Social Work Practice Essays

Social Work Practice Essays Social Work Practice Essay Social Work Practice Essay Two Perspectives of Engagement with Clients One thing that makes social work stand out from other professions is the relationship that a social worker builds with their client. It is an important factor but can also be very challenging at times. There are several stages to the social work treatment process. Those stages include; engagement, assessment, intervention, and termination (USC VAC, 2013). It is vital that a social worker begin to develop a relationship with their client during their first session and build on that relationship over time.The treatment stage in which a social worker can initiate the development of a relationship with their client is in the engagement stage, which serves as the foundation for the rest of the sessions to come. One thing to consider as a social worker is to be able to identify with your clients. The best way to do that is to be aware of your own cultural values, beliefs and preferences you hold and also how you would want a social worker to interact with you. Being a self-aware social worker is imperative so that you can keep from bringing you own thoughts and ideas into the treatment plan for your client.Understanding and knowing where you stand on certain issues important thing to be conscious of so that you know what to separate yourself from while trying to build rapport with a client. If I Were the Client As a beginning social worker it is important for me to be aware of my own personal values and beliefs and also think about how I would like to be treated as client by a social worker during the engagement phase. Seeking help for emotional issues is always hard to do no matter how accepting you are of the mental health processes.Building a rapport with my social worker and establishing trust are essential to me in the beginning stages phases of my treatment. I want to feel as if my social worker truly cares about why I am there As a black, female client, working with a hypothetical white, male therapist one thing that would be very important for my social worker to be aware of is where I come from and how my environment might influence my treatment process. I need to my social worker to work with me in finding solutions to the problems I am facing.Utilizing the ecological perspective during my treatment would be very beneficial to getting the root of the problem. I would feel that my social worker does not only care about my treatment but is an advocate in helping to achieve that change. According to McKay et al (1996), the ecological perspective consists of four critical elements; (1) clarifying the helping process, which is the social worker introducing themselves to me and explaining the treatment process and making sure I understand exactly what the process is, (McKay et al (1996) p. 465). 2) Developing the foundation for a collaborative working environment which would include finding a balance between the information needed to obtain the appropriate intake information and allowing me, the client, to tell my story of why I am there in the first place, (McKay et al (1996) p. 465). (3) Focus on immediate, practical concerns; this would mean that my social worker is prepared to respond to crisis situations, negotiate with other systems that may be a barrier of some kind to my treatment and be able to respond to any presenting concerns, (McKa y et al (1996) p. 65). I need to feel as though my social worker is just as active in my treatment as I am and is providing all the resources and help they can give. Lastly, (4) Identify and problem- solve around barriers to help seeking, (McKay et al (1996) p. 465). It would be important for my social worker to know if I have been in therapy before what that experience was for me; whether it was negative or not. It would be easier for me to trust my therapist when they are knowledgeable of all of my obstacles; whether they are personal or environmental.For example, one thing that would be vital for my white, male therapist to explore and understand before working with me is the obstacles I may face just by being a black female. It is important for me to feel as though my social worker really values my thoughts, opinions and feelings. One way to do that would the social workers ability to empathize with me. Empathy is the act of perceiving, understanding, experiencing, and respondin g to the emotional state and ideas of another person, (Gerdes amp; Segal, 2011, p. 41). Even if my social worker does not share the same views as me, being able to see things from my perspective and genuinely understand where I come from is the most important quality my social worker can bring to the table when working with me. According to Gerdes amp; Segal (2011), there are two main components to empathy; emotional empathy and expressed cognitive empathy. Emotional empathy is the ability to be affected by the clients’ emotions, (Gerdes amp; Segal, 2011, p. 141).Although I do not want my social worker to be as distressed as I am, I need to know that they are not an emotional robot and they can see why I am experiencing the emotions I am experiencing. Expressed cognitive empathy is the translation of such feelings into words, (Gerdes amp; Segal, 2011, p. 141). By my social worker being able to verbalize with me that they comprehend my emotional state of mind, that would relie ve a lot of anxiety for me just knowing that what I am feeling is not so far-fetched and that it can be understood by a complete stranger.If I Were the Social Worker Let’s envision a Chinese – American female named Kim Le, who lives in San Diego is coming to meet me; her therapist, for the first time. Kim Le is 17 years old, a senior in high school and is the first generation in her family to be born in the United States. While working with Kim Le, it would be essential for me to be culturally competent. Being culturally competent will allow me to provide care that serves her social, cultural and linguistic needs, (Buckley, T. B. , 2012).Understanding Kim Le’s culturally background is essential in developing a treatment plan and establishing trust with her. Being the first generation to be born in the United States is a barrier that she and I would have work through. It is common for a social worker to acknowledge our own barriers to intercultural understanding, (Buckley, T. B. , 2012). Another to consider while working with Kim Le is to acknowledge the cultural influence on her desire to seek therapy. Chinese cultures are more likely to try home remedies to deal with illness which may also include mental health.If her social worker felt that Kim Le needed mood stabilizing medications it would be important to explore natural ways of obtaining the same results or at least understand why Kim Le might object to the medications. Along with being understood culturally, it would be essential for me as Kim Le’s social worker to evaluate her levels of anxiety and self- confidence. It seems logically to assume that she may be feeling such a way for coming into therapy for the first time and also having a multicultural background. One way for me to explore these emotions with Kim Le would be to use sustaining procedures.According to Woods and Hollis (2000), sustainment can be used to reduce feelings on anxiety or lack of self-confidence. The idea of sustainment is for a social worker to openly express their confidence and esteem for the client. (Woods amp; Hollis, 2000, p. 131). Exploring the nature of the clients difficulties, (Woods amp; Hollis, 2000, p. 131) is a dynamic step in developing a rapport with the client. By trying to figure out what is going on with the client and working together on the problem shows the client that they are values as a person and that the social worker cares about them as a person as well as their treatment process.Sustainment can also be beneficial to use when dealing with multicultural client like Kim Le. By understanding her background and sympathizing with the difficulties of being a minority that can help reduce the anxiety she is feeling about being in therapy. It is common knowledge that the Asian cultural has very specific social etiquettes that differ significantly from that of the American culture. By being aware of different cultural groups meanings to certain non-verbal beha viors, (Hepworth et al, 2012, p. 166) it can help eliminate counterproductive communication patterns.The first step a social worker can do to make sure that they are not silently offending their clients is by simply being aware of their non-verbal behaviors. For example, if I were a male therapist, it might be considered disrespectful if I looked Kim Le directly in her eyes during our session. So I would need to be aware of where I was looking so that Kim Le could remain as comfortable as possible. Differences and Similarities One similarity I can see between me and Kim Le as the client is that we are both minorities and have certain barriers to deal with because of our ethnicity.Our therapist must be cultural competent and aware of our ethnic differences to be able to work with us effectively, and to be able to gain our trust. It is important for us to have social worker to be empathetic of our situation when it comes to dealing with the obstacle our ethnicities gives us. One big d ifference is that, even though we are both minorities, she is the first generation of her family to be born in the United States. Our cultures differ tremendously because I am very much American in my culture and spiritual practices while Kim Le probably does not even speak English at home with her family.Although that difference may seem minuet it is significant enough for a social worker to consider when working with individuals with those differences. For Kim Le, she not only has to deal with being Chinese in America, but she also has to deal with being American in a Chinese household. I do not have to deal with that duel cultural identity. For a social worker is important to see those little differences between their clients and be able to understand them and work with them. It shows the client how invested you are in their care and it also makes you a well-rounded social worker.

Popular Music, Social Practice and Cultural Politics Essay

Popular Music, Social Practice and Cultural Politics - Essay Example In fact the general feeling was that it was a passing phase. But this was not to be because Rap took a very serious turn in the late 1980’s when the â€Å"bubble gum† kind of rap evolved into the more serious kind of â€Å"Gangsta Rap†. From very humble beginnings, Gangsta rap made a huge name for itself and flooded the mainstream markets that generated not only huge profits but widespread popularity to the rapping artists as well as the labels that sold them. Popular rappers started writing harsh and edgy lyrics that celebrated street warfare, the use of drugs and also glorified promiscuity. They experienced place-based identity with LA deeming itself to be â€Å"fresh territory† with a high â€Å"novelty value and stories of gang conflict and police confrontations. The identity of the rapper was his hood which he used most of the time. Eithne Quinn, takes a long hard look at the genre of Gangsta rap and gives us a rich and insightful analysis in relation to contemporary culture. Quinn finds contradictory statements as she explores the ideologies, the intricacies and the culture of the Black working class. Nuthin But a "G" Thang shows how Gansta rap is not simply a pop culture fad but instead embodies profound shifts in American culture and everyday life." (S. Craig Watkins, author of Representing: Hip Hop Culture and the Production of Black Cinema) Quinn enumerates that the social group involved in Gangsta Rap were the people who were considered to be in crisis and these included the black youth from poor homes who were all out to make money. On the other hand, a major part of the society in general and other public figures and proponents of respectable â€Å"family values† did not take well to the fast life-styles and blatantly charged lyrics which incited a lot of distaste and anger in them. Yet nothing much could be done about it and hence for the last thirty years,

Are good Team Players good Human Beings too Essay

Are good Team Players good Human Beings too - Essay Example in Greenwood & Kanters, 2009, p.299). This paper contends that team sports can potentially improve the players' character, but some conditions have to exist, particularly the existence of a â€Å"properly structured team sports program† that integrates character development. It is based on the belief that in order for team players to be â€Å"good† people, their coaches should also provide specific instructions that train and reward the former for â€Å"good† behavior too. This paper argues that a properly structured team sports program can develop good character by honing discipline, confidence, self-esteem, and teamwork attitudes and behaviors. A â€Å"properly structured team sports program† is not focused on winning alone, but includes a shift in thinking about sports, where character development takes a central seat. Greenwood and Kanters (2009) defined the shift of team sports toward positive youth development (PYD). Positive youth development uses f ive development indicators, also known as 5 C's: connection, character, competence, confidence, caring or compassion, where these indicators are based from the studies of Lerner, Fisher, and Weinberg (2000) and Pittman et al., (2001) (as cited in Greenwood & Kanters, 2009, p.299). ... that sports can build good character, although some studies already indicate that it can be structured to improve several attitudes and behaviors (Greenwood & Kanters, 2009; Camire & Trudel, 2010). This paper argues that PYD is only one of the many ways that team sports can be structured to develop good character, especially since it actively connects sports with good character. It is important that sports is structured to enhance character so that it can impact character. Being a sports achiever can develop intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as improve discipline. Participating in team sports can enhance discipline, because it is a structured game with definite goals. Team sports is about end goals that can be attained through relentless practice. Coaches encourage players to work hard by enhancing their mental, physical, and emotional abilities. These abilities cannot be improved over night and so the players practice numerous times, so that they can physically improve the ir bodies to fit their respective team positions and its demands. This embeds discipline ethic among players, which they can use also in other aspects of other life. For example, in school, they will also be motivated to study harder for subjects they have difficulty with. Furthermore, team sports enhances the mind because of the visualization needed to win the game. The players should also â€Å"think† to win so that they can win. This can be quite useful in thinking about other endeavors also, such as in doing exams and being a better son, daughter, or Christian. In addition, team sports enhances the players' emotional abilities, such as the ability to accept failures and victories (Austin, 2010). Players also learn perseverance, because when they lose, it does not mean that they should

Quidelines for Communications Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Quidelines for Communications - Research Paper Example The controller is mainly nominated by the state or even the society law. It is essential and mandatory to ensure that the EU citizens are never in a position where their privileges to privacy are compromised. Therefore, there must be a satisfactory and valuable means of scrutinizing the dispensation of the personal identity data by an appointed controller. Thus, the EU member ought to assign a competent controller to do the work. When private data are accumulated, they are mainly used in a variety of ways. An individual can give his personal data when he for instance, records for a library tag, or when he signs for gymnasium association, or even opens a depository account. Therefore, personal data can be gathered unswervingly from the individual or from an existing database. This information may afterwards be utilized for other reasons and further shared with extra parties. Personal data can be any data that recognizes an entity, such as a person’s name, an individual’s telephone number, or moreover an individual’s photo. The idea of development in computer knowledge and also in telecommunications system is permitting personal data to go across borders through superior simplicity. As personal data is collected and exchanged more frequently, regulation on data transfers is necessary (Bennet & Raab, 2007). The Specific Role of the EU Member State Controller with regards to EU Citizen Privacy Protection The controller is chiefly appointed by the government body. The key roles of the controllers in the EU include a variety of duties. For instance, they must be able to ensure limited types of personal data are collected from the member states of the EU. For instance, the data that is capable of revealing an individual’s ethnic, or the race, the political conviction, religious beliefs, or even the health as well as the sexuality is not to be collected unless the individual collecting that information has the right to do so in the member co untry. For example the government body or the employers are an example of those who have full rights and privileges to collect an individual’s personal data. Secondly, the controller must guarantee accuracy of the data collected. The controller ought to ensure accuracy of data and any data without accuracy must be deleted. This is to enable the availability of correct data and therefore the inaccurate data must be removed or updated and rectified. Additionally, the controller of the EU members must further ensure that the data collected from the individuals is kept securely and safely. Moreover, the data controllers must further ensure that they have implemented appropriate technical and also organizational measures so as to protect personal data against any forms of accidental loss, or even the alterations, or from any unauthorized disclosure or even access. Furthermore, the controller’s role is also to fully guarantee redress of the personal data. This is an independ ent mechanism that ensures individuals have recourse if they want to and feel like their rights to their personal data has been interfered with or infringed. Eventually, the controllers must ensure that the individual has a right and access to the power to investigate claims of data protection violations. They must also have a right to intervene and further stop the collection of any personal data and further initiate a legal procedure against any violators of the data protection rights (Staples, 2001). The Required

Wine Making Essay Example for Free

Wine Making Essay Winemaking is the production of wine, starting with the selection of grapes and other produce, and ending with putting the delicious wine into bottles! Although wine is usually made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruits! Winemaking can actually be divided into 18 different categories†¦.. Harvesting, destemming, crushing, primary (alcoholic) fermentation, pressing, pigeage, cold stabilization, heat stabilization, second fermentation, bulk aging, Malolactic fermentation, laboratory tests, blending, fining, preservatives, filtration, and last but not least, bottling! Lets now find out how to make wine! Harvesting Harvesting is the picking of the grapes and the first step in wine production. The grapes are either harvested by hand or mechanically, the decision lies on the winemaker. Before harvesting, the winemaker checks the grapes for ripeness, flavor, seed color and taste, and lastly, the sugar level! Mechanical harvesters are large tractors that straddle grapevines, and with a rubber rod, strike the vine to get the grapes. Mechanical harvesters have the advantage of picking grapes in a short amount of time. The disadvantage is all the leaves and stems come with the grapes. Some smart winemakers take off the leaves with another machine before harvesting. Destemming Destemming is the process of removing the stems from the grapes. This process may take place before, or after crushing, depending on the winemaker. If you harvest by hand, you can just skip this step altogether! Crushing Crushing is when gently crushing the grapes and breaking the skin to start getting flavor. In traditional and small wineries the grapes are sometimes crushed by stomping on them. However, in large, more upscale wineries, the grapes are crushed by a large, mechanical, wine crusher. Primary (alcoholic) fermentation Have you ever wondered what the powdery coating around grapes is? So have I! Yeast is what the powder is, which is useful for alcoholic fermentation. Since this can give unpredictable results, cultural yeast is added to the mix. During fermentation, the yeast cells feed on the sugars and multiply, creating carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. The tempeture affects both the taste of the product and the speed that fermentation is over. For red wines, the temperate is typically 72-77 F, and for white wine, the normal tempeture is 59-64 F. For every gram of sugar that is converted, about half a gram of alcohol is produce, so to get a 12% alcohol concentration, the product has to contain 24% of sugar. Pressing Pressing is the act of applying pressure to grapes in order to separate wine from grapes and grape skins. Presses act by positioning the grapes or grape skins between a rigged surface and a movable surface and slowly decreasing the volume between the two surfaces. As the pressure increases, the amount of tannin extracted from the skins into the juice also increases. Pieaege Pieaege is a French winemaking term for the traditional stomping of the grapes in open fermentation tanks. To make different type of wine, grapes are put through a crusher and then poured into open fermentation tanks. Once fermentation begins, the grape skins are pushed to the surface by carbon dioxide gases, released in the fermentation process. The layer of skins at the top is called the cap. The cap needs to mix with the liquid each day for flavor Cold and Heat Stabilization Cold stabilization is a process used in winemaking to reduce tartrate crystals that’s in wine. These crystals look like grains of clear sand, and are formed by acid and potassium. The temeture of the wine is dropped close to freeing for 1-2 weeks. This will cause the crystals to separate from the wine. During heat stabilization, unstable proteins are removed by absorption, preventing them from being in the finished bottle of wine. Second Fermentation. This process takes three to six months, and is very valuable! The wine is kept under airlock, and proteins from the grapes are broken down, and the yeast cells that are still remaining and other particles are able to settle. In this process, the wine goes from being cloudy, to clear! Secondary fermentation usually takes place in large stainless steel vessels or large oak barrels. The oak gives wine a very good finished taste, but if the winemakers decide to put the wine in stainless steel, oak chips are added! Malolatic Fermentation. This process occurs when lactic acid bacteria mixes with malic acids and produces lactic acids and carbon dioxide. Malolatic fermentation can improve the taste of wine that has large amounts of malic acids. Malic acids creates an unpleasant, harsh, and bitter taste sensation. All red wines go through malolatic fermentation to lessen the amount of acid in the wine, and to remove the possibility that malic acids may be in the bottle. On the other hand, many white wines do not go through fermentation, because they don’t have a lot of acid. Laboratory Tests. Whether wine is stored in vessels or barrels, tests are done regularly. These tests are done to test sugar level, alcohol level, pH level, and many other factors. Theses tests are performed throughout the making of the wine, from the first step through the last! Blending and Fining Different wines can sometimes be mixed together to achieve the desired taste. This process is as simple as the tests the wine have, every now and then. Fining is removing the chemicals and particles that make the wine cloudy. Gelatin has actually been used in many wines for centuries, as a traditional method for wine fining! Usually, no gelatin actually remains in the wine, as it mixes with other chemicals. Also many fining agents will use milk, eggs, bone char, bulls blood, an animals bladder, honey, and a skim milk powder. Preservatives The most common preservative in winemaking is sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide has one main reason, and that is that its an anti oxidant. If sulfur dioxide is added before alcoholic fermentation, it may damage the effects of oxygen, and the wine will go bad! Without the use of sulfur dioxide, wines will suffer bacterial spoilage. Some winemakers practice natural winemaking where no preservatives are added. The wine is then put in a freezer with the temperature being 5 C. Filtration Filtration in winemaking is used to accomplish two objectives: clarification and stabilization. In clarification, large particles that effect the visual appearance of the wine are removed. In stabilization, organisms that effect the stability are removed, therefore killing all possibilities of the wine going bad. The wine is then put in the refrigerator at a low temperature. Bottling. Finally, the last step in winemaking! A final does of sulfite is added to help preserve the wine and to prevent unwanted fermentation going on in the bottle. Once the wine bottles are filled,, they are traditionally sealed with a cork. The final step is adding a capsule! The wine is now ready to be shipped off, and then sold to buyers that will greatly enjoy the taste! Many people actually don’t know how much work is put into making the wine! That’s why its so expensive, nowadays! I hoped I helped you to understand the process of†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. WINEMAKING!!!!!

Dolly and the New Age of Cloning :: Genetic Engineering Essays

Dolly and the New Age of Cloning The concept of cloning is not new. Organisms ranging from microbes (for example bacteria) and animals (such as aphids and even certain species of shrimp and snails) have practiced asexual reproduction for millions of years, where the offspring are exact duplicates of the parents. It is also not uncommon to encounter identical twins among the more complex life forms like mammals. Twins are in essence clones as they share the same genetic blueprint. What then is so significant about Dolly? In the research paper published by I. Wilmut, W.A. Ritchie, J. McWhir and K.H.S. Campbell (1), Dolly was described as the first known mammal to be cloned by nuclear transfer from a cultured cell line. This technique is revolutionary as it dispelled a dogma in biology that upholds the notion of differentiated cells, being highly specialized, are irreversibly altered to an extent that would render them unable to inter-convert between cell forms (i.e a lymphocyte is not able to produce a nerve cell and vice versa). Dolly is living proof that a differentiated cell, such as one in the udder of sheep, has not only the potential of creating other tissue forms, but the entire living being. The evidence gathered from Dolly also went one step further to establish that organisms produced in such a way were not disadvantaged in their general physiological or reproductive function. Thus the new age of cloning was born with Dolly as its flagship. The success of Dr Ian Wilmut and his team in creating Dolly sparked global interest. This has greatly benefitted science as it has accelerated the rate at which knowledge is assimilated in the field of cloning. Many attempts have been to clone other mammals (for example cows or pigs). However they do not always yield fruitful results. Dolly can be considered to be a success among 277 failures. Indeed of the 277 oocytes used in the experiment, only one yielded a success. The techniques used in cloning would have to be refined before it can be universally applied. We have now uncovered other interesting facts about Dolly and cloning. For example, Dolly is considered to be "older" than her natural counterparts by a measure of the length of her telomeres that was found to be relatively shorter. However Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) of Worcester, Massachusetts, using different techniques than Dr Ian Wilmut and his team, pro duced calves that were found to have longer telomeres (2).

Where Are The Americans?

In spite of the fact that the American Government Led NATO against Serbia and that the American military is here, and their largest military base outside the United States is in Kosova, Kosovars are still asking: â€Å"Where Are The Americans? † Of course, a more complete elaboration on the basic question is: â€Å"Where Are The Americans? Why aren't Americans supporting our full Independence? Why hasn't their government recognized the full Independence of Kosova? Why aren't the big American corporations coming to Kosova? Why do they let the EU run everything in Kosova? Why isn't an American the Special Representative to the Secretary-General of the UN in Kosova? They went against European opposition and convinced NATO to go to war against Serbia and liberate us from oppression, but where are the Americans now? † Certainly the Americans are here, but the answer to many of the questions rests with the Kosova people, and the politics of Europe. Kosova is in Europe, and it is only natural that the European Community has the central concern and input regarding the status of Kosova. Under the current circumstances, any proclamations by the United States would be viewed as interfering with the European Union, and this would be diplomatically improper. Currently, the official communications regarding the situation in Kosova, and the issue of â€Å"final status† is limited to UNMIK and the European Union, as these are the entities that have UN delegated responsibilities regarding Kosova. The Americans are stronger in their influence within KFOR, which is separate from UNMIK Administration. However, when Kosovars clearly declare their Independence from Serbia, and demand that the UN fulfill its obligations in accordance with 1244(1999) for Kosova to have: â€Å".. provisional democratic self-governing institutions to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all inhabitants of Kosovo. † Then, and only then, can the United States and other nations respond to a direct request by Kosovars for support in the establishment of an independent democratic process within Kosova! The Americans and others would then be able to question the EU more directly, as to why the European Union is against the full Independence of Kosova, when the history of the Serbians has been one of repeated aggressions, and an absence of any remorse. It is a logical question to ask, why after so many conflicts and so many losses by the Serbs, does the European Union continue to appease Serbia, rather than imposing harsh consequences? We must learn the process of politics and diplomacy. We have been great leaders and warriors, but we must not forget that we have never had a leader in peace. We are physically and morally strong, we are intelligent but we are not experienced in politics and diplomacy. However, we cannot let this situation continue, and we must now use any and all means to become as effective in Politics and Diplomacy as we have been in war. Kosova's political leaders have been active, but we must accept the reality of Kosovar limitations and ensure that all leaders quickly become truly adept in politics and diplomacy. Another response to â€Å"Where Are The Americans† is that the American people are at home in the United States, working, playing, studying, watching Television, listening to the radio, reading newspapers; and all of these things are being done in English. It is true that there are a few thousand Americans who speak Albanian, but how many are in positions of authority and how many are actually doing anything effective to bring the â€Å"message† the â€Å"truth† about Kosova to the American people? How can the average American care about Kosova, if they know nothing about Kosova? Americans are paying close attention to world events, such as the terror threats and the issue with Iraq, and they are paying attention because they are being communicated to in English. Why should American journalists pay attention to Kosova when anything of importance has to be translated from Albanian to English by them? We speak out, and demonstrate, but nothing is said or written in English. If we want to get Americans interested in Kosova, we must speak and publish in the English language in addition to Albanian. Every key speech given; every key event; every meeting attended must be also presented in English. Our daily newspapers should have at least one page in English presenting all the headlines and a brief about the story, and our television news and key presentations must also be done in English. If we want people to listen to us, then we better speak their language! Our periodicals should contain English features, and every major press release by any organization of influence should be prepared in good English. This last statement is important, for if we present English copy that is poorly done, we will look uneducated in the eyes of those reading the material. In the few instances when our business and/or government organizations have provided English versions, they appear to the reader as having been done by a child just learning to speak and write in English. We must utilize the skills of professional translators in any and all areas that affect our future, especially if we wish to reach and involve the American people. We certainly do not provide a good image if we cannot express crucial issues in good English to the world. In business and politics, it is the English language that predominates, and we better catch up fast! Just about every adult Kosovar knows that the European Union is â€Å"concerned† about the unification of ethnic Albanians; the development of a Kosovar military; and the potential for a significant American business, monetary and political influence in the Balkans. But as long as We Kosovars remain silent in English, and the citizens of America remain ignorant of the truth, the EU has nothing to worry about. In the eyes and minds of Americans, it appears that â€Å"everything is OK† in Kosova, and they believe that if everything is going well, why should Americans continue to support the American Military being in Kosova? Americans believe: If â€Å"everything is OK,† let Europe bear the costs of taking care of Kosova and we can move our troops to where they are needed! American politicians respond to the will of the American people, and Kosova politicians and the Kosovar people need to recognize this fact and reach out to the Heart of the United States, the American people! We must have the courage to make strong and timely Diplomatic moves, such as the publicly restating our Independence, and request direct assistance from particular nations in order to counter the current negative intent and actions of the European Union and Serbia to keep us within and under Serbian Dominance. We Kosovars need to â€Å"wake up, and stand up† and speak out, in a loud, firm, clear and unified English Speaking voice, against the effective Serbian Propaganda, The Manipulation of The Hague, and the Appeasement efforts of the European Union. They are making their propaganda in English, and it must be countered in English!