on a single six-hour charge — and
to lay on a solar roof that would extend them farther.

Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 5, they drove the cars on a 2,100-mile trip
from Chennai to New Delhi, stopping in 15 cities and dozens of
villages, training Indian students to start their own climate action
programs and filming 20 videos of India’s top home-grown energy
innovations. They also brought along a solar-powered band, plus a
luggage truck that ran on plant oil extracted from jatropha and
pongamia, plants locally grown on wasteland. A Bollywood dance group
joined at different stops and a Czech who learned about their trip on
YouTube hopped on with his truck that ran on vegetable-oil waste.

Deepa Gupta, 21, a co-founder of IYCN, told The Hindustan Times that
the trip opened her eyes to just how many indigenous energy solutions
were budding in India — “like organic farming in Andhra Pradesh, or
using neem and garlic as pesticides, or the kind of recycling in
slums, such as Dharavi. We saw things already in place, like the
Gadhia solar plant in Valsad, Gujarat, where steam is used for cooking
and you can feed almost 50,000 people in one go.” (See:
www.indiaclimatesolutions.com.)

At Rajpipla, in Gujarat, when they stopped at a local prince’s palace
to recharge their cars, they discovered that his business was
cultivating worms and selling them as eco-friendly alternatives to
chemical fertilizers.

I met Howe and Ringwald after a tiring day, but I have to admit that
as soon as they started telling me their story it really made me
smile. After a year of watching adults engage in devastating
recklessness in the financial markets and depressing fecklessness in
the global climate talks, it’s refreshing to know that the world keeps
minting idealistic young people who are not waiting for governments to
act, but are starting their own projects and driving innovation.

“Why did this tour happen?” asked Ringwald. “Why this mad, insane plan
to travel across India in a caravan of solar electric cars and
jatropha trucks with solar music, art, dance and a potent message for
climate solutions? Well ... the world needs crazy ideas to change
things, because the conventional way of thinking is not working
anymore.”

What is Culture

2009-02-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

Hello Class:

I was seeking for a descriptive definition of culture via google search and came to a site that has some interesting definitions -... information below ..

Source: The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition
http://www.carla.umn.edu/culture/definitions.html

What is Culture?

CARLA’s Definition

For the purposes of the Intercultural Studies Project, culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group.

Other Definitions of Culture

Banks, J.A., Banks, & McGee, C. A. (1989). Multicultural education. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

"Most social scientists today view culture as consisting primarily of the symbolic, ideational, and intangible aspects of human societies. The essence of a culture is not its artifacts, tools, or other tangible cultural elements but how the members of the group interpret, use, and perceive them. It is the values, symbols, interpretations, and perspectives that distinguish one people from another in modernized societies; it is not material objects and other tangible aspects of human societies. People within a culture usually interpret the meaning of symbols, artifacts, and behaviors in the same or in similar ways."

Damen, L. (1987). Culture Learning: The Fifth Dimension on the Language Classroom. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

"Culture: learned and shared human patterns or models for living; day- to-day living patterns. these patterns and models pervade all aspects of human social interaction. Culture is mankind's primary adaptive mechanism" (p. 367).

Hofstede, G. (1984). National cultures and corporate cultures. In L.A. Samovar & R.E. Porter (Eds.), Communication Between Cultures. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

"Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another." (p. 51).

Kluckhohn, C., & Kelly, W.H. (1945). The concept of culture. In R. Linton (Ed.). The Science of Man in the World Culture. New York. (pp. 78-105).

"By culture we mean all those historically created designs for living, explicit and implicit, rational, irrational, and nonrational, which exist at any given time as potential guides for the behavior of men."

Kroeber, A.L., & Kluckhohn, C. (1952). Culture: A critical review of concepts and definitions. Harvard University Peabody Museum of American Archeology and Ethnology Papers 47.

" Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups, including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional (i.e. historically derived and selected) ideas and especially their attached values; culture systems may, on the one hand, be considered as products of action, and on the other as conditioning elements of further action."

Lederach, J.P. (1995). Preparing for peace: Conflict transformation across cultures. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.

"Culture is the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people for perceiving, interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around them" (p. 9).

Linton, R. (1945). The Cultural Background of Personality. New York.

"A culture is a configuration of learned behaviors and results of behavior whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society" (p. 32).

Parson, T. (1949). Essays in Sociological Theory. Glencoe, IL.

"Culture...consists in those patterns relative to behavior and the products of human action which may be inherited, that is, passed on from generation to generation independently of the biological genes" (p. 8).

Useem, J., & Useem, R. (1963). Human Organizations, 22(3).

"Culture has been defined in a number of ways, but most simply, as the learned and shared behavior of a community of interacting human beings" (p. 169).