Thursday, October 10, 2019

Holistic Approaches to Development Essay

Introduction My focus with this assignment will be on education as a whole and to demonstrate a knowledge of key legislation in respect of curricula and initiatives within the widening children’s education work-force. I will do this through relevant reading and understanding gained from personal experience, demonstrating a comprehension of the holistic nature of learning and how it is developed through age-appropriate activities. I intend to show an understanding of the types, role and functions of play. I will relate them to theoretical and practical models of play and learning practised at my setting, where the Primary Years Programme is implemented. The Primary Year Programme (PYP) takes a holistic approach in developing the complete child. Practitioners endeavour to deliver a curriculum that is relevant and meaningful to the child. Piaget suggests the principal goal of education is to create people who are capable of original thought and of being creative and not simply repeating what previous generations have done. The PYP is a Primary Curriculum recognised world-wide and the PYP for Early Childhood synthesizes insights of educational research pioneers such as Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner who maintained that education should be understood as the art of cultivating the moral, emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of the developing child (J,1013). Play is child-centred activity that engages young children and promotes learning. Play is the means by which children make sense of the world and is an effective method of teaching young children. Play is a context for learning through which children organise and understand their social worlds as they actively engage with people, objects and representations. An holistic approach to education focuses on the whole child with care and education being of equal importance; and is known as a combined holistic  approach. Montessori and Steiner are among the most important of the many education theorists who have influenced the way children are educated today. Learning through play is one of the key principles that they and other education theorists advocated. All children have the right to be in a safe and welcoming environment. Keeping children safe is of course â€Å"a non-negotiable element of any early years framework† (Tickell, 2011.) In the United Kingdom there is a wide range of legislation enacted specifically with the aim of protecting children and their families. The safeguarding and welfare requirements are given legal force by The Early Years Foundation Stage (Welfare Requirements) Regulations. EYFS is the legal framework for the welfare and safeguarding of all young children from birth through to the end of the reception years in all types of early years education provision. Learning Outcome 1 -You will need to produce clear evidence of your knowledge and understanding of key, recent legislation & current initiatives pertinent to your setting practice. You can demonstrate this by discussing what is encompassed within the initiatives currently informing practice and identifying the various curricula available to parents, children and settings e.g. National Curriculum, The Early Years Foundation Stage, Steiner Approach, Montessori etc. Higher grades will be awarded if you can demonstrate a critical awareness of the importance of the key legislation & current initiatives pertinent to your chosen age range within the setting. Learning Outcome 2 – You should show that you understand the nature and meaning of a holistic approach to learning and development, whilst recognising the need to provide strategies for incorporating a range of holistic age related curriculum-based learning activities, which help promote development through play and. You should also identify specific aspects of your age-related research as being of significance to holistic development and explain their importance. To improve the grade you must show that you have considered a wide and comprehensive range of strategies for incorporating holistic age related curriculum -based learning activities, which will help development through play and learning in the setting.  Remember that the essay is intended to show your ability to integrate ideas and information drawn from a range of sources From early in the 20th century, a number of holistic approaches to early education have been put forward and refined (ref needed) . The most important principle of holistic education being to engender and nurture a sense of wonder in the child. Montessori, for example, spoke of â€Å"cosmic† education, which â€Å"helps the young person feel part of the wholeness of the universe, so that learning will be naturally enchanting and inviting† (Miller,2012 pg for a direct qoute). Holistic education is founded on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life by connecting with the community, to the natural world and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace (J ? author ?, 2013). Miller date ? describes holistic education as: â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.an attempt to return to the mysterious source of human creativity and authenticity for fresh inspiration. It seeks to enable the wholeness of the human being to emerge and develop as fully as possible. In contrast to progressive education, Holistic education sees the child as an emerging spiritual being within a larger planetary and cosmic ecology that extends beyond social and political realities. In Holistic education we must respond to the learner with an open, inquisitive mind, a loving heart and a sensitive understanding of the world he or she is growing into†¦..† (Holistic Education, 2011).too long a qoute, break down into own words please While However, the Reggio Emilia approach to holistic education involves dealing with or rating the ‘whole’ of something or someone, and not just a part of the ‘whole’ (J ?, 2013). This approach also places great emphasis on artistic self-expression and engaged creativity. Miller (2006) suggests that while there is clearly no one method, after reviewing a number of different holistic teaching methodologies, he concluded that there are four key aspects of the holistic approach to teaching: Learning is organic, emergent, experimental and based on cooperation. There is a strong sense of community and engagement between children, parents and educators where those members feel strongly to care for one another There is a great respect for children’s inner life, with methods ranging from environmental spaces that facilitate time out of competitive nosier environments, to time to ask deeper questions about the meaning of life and spirituality. There are strong connections to nature, with the care and connection with the environment incorporated throughout the curriculum (Higgins, 2012) In keeping with a holistic approach, the Priamary Years Progra (PYP) curriculum is an inquiry-based transdisciplinary curriculum. Pre-planned teaching is facilitated only in so far as it initiates open-ended questioning and inquisitiveness. Children are given maximum opportunities for discovery. A child’s questions are an important part of what happens in a PYP classroom. The school aims to develop the whole child, so while developing academic knowledge and skills, we also develop a child’s social and emotional skills and understanding. Children are taught to be caring individuals and encouraged to make a positive difference in the world. The IB Learner Profile Attributes guides schools in their holistic approach to education and includes the social and emotional aspects of a child’s school life. The PYP teaches students that they can make a difference in their lives by being independent and making â€Å"good choices,† for example by turning lights off to save energy when leaving the classroom, or recycling materials to avoid unnecessary waste. Physical education too is an integral part of the PYP curriculum and provides vital opportunities for the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of the child. In Nutbrown’s (2012 pg ? ) review she asserts that, â€Å"high quality early education and childcare  can have a positive long term impact on a child’s later learning and achievements.† Connecting with nature is important for a child’s spiritual development and should inform daily activity. Incorporating holistic activity into the early childhood classroom provides opportunities for children to connect with nature. Activities such as painting classes in a park or other open-air neighbourhood location expose children to nature , while painting on mirrors helps develop self-awareness and spirituality by encouraging creativity and the representation of ideas while having fun. These are all straightforward, uncomplicated, activities that encourage a child to be inquiring. Refs needed The extreme heat and humidity at certain times of the year in Hong Kong make it impractical to take children outside to explore and discover. When this happens, we do our best to bring the outside into the classroom. We use natural materials such as shells and leaaves to inspire and encourage creativity. We also provide tools more normally associated with adult usage, such as cameras, this to illustrate the point that children are competent and capable learners and able quickly to master relatively sophisticated technology. As our knowledge of each child increases and we become more familiar with his or her interests, we use this and festivals such as Diwali, Christmas and Thanksgiving to inform our planning. Learning Outcome 3 – This learning outcome requires you to show sound evidence of practical knowledge and understanding of theoretical and practical models of play and learning which incorporate examples of the different types, roles and functions of play in the widening children’s workforce setting. To improve you would need to demonstrate clear, concise, in depth evidence & knowledge/understanding, of the application of practical and theoretical models of play and learning. Incorporating a range of examples of the different types, roles and functions of play. Smidt (2011) argues that Play may be defined as the way children, within a context, a culture, a family or a community explore or experience something  that excites and interests them and is fun. Through play, children learn to express or communicate their feelings (Smidt,2011.) Wood (2005) further supports this viewpoint by stating that †¦Play activity entails a wide range of behaviour and may be found in different contexts and with multiple meanings for children and adults (Wood,2005.) A holistic, place-based, approach to learning utilises the local community and environment to teach subjects across the curriculum, emphasising hands-on real life experiences. Ref here  Blah Blah (2010) discusses how Various educational theorists have influenced the way young children are educated today. Among the most influential have been Rudolf Steiner and Maria Montessori ref. Both shared a belief in the importance of learning through their play. They believed that experimental learning through play was more effective teaching methods than ones that were directed and prescriptive ref. The Reggio Emilia approach, developed by Loris Malaguzzi,ref here emphasised the role of the child as a competent agent in his or her own learning. Within this setting, educators make informed choices about the pedagogical approaches and curriculum based on the theories and principles of Malaguzzi. There must be a reference or more within every paragraph to show where the info came from, it’s particularly important when discussing theory or viewpoints. Bruce (date) as cited in Smidt (date) clearly regards play as one of the most significant ways children learn. She refers to play as ‘an integrating mechanism.’ When children are involved in self-chosen play, over which they have control of what they are doing, they are able to bring together many aspects of their learning, coordinating their activity in a way that brings about or creates new learning (Bruce, 1991 page ?), enabling discovery and problem solving as the child becomes increasingly independent. There are play opportunities both inside the PYP (Primary Years Program) classroom and in the playground as the learning environment is equipped with material that provides for a range of creative learning. A PYP classroom reflects what Moyles (date) regards as one of the most significant aspects of play – that of ‘ownership,’ meaning that the child takes control over  finding answers to questions that interest him or her. Wood 2005) recognizes that Play cannot always be easily defined or categorised because it is always context dependent and the contexts are varied (Wood,2005). Types of play cognitive play, involved play, passive play, pretend and socio-dramatic. She discusses this viewpoint further by stating The context of play will determine its nature and category, play is therefore ‘context-dependent (Wood, 2005). However, as the context varies, so will the nature of play in which the child engages: cognitive play, involved play, passive play, pretend play and Socio-dramatic play being the most important types. The physical development young children is also essential. Research has shown that physical activity in young children can enhance concentration, motivation, learning and well-being. Early Years educators use their knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice and the interests of the child to organise activities that provide opportunities for freedom of movement and physical stimulation. Refs needed throughout this paragraph  Piaget, another theorist, (date, cited in?) believed that play and imitation were an important feature of his theory. He saw play as almost pure assimilation without any attempt to adapt to outer reality (Wood, 2005). While Erikson ref thought the world of play was very important in the early stage of a child’s development, providing, as it did, a safe place for a child to work through conflicts in its life. Piaget, Erikson and Vygotsky ref all agreed that children use play as a way of teaching themselves. A child plays through situations very much as adults might think through a problem or difficult circumstances in which they find themselves. Children, of course, can more readily and naturally engage in fantasy play, when they delve into symbolic representations of objects and ideas by acting them out as part of a game or other form of play.ref Try to widen references from Wood, and use more than one ref in a paragraph. If you use the same source within a paragraph, you can use the term (ibid) which means ‘the same’ in Latin. You can only use it with the paragraph that you’ve cited the author e.g. Wood (2005) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ blah blah blah (ibid) Its important you are using wider  reading within and throughout the work. There should also be a conclusion, which shows awareness of good practice and professional development through the implementation of this module. Throughout the essay, you must show the ability to integrate a range of information, drawn from a wide and varied area of sources (LO 4) Learning Outcome 4 – You will need to draw upon a range of contemporary source materials to inform your individual research into the impact of current/pending government initiatives & legislative factors on early years settings and the resultant age-related curricula delivered. Educational & researched-based journal articles afford the best opportunity of achieving this. Use of tertiary sources and of web-based material is permitted but is unlikely to attract significant additional marks. Sourcing and researching other related material may also earn additional marks Conclusion: Holistic approaches encompass, as the names suggests, a broad range of teaching goals and aspirations for children’s learning that extends well beyond academic learning into fields of social and emotional wellbeing. While this can at first seem overwhelming, teachers can find the small opportunities in their day to day practice to incorporate and extend ideas that promote connection, community and wellbeing. REF: Druce, J. (2013) Holistic education , MOD001262 Holistic Approaches to Development . [Print] Anglia Ruskin University , Unpublished 2012, Department for Education. (Foundations for Quality Nutbrown Review) [pdf] UK: Department for Education. Available at http://www.gov.uk [Accessed 06 December 2013]. Dame Clare Tickell (2011) The Early Years: Foundation for life, health and learning . London: Crown . Druce, J. (2013) Holism (Noun), Holistic Approach to Development . [Print] Anglia Ruskin University, Unpublished Holistic Education (2011) Glossary of Terms Commonly Used in Holistic Education [Online] Available at http://www.hent.org/glossary.htm [Accessed 15 December 2013] Natalie Higgins (2012) Exploring Holistic Approaches for Early Childhood Educators [Online] Available at http://www.raisinglearning.com.au [Accessed 12 December 2013] Ron Miller (2012) Holistic Education: A Brief Introduction [Online] Available at http://www.Pathsoflearning.net [Accessed 12 December 2013] Smidt, S (2011) Playing to Learn. UK: Routledge. Wood, E (2005) Play, Learning and the Early Childhood Curriculum . 2nd ed. London : Sage Publications .

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Theimpactsofpopulationgrowthonfoodconsumption Essay

Theimpactsofpopulationgrowthonfoodconsumption - Essay Example Population and Consumption, n.d.). Fundamentally, fertile land and water are the basic essential resources required to produce food; evidently, both these resources are limited on the planet. Growing population bring along growing demands and requirements of people, thereby these resources are under constant pressure. Growing population is not only responsible for putting up a challenge to fulfil the requirements of people but is also challenging to the economic development and environment of the planet. As a result, farmers are expected to produce more food in their limited land and water resources. Thus, population growth as well as pattern of utilization of resources directly influences the environmental changes resulting in loss of biodiversity, pollution, global warming, depletion of ozone layer, deforestation and a serious impact on numerous forest, aquatic and land ecosystems. Thus, growth of human population is modifying nature which in turn brings catastrophic consequences (Web. Population Growth and Consump tion, n.d.). Further than meeting the challenging market demands, global food production is associated with numerous fundamental objectives encompassing societies together with reducing poverty and malnutrition, enhanced accessibility to a healthy diet as well as better allocation and management of fresh water resources, amplification in the use of renewable energy resources, climate protection along with biological diversity and protection of ecosystems. Evidently, an insight into the future perspectives of food and agriculture sector is a major concern of the society as well as the policy makers. To all intents and purposes, capturing the intricate connections between food production and cognitive development adequately, integrated scientific representation based appraisals and evaluations are needed. With the escalating growth of human population it is evident that over the next decade the food demand

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Describe something you have accomplished that makes you proud. what Essay

Describe something you have accomplished that makes you proud. what did you learn from this experience that might help you to ensure high academic achievement for all of your students - Essay Example When I was in college, I was married and I had two children at that time. Studying when one is married and has responsibility of children, cannot be considered an easy task. Studying requires enough time and at graduation level, it is also difficult. I learnt a lot when I studied at the college. I used to keep in mind that I would achieve my aim of obtainment of graduation degree because of my continuous struggle and hard work. I was to give time at my household and also to my studies. While studying for the bachelor’s degree, I learned to manage time and to work hard that plays a crucial role in everybody’s life. Management of time as well as hard work can be regarded as the most important aspects that we have to consider and exercise every time. My experience teaches me that time management and work should not be neglected in any case because if the aspects of time management and hard work are ignored, a person cannot succeed in his/her life. Success is directly attached to time management. In student life, a person learns to manage time. When one appears in the exam, it is only time management that helps him/her. As far as teachers are concerned, time management is also crucial. I was always attracted towards the profession of teaching. While being a student, I also learnt about being a teacher by means of my experiences in my college life with my teachers. As a teacher, my experience of being at a college will be very helpful for my students. I will facilitate with my experience of time management for their educational accomplishments and also, that a person can only succeed if he/she manages time and never loses courage towards the completion of his/her ambition. In my degree education, I never lost heart and struggled for the completion of my bachelors and also I managed time to succeed in my set aim. Pride can only come to a person when he/she

Monday, October 7, 2019

Prepare a brief project about Art Exhibition Essay

Prepare a brief project about Art Exhibition - Essay Example The exhibition includes iconography and distinctive style, and the breadth of its impact on the a thousand years in which the first cities in the world have turned into the first states and kingdoms of the world (Cookson 2007).The unity of mankind is impressive by the fact that similar features recur over the world is evident by religion, thought forms, tools and social forms. The simplicity of the man is great despite its diversity (Bliss 2008). Or just by observing the common component, however, is divergent clear. In the story, which is invaluable and irreplaceable comes to light in unique creations; breakthroughs and achievements. These creative steps are as revelations of a country other than the simple course of event source. They laid the foundation of humanity to come next. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote in the sixth century BC was amazed fertility of Babylon, the richest granary of the country in the world, and huge crops of wheat, millet and sesame, the size. Grown This incredible landscape in the third millennium BC Sumer and Accad, and after the city of Babylon name is later known, covering the southern part of a diverse landscape, which is mentioned later in the Greek sources Mesopotamia, or "land between the rivers", the Euphrates and Tigris (Bliss 2008). It comprises the eastern end of the Fertile Crescent of popular literature. However, the fertility of Mesopotamia is not the natural state of the alluvial plain south, where the first towns founded. On the contrary, the generosity of Herodotus praised the work of people who irrigation in agriculture, an unfavorable climate with unpredictable rainfall and damaging floods. It is invented to overcome a pattern that is expressed by Sumerian literature. A project organization is a structure that facilitates the coordination and the implementation of Project activities. Its main task is the creation promotes an environment those interactions between team members with minimal

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Genaral relations of the judicial, executive and legislative body in Essay

Genaral relations of the judicial, executive and legislative body in British - Essay Example This is an exploration about judicial system and its machineries as well as an attempt to recognize and critic some gaps in this literature. British Judicial system The chapter pointed that UK has three court systems. These are in England and Wales; in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. These are independent institutions but the judges and its practitioners are appointed to the Court of Justice, Court of First Instance of the European Communities and to the European Court of Human Rights.2. Author emphasized that UK’s judicial system is not solely focused on civil and criminal adjudications since the parliament made some tribunals as special courts e.g. for election, labor cases, and patent courts. The structure and hierarchy of the court system in England and Wales was also detailed, being the High Court that also decides for cases requiring judicial review and question of laws, although following Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the court is now named as the Senior Courts of E ngland and Wales.3 The broad civil jurisdiction is under the jurisdiction of the country courts and of magistrates’ courts under Legal Services Act 1990.4 The criminal jurisdiction is likewise at the Court of First Instance where the magistrates does a summary trial while those in jury trial by the Crown Court following Courts Acts 1971 (p. 386). Appeals are done to Queen’s Bench Divisional Court of the High Court, to the Court if the High Court, or to the Court of Appeal of the Criminal Division.5 In Scotland, the civil cases are held by the Court of Session, with hierarchy of body to hear cases subject for appeal. Meanwhile, the High Court of Justiciary has jurisdiction on the criminal cases, either for trial or for appeal. The district courts are also mandated of summary criminal jurisdiction. House of Lords has jurisdiction over civil cases while devolution cases, and criminal matters, are heard in the Privy Council. In Northern Ireland, the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland has jurisdiction of all cases.6 The author affirmed that following rules and administrative polices, judiciary maintained its independence from UK’s legislative body, albeit some judicial matters are subject to policies formulated by the legislative body.7 Numerous laws have evolved the procedural processes within the House of the Lords through historic legislation of policies deemed significant in systematizing the procedural aspect of adjudicating cases. The House of the Lords however remained bereft of authority or jurisdiction over Scottish criminal cases.8 One is certain though that the House of the Lords has influential power in the legislation of policies through the â€Å"system of precedent† until its amended to free the system from the rigidity to avoid injustice and may hinder policy change.9 In 2010, UK developed its Supreme Court that would hear cases on appeals from the House of the Lords and the devolution of Privy Council’s juris diction. The SC mirrors the function of other organized civilization and maintains independence from the two other branches of the government whose luminaries are appointed in accordance to Constitutional Reform Act 2005 although the qualifications remained based on the Appellate

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Leadership and management Style Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership and management Style - Assignment Example My past experience tells me that nowadays there is a lack of alignment between goals of an organization and leadership style. I, being a leader, want to align the strategy of the organization with leadership style. Management style varies depending upon the nature, size and kind of the organization. The authoritative leadership style works well when the job is monotonous and does not require much innovation and input from employees e.g. Military organizations and hospitals. Through my past experience I have found that I am good at leading people authoritatively. But my weakness is that I crashed during stress times and critical decision making. Although I always came up with the right decision but I got extremely nervous when I had to complete more than one task at a time. I was more involved in taking suggestions from others regarding taking decision. But my experience has told me that this job cannot be done without being authoritative as it is the matter of life of patient. In fut ure, I would not repeat this mistake of mine and will improve my leadership style. The trait theory of leadership says that there are certain traits that are required in individuals who want to become at the leadership positions and the leaders are born as leaders. These traits describe basic qualities leaders possess like achievement drive, motivation, self-confidence, knowledge of business, cognitive ability, emotional maturity and few others like charismatic personality and flexibility. It assumes that leaders are born with these qualities and cannot be made (Trait Theory). Task 2 When applying this theory on my own personality, I come to a conclusion that I am a born leader. Throughout my job experience, I observed my behavior at certain situation which told me that I possess the leadership qualities. My past experiences were all of this kind that helped me getting to know about my own talents and abilities. I have always been supportive and cooperative. There have been times wh ere I had to take some decisions authoritatively as the job of nursing is a very important job where there is not much room for flexibility. My self-confidence and cognitive ability enabled me to manage stress and time but not that well as I want to. Knowledge of business is the most important trait of a leader in my view. When one does not know what his or her business is, he cannot be an effective leader. My educational qualification as well as past job experiences were fruitful enough to give me a knowhow of the field of nursing. However, in my view the traits of the leaders are not always present in the leaders in every situation. There are times when changes in traits are needed. In my view I lag in the flexibility part of the traits and in my view this trait can be acquired by the experience. What kind of situation will be most helpful for what kind of trait, these are few things on which I need to focus and learn. My personal development objectives are To become a part of an organization where I can apply my leadership skills I want to add value to the enterprise rather than being just a part of it I want to learn more about the decision making importance in nursing field Given the sense of autonomy, I want to utilize my potential to the maximum I want to learn where do I lag when it comes to managing the people I want to improve my communication skills and be more supportive I want to increase the flexibility of my traits so that I can be a

Friday, October 4, 2019

Brrokstone’s business Essay Example for Free

Brrokstone’s business Essay Brookstone is a nationwide specialty retailer that sells a variety of consumer products with distinctive function, excellent quality and design, which are not available in other retailers. The company develops strong positioning as a specialty retailer selling the â€Å"hard-to-find tools† in Popular Mechanics Magazine in 1965. The main concerns of Brookstone is to provide customers with the quality of products and quality of services, which served by the quality of people. The company first catalog is printed in black-and-white in the 24 pages that present the detailed and no-nonsense information regarding the product features, materials, measurements, capabilities, and any other useful information to guide customers in buying the suitable products for them (Brookstone, 2009). The successful catalog-type company has encouraged Brookstone to open their first retail store in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Right now, the company is headquartered in Merrimack, New Hampshire, which backed up by vast distribution center and customer service department that handle mail and telephone orders that located in Mexico, Missouri (Brookstone, 2009). The company also has over 305 retail stores within the United States and Puerto Rico. Mostly, the retail stores are located in leading shopping malls, the nation’s busiest airport, and lifestyle center. In order to cope with the demands, the company, on average, opens 10 to 15 new stores each year (Brookstone, 2009). As a catalog company, Brookstone employ a multifaceted Direct-Marketing approach by using two catalogs and Internet operation (www. brookstone. com) to help boosting the orders. The two catalogs are Brookstone catalog and the Hard-to-Find Tools catalog. The Brookstone catalog presents the branded products that available at stores and merchandise from key vendors of Brookstone. Meanwhile, the Hard to Find Tools catalog features customers with high-quality and unique solutions for the home. In addition, the corporate website (www. brookstone. com) acts as the combine catalogs that features all offering that placed in the two printed catalogs. Figure 1 shows the current offering in the corporate website. Figure 1 Brookstone corporate website Source: www. brookstone. com 1. Market Attractiveness Assessment 1. 1. Environment Overview Qatar is actually the country who has the highest per-capita income in 2007. This however, was effect of its overwhelming petroleum resources. Its high level of income nevertheless, has been influencing other aspects of people’s lives also. In this chapter, I will display short elaboration on several aspects of Qatar’s environment. 1. 1. 1. Political Environment Qatar is a politically active nation. The country is home to many Islamic activist and pro-Islamic views. Country officials however, refused to the confirmed of any connections with terrorist groups. Nevertheless, the country maintained very good relationship with the US government. The country is home to the largest US airbase in Middle East, outside of Iraq and it also support a US Naval base. The country has a large magnitude of gas projects, converging with Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch/Shell. These businesses significantly enhanced Qatar’s importance to the vital Western Political interests and also economic interests. Many have said that Qatar’s ‘balancing’ political and economic programs are actually quite difficult to understand. However, analysts have also understood that this willingness to court both sides aggressively has given the country such a high political and economic profile compared to other nations in the Middle East. Despite the bomb attack that happened in 2005, Qatar’s political atmosphere is actually conducive for business. It is revealed that there are no ruling families holding control of the political activities, even though conservative elements of the society are still unease with recent foreign policy changes which have brought thousands of foreigners into the country. We should hold in our understanding however, that Qatar is still a\reforming country. One of the good signs of positive developments is that the ruler of the country has been actively encouraging education and open political debates as key elements of his reform strategy. The latest banking environment also reveals that the country in overall, enjoy stable political conditions.