Paritcipation in Team Sports Essay

PARTICIPATION IN TEAM SPORTS FOSTERS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL The participation in team sports fosters the development of the individual. Not only giving a person an excuse to exercise, team sports have a few other benefits as well for example social, emotional and physical ones. The participation in team sports is important to the development of the individual. It helps your physical and emotional growth and builds valuable social skills. It also helps to build ones character, develops your people skills, teaches perseverance and develops your integrity, giving you moral fibre. Being part of a team you will have to sacrifice and it asks for a great deal of commitment and perseverance. Giving up on spending time in front of the television and spending it at practise is vital for any team’s success. The fact that you have your teammates around you makes the difficult task of sacrifice and attending every practise very easier as you are there to motivate each other. â€Å"I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion†- Anonymous Team sports provide an opportunity to learn discipline, confidence and leadership. It teaches principles such as tolerance, co-operation and respect. Above all it teaches the value of effort and how to manage victory as well as defeat. It will help the individual to also be happy for other player’s successes because they see how it benefits the greater team. The individual will appreciate fair play in their team sport. Playing team sport is the easiest way to stay fit and healthy and still enjoy doing this. Team sport fosters the development of a healthy lifestyle. It is possible to stay fit and healthy playing any sport, but once again having that friend next to you, motivating you through the last twenty metres can definitely not be replaced by any accomplishment in an individual sport. Being part of a team, especially across different cultural barriers can develop and build your character. A team sport can instill core values in an individual, such as, co-operation, sharing and respect. It helps a person connect with others and accept each other for who they are, despite the fact of being different and making mistakes on the field. To be an individual on the sports field can never beat the sensation of belonging to a team. That is why I know that the development of an individual can only increase in a team sport. As we have all heard so many times: There is no â€Å"I† in team. Working together is fun. So, join the team and develop every aspect of your life, while having fun and not being lonely and all by yourself.

Comparative Annual Report Essay

All listed companies must prepare and publish their annual report for each end of every financial year. Bursa Malaysia Berhad and Central Bank of Malaysia require business entities to submit annual report. Annual reports are intended to give shareholders and other interested people information about the company’s activities and financial performance. It is general documents that give shareholders an idea of the condition of the company as a whole. The Securities Commission makes public companies disclose certain information to the shareholders of the company. It will create a standardized method that investors can use to evaluate the potential of a company. The purpose of this project is to analyze the annual reports between two industries. For our project paper, we have focus on services and plantation industries and compared two annual reports for the year 2009 between. This comparison would describe about these two industries; what is the similarities disclosure and differences disclosure between services and plantation industries besides the implication of disclosure and presentation of financial reporting. The aims of comparative between two annual report is to strengthen and enhance the understandability on how these companies present the information in their annual report to internal and external users. All information should be honest and forthcoming. It is to emphasize on the particular industries, including background of the company. Besides that it has emphasize on applicable statutory requirements, corporate governance, and voluntary disclosure on corporate social responsibility and environment issues into these two different industries. Furthermore, analyzed the similarities and differentiation of statutory requirement applies by both companies. And find out whether these two companies have complied in corporate governance and discuss the application of corporate social responsibility and environmental issues.

Stop Book Banning

Stop Book Banning! Should school administrators be allowed to ban books? Of course not! They are abusing their power of having the right to teach children. They want to ban a book just because it shows the true past of America, which some students cannot handle. They should not shield the past; if anything they should tell everything about the past and explain to the students why the events occurred. They should understand why America did the things it did so that they will not be ashamed of the country that they live in and they can then defend their country to anybody trying to put it down.One reason administrators should not be allowed to ban books is because it takes the right and freedom to choose what is read, away from the parents and students. Doesn’t it say in the first amendment that all people have the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press? By writing a book you are expressing and sharing your opinions which is exercising the freedom of speech, and by putti ng your words down on paper, you are exercising your freedom of the press. Why then are the school administrators trying to take our rights away from us?What makes them think they have the right to take away our freedoms given to us from the first amendment of the Constitution? The article â€Å"Book Banning Efforts are Up, Poll Finds† by Hillel Italie, says, ‘â€Å"It all stems from a fearfulness of well-meaning people,† said Michael Gorman, president of the library association. â€Å"We believe in parental responsibility, and that you should take care of what your children are reading. But it’s not your responsibility to tell a whole class of kids what they should read. ’ This is saying that yes you do have the right to decide what your kid reads, however you cannot decide what other kids should read. This also applies to the administrators. They can decide what their kid can read, but they cannot decide what an entire school can or cannot read. Another reason to not ban books is because it prevents kids from learning. How can we learn about the past and the way America was back when the great American authors wrote, when the administrators take away the books that teach us this, preventing us from learning?How can we learn of the language of the olden days when we cannot read this language? How are we supposed to learn the history of our ancestors and their ancestors when there is a possibility that administrators will ban the book that will help us do so? Why are the people of America letting these administrators get away with this cruel and unjust act? The article â€Å"Let Me Poison My Mind with Books† by Craig Pearson states, â€Å"Just like muscles, the brain requires pushups.The more ideas we expose ourselves to the more we devise our own. That’s why education, and thus reading, is so essential, even if by some people’s account what we read is dirty. † People should be able to choose for t hemselves what they read, and nobody else should be able to tell them differently. One person reads a book and learns something from that particular book. However, another person can read the exact same book and learn something completely different from what the first person learned.Why should this fact of life and learning be taken away because one person reads a book, learns something they don’t like from it, and then proceeds to take that book away from others, even though they will most likely learn something different then what the person trying to ban the book learned? The reason for the first person trying to ban the book could be something that another reader does not even notice or care about and it therefore does not impact them. So why are people so worried? One argument to my case could be that some people feel that these books should be banned to protect students from indecent and controversial material.But why should books be banned to protect one student in a s chool of hundreds, when none of the other kids or their parents feels that they need that kind of protection? You can not protect one kid from material if it means preventing others from that material. Instead, the kid who needs â€Å"protecting† should learn to protect themselves and choose not to read that material that could be harmful to him/her. Students need to learn to make decisions for themselves and banning material from a library is in no way helping them learn for themselves.If they are sheltered their whole life then what is going to happen when they embrace the real world? In the article â€Å"Did You Ever Meet a Book You Didn’t Like? † by Sharon Coatney, she says, â€Å"That being said, books are meant to be chosen carefully. Some titles are appropriate in one situation and not in another, for one child and not another. † I think she says it beautifully. Every kid needs to look at the book, asses it, and make sure it is something that they can and want to read. Each book that is made has a purpose.This could mean that that book is meant to be read by a certain kid at a certain point in their life so as to help guide that kid through life. All books have the chance to influence a kid’s life, so why would administrators want to prevent the book from somehow helping someone? Why can’t the administrators put themselves in our shoes? If the roles were reversed they would feel the same as we do. Why then do they have no compassion? Why can’t they do for us what we would do for them? The saying goes, â€Å"Treat others the way you want to be treated. † Young children can do it. Why can’t we?

Report of what I did last week Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report of what I did last week - Essay Example This communication was critical because it enhanced the speed of activities and ensuring that each group member was aware of his or her role. Project development was characterized by discussion of the outline discussion and preparation. An outline is crucial in any project because it ensures that participants cover all the necessary parts without leaving necessary parts out. I decided to do opening statement and purpose. The opening statement will enable potential clients to identify project benefits in addition to attracting and maintaining their attention. I suggested and designed a help page for the project. A help page is the page in an application that enables clients to find assistance from the administrators of the application through asking questions. The primary purpose of the help page is to enable clients fully comprehend how the tool works. I volunteered to design this page. Customers will have more interest in using our application tool because they are guaranteed of help when they need it. During project commencement this week, I persuaded group members to create time for more meetings sessions than normal. I believed that the more the number of meeting sessions, the faster would be the duration for project completion. Through encouraging group members to meet regularly, I made vital contribution particularly ensuring that the project was completed within the predetermined period of time. The tool we are currently developing is new and unique; no one within our group has the idea of its components. My friend John had the original idea of this application. I supported him in understanding and developing the main components of the tool. We decided to divide the work among the group members. Division of work is important in any project because it enhances the speed of completion. Division of work will also encourage specialization with its associated perfectionism, motivation to work, and improved quality since each group member will be

Prison Gangs and Security Threat Groups Research Paper

Prison Gangs and Security Threat Groups - Research Paper Example The research paper "Prison Gangs and Security Threat Groups" establishes the connection between gangs and immigration pointing out how many gangs are non-American in origin and argues that the policy of keeping illegal immigrants in jail has had tremendous social ramifications, one of which is the creation and flourishing of prison gangs. Prison gangs and security threat groups are made up of immigrants – particularly those coming from Latin American countries like Mexico, Puerto Rico and Colombia. A good example from the Florida Bureau of Corrections information website is the Neta, whose membership is made up of Hispanics, primarily those of Puerto Rican descent. They are involved in the drug trade and are often engaged to perform acts of violence, also known as â€Å"hits†. Another example is the Black Guerrilla family, which is made up of blacks and actually is the most political of the gangs, with an anti-racism agenda and a Marxist-Maoist-Leninist ideology. From Mexico, one has the La Nuestra Familia and the Mexican Mafia. The La Nuestra Familia is made up of rural Mexicans, while the Mexican Mafia is made up of urban Mexicans. Both have a deep hatred for each other. In fact, it is said that the Nuestra Familia was formed to protect against the Mexican Mafia. All of these gangs have similar charact eristics: violent methods, a clear hierarchy and structure, and recruitment within the jails. But perhaps the inspiration for these gangs and the most well-known security threat group is none other than the Italian mafia.

Resume For A Job Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Resume For A Job - Essay Example My success earned me inclusion on the team attending IAAPA to give input based on this market research to the team responsible for negotiating and closing the purchases of hundreds of gaming machines. With this experience, I gained the know-how for creating an effective marketing strategy and also managed to find out what the next big arcade game was. During summer 2012 I obtained an AA degree in Business and CIS in addition to the Magna Cum Laude honor and Phi Theta Kappa Recognition. I continued my education for a Bachelors degree of Science in Business at John Hopkins University. Throughout my studies, I devoted my time to studying American politics, business, and culture. I took the time to broaden my marketing knowledge, learn about information technology in business, improved my communication abilities and learned how to relate electronic tools to business. I can use these skills to assist me in my next position. In the summer of 2011, I volunteered at Silicon Valley Home Owner to assist the impoverished in applying to own a house. I also interviewed many people and gave out food stamps where the situation required it. I had to talk with close to 50 people each day. Because of the constant work, I had to manage my time so that I could help out each person who needed it. During high school, I was the president of the student body government. One of my duties was to preside over the weekly meeting. I also managed yearly events such as competitions to do with sports, education, and environmental concerns. Furthermore, I was the President of UNICEF at De Anza College. I held charity competitions for basketball and soccer in and around the Bay area. I managed to raise $5,000 and then I donated it to UNICEF. I believe that these experiences, as the president of a big organization, extended my abilities. I was able to overcome the expectations that were placed on me by creating a conducive environment where it was easy to achieve goals.

Lead Paint and Crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lead Paint and Crime - Research Paper Example Statistics indicate that approximately 38 million houses In the US were painted before the 1978 ban on lead paints (Seymour, 2010). This paper is a critical evaluation of Lead poisoning and its contribution towards antisocial behavior. Lead Poisoning Painting is a technical process, which ensures that an end product such as a house, vehicle, furniture, toys among others, get an appealing look, which is important while dealing with the dynamic nature of tastes and preferences in different individuals. However, not many people take time to question the integrity of the paints being used to satisfy their requirements either due to ignorance or due to sheer lack of interest. However, it is also common to find that in urban areas, where majority of people live in rental houses, it is difficult to establish the type of paint that has been used on the walls or other painted surfaces. Such people are susceptible to Lead poisoning especially if they are living in houses painted using Lead bas ed paints. Small children living in such surroundings are the worst affected especially if the paint has already started peeling off to the ground. This is due to the fact that they are identifiable with the habit of collecting and feeding on anything that comes their way especially while they are crawling on the floor (Seymour, 2010). The paint particles disintegrate into smaller particles after which they mix with the dust on the floor such that it becomes easy for the whole household to inhale them without noticing. In addition, the peelings from the roof and the walls can find their way onto the food and water that is not well covered after which unsuspecting persons can ingest them thereby putting them at risk. It is therefore not a wonder to find that CDC estimates indicate that more than 250000 children in the US suffered from Lead poisoning between 1997 and 2009. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), Lead concentration in the blood is considered dan gerous if it exceeds 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood. Lead is tasteless and it does not contain any peculiar smell and therefore, it is not easy for a layman to identify it. In addition, people who have ingested it do not show immediate signs and symptoms, which can trigger the urgency to seek medical attention. Instead, it continues to accumulate in the blood system and the bones thereby causing a slow progressive damage to vital organs in the body of the victim until such time when the body begins to react negatively to the poisoning. During this time, the affected person begins to portray symptoms such as; memory loss, erectile dysfunction, kidney failure, and muscle pains (Fancher, 2010). The affected person may also experience constant headaches, depression, and loss of appetite among others, which are common in adults. Young children exhibit some of the above mentioned symptoms and others such as vomiting, abdominal pains, mental disabilities and retarded growth whereby t he child takes long to master basic techniques such as talking. In general, Lead poisoning is highly damaging to some of the most important organs in a human body such as; the brain, kidney, the nervous system as well as the blood. Blood is highly important as it facilitates the transportation of oxygen to the brain and extreme organs such as the limbs (Fancher, 2010). Lead in the blood

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Tools and Techniques Essay

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Tools and Techniques - Essay Example This is a change from the 30 responses required last year. III. There are 13 capabilities described by the author that must be delivered by BI platform. These 13 capabilities can be classified into 3 categories of functionality Integration Information delivery Analysis 1. INTEGRATION BI Infrastructure All tools, interfaces and applications in the platform should have same look and feel. Metadata Management The platform should have the ability to store, search, and capture and reuse the formats, measures, dimensions and report layouts. Development Tools It should provide programmatic development tools and visual development environment to facilitate scheduling, delivering, administering and managing. Collaboration It deals with sharing and discussing information throughout the organization. 2. INFORMATION DELIVERY Reporting It facilitates the reporting procedure by developing formatted and interactive reports in various dimensions (financial, operational, managerial, etc) Dashboards T his is a subset of reporting having the ability to publish web-based reports with interactive tools for display. Ad hoc Query This enables the user to ask their own questions and data queries rather than IT created reports. Microsoft Office Integration Integration with Microsoft tools, formats and formulas is necessary item to be provided. Search-Based BI Application of search index to both structured and unstructured data sources and their mapping enable user to search from (Google-like) interface. 3. ANALYSIS OLAP This enables user to analyze data with extremely fast query and calculation performance making analysis style of ‘slicing and dicing’ possible. Interactive Visualization It includes display of data in a more effective way using charts, tables and other formats. Predictive modeling and Data Mining It helps to classify categorical variables and continuous variables using advance mathematical techniques. Scorecards It implies the use of performance management m ethodology like six sigma and it involves analysis and comparisons. PART B 1. IBM (Cognos) solution has a broad functional footprint and is reporting-centric. It follows ‘information versus an applications agenda’. Information Builders’ WebFOCUS product has a very consumer-centric approach and is found to be as one of the industry's easiest-to-use solutions. It offers integrated search, mobile, use of rich Internet applications and mashups, predictive analytics, data discovery, and visualization but they lack self-service support, ad-hoc analysis, and OLAP capabilities. Microsoft offers low price but they do not provide a road map. MicroStrategy specializes in running deployments on top of large enterprise data warehouses tackling large volumes of data. Oracle offers domain-specific and prepackaged solutions. SAP offers data warehousing, text analytics, on-demand BI, search coupled with BI, metadata, data lineage and impact analysis, and data quality. SAS focuses on forecasting, predictive modeling, and optimization, as well as its investments in data discovery and visualization. QlikTech offers low-cost deployments. Tibco products have unique architecture, combining analytics and interactive

GenerationY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GenerationY - Essay Example One of the ways of showing this is by talking freely. However, the talk is limited to telling jokes. In as much as it portrays the sense of showing composition, it may be intimidating to some interviewers. Some interviews see it as one being arrogant and out of context. In order to avoid this, the individual should stick to the business of the day and answer according to the questions asked (Meagan & Larry, 2010). Another behavior to avoid is speaking too much about the previous place that the person worked. Questions may come relating to the previous work places that the individual worked. The interviewee in the process may over emphasize the success he had in his previous contract. When the interviewee talks a lot about the experience and the success, the interviewer may conclude that the interviewee is not over the previous work place. In addition to this, it may show that he is expecting similar treatment that he received from his previous job. This may not be a good move especially when the previous job was from a better firm as compared to the one he is applying for presently (Meagan & Larry, 2010). Generation Y individuals should avoid making promises during the interview concerning the amount of work that they are willing to do. These kinds of statements portray the act of being over confident in the job. Over confidence in the job may results to poor performance ultimately. They may also appear as if he is judging those working currently at those positions as being lazy and unproductive. In addition, these statements may also sound insulting to the firm, as the whole administration will be in question about how well they ensure that their workers do their job correctly (Meagan & Larry, 2010). In the event that the interviewer poses attack on the interviewee, the interviewee should desist from getting very defensive in the process. Most of Generation Y individuals did not face a lot of confrontation during their earlier years.

Of Mice and Men Main Question Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men Main Question Essay The question we are focussing on throughout the whole essay, which is the main theme, is whether Curleys wife is a victim in the story or a tramp. The two different sides of Curleys wife are hard to determine in Steinbecks Mice and Men, as she tends to swap roles from time to time. At points in the story we have reason to believe that that she is a victim, from the way she feels about Curley and her unattained future, which I will explore further on in the essay. I will also put across my points on how she can be a corrupting tramp by exploring her physical appearance, body language and other characters opinions of her. From Steinbecks letter we can see that she couldnt really trust anyone from a young age because every time she trusted in anyone she got hurt. This shows her innocent side. There are not many points in Steinbecks letter that show that she is a corrupting tramp as he tends to mainly focus on her innocent side and he goes through all the times she got hurt and why she got hurt. I will now go on to explain my points in further detail. In this section I will explain how Curleys wife could be an innocent victim in her life and in the eyes of others. She is the victim of the American Dream, her desire to go to Hollywood and be an actress, which was a dream that she could not fulfil because of her mother denying her to leave at such a young age. On page 125 she proves that she really could have been an actress by the text stated She made a small grand gesture with her arm and hand to show that she could act. The fingers trailed after her leading wrist, and her little finger stuck out grandly from the rest. This small quote shows how talented she could have been and it makes you feel heartbroken that she couldnt fulfil her dream. From then on she has been crestfallen and cannot trust anyone, this shows her innocent side. She was told by a man that he could put her in the movies; she was thrilled as she wanted to be a famous actress and be sexy like Jean Harlow and Marilyn Monroe but when her mother said she couldnt go she opted for an easier option to get out of where she was by marrying Curley. She says in the text on page 125 I dont like curley, he aint a nice fella which proves that she was forced to get married to him as it was the last option. Because Curley was the easiest and possibly the last option, he didnt actually love her and just wanted to use her. She knew this and even though he treated her badly, she couldnt leave him as she did love him. Even if she didnt she had nowhere else to go so she was basically trapped in her own home. Her life with Curley is miserable which makes her even more upset about not being able to fulfil her dream and have freedom. In the story she confesses to Lennie the one thing that shes never confessed to anyone, that she doesnt actually like Curley and that she cant escape for fear of what might happen. You can see from this that she just needs someone to talk to as she is so lonely and cant really confide or talk to Curley about anything. The people on the ranch give her the same amount of respect that Curley does. When they call her or see her around the ranch they dont associate her with her own name, to them shes just Curleys wife and they call her Jailbait and Good looking. You can tell she gets frustrated by having no one to talk to when she gets angry on page 123 and says Whats the matter with me? Aint I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am anyways? In the story we dont even find out what her name is which shows how much attention she gets for her looks instead of her personality which is where she wants most attention. From this we can see that she just wants someone to talk to. On the other hand there are main features we can see in the text that describe her to seem like a corrupting tramp. Looking at the way Steinbeck describes her physical appearance we can see how at first impressions she would come across as sluttish. For a start, he describes her outfit. On page 53 when she first appears the first impression would definitely come across as tramp- like as he says She had full rouged lips and wide spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. She wore a cotton dress and red mules. On the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers. The dress and feather shoes give us a glance of how she wants to accentuate her body and her legs and its almost like shes trying to prove that she could be a famous model and have pictures taken of her if shed have had the chance to. The colour of the dress and shoes are red which propose danger as we usually approach red as a threatening colour. So from the start we can she that she is going to be trouble for George and especially Lennie due to previous circumstances with him and a girl. Her hair is described as ringlets like sausages which is good use of foreshadowing as Lennie is described as an animal, and food is used as bait for animals therefore she literally is Jailbait. She wears lots of makeup to accentuate her facial features; this is another reason why she could be a corrupting tramp. The first time she walks into the ranch she leans against the door and leans forward to show off her body to Lennie and George, on page 53 Steinbeck states She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward. With her accentuated make up and clothing she fails to receive a notice for her feelings and for her emotions and they only concentrate on the way she looks which tells George from the start that she is going to be trouble as she throws herself forward too much for attention. In the way she speaks you can hear the sexiness and huskiness of her voice, as described on page 53 when Steinbeck says Her voice had a nasal, brittle quality which shows us that she wants to entice people or entrance them. To conclude I think it is important to include the death scene where Steinbeck describes her as being free and innocent after her death. He describes her in a child like form and finally being beautiful and achieving everything she needed to achieve because she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. This really finalises my decision for her being innocent because it shows that she really wasnt ever, or didnt ever mean to be, a corrupting tramp. Her excuse for wearing slutty and provocative clothes could be because she wanted love and affection which she couldnt get from her own, broken relationship with Curley. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it wasnt her fault. My conclusion is that I think she is innocent because of previous points that I have made and stated.

Role Of Extra Regional Powers In The Indian Ocean Region

Role Of Extra Regional Powers In The Indian Ocean Region Zone of Peace. There have been numerous attempts to declare IOR as a Zone of Peace dating back to 1971. Various meetings to work out the modalities have been fruitless. Former United States, Secretary of State, Madeline Albright had said that the efforts to make the Indian Ocean Region a Zone of Peace should be disbanded because the region has too many states whose interests are far too varied and the IOR states maintain more important relations with foreign states than within themselves  [1]  . 2. Having seen the strategic relevance of IOR in Chapter 2, let us now analyse the role and interest of a few important extra-regional powers. USA 3. Genesis of Americas Role. The US strategic presence in the Indian Ocean Region grew with the process of decolonisation in IOR. The 1973 Arab-Israel war and the subsequent oil embargo resulted in strong efforts being made ensure oil traffic and price security. In his State of the Union Address on 23 Jan 1980, President Carter asserted that, Any attempt by an outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the USA, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force  [2]  . 4. US Naval Presence. The US Navy maintains a permanent presence of between 15 to 35 warships in the Indian Ocean at any given time. The US Fifth Fleet is based at Bahrain. Besides, the Fifth Fleet, the Sixth Fleet of the USCENTCOM and the Seventh Fleet of the USPACCOM are readily available to augment forces in the Indian Ocean  [3]  . US Pacific and Central Command 5. Interests. US role and policy in the IOR depends on fulfilling the following self-interests:- (a) Energy Security. (b) Economic Security. (c) Restrict Chinas influence in IOR. (d) Support/Basing facilities for War against Terror. (e) Strategic Partnership with India. United Kingdom 6. British Territory. In 1965, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was formed out of individual groups of islands in the Western and Central Indian Ocean. In 1966, Diego Garcia was leased to US  [4]  . The British Royal Navy however maintains a permanent presence in the Persian Gulf in the form of multinational forces, UN Peace-keeping duties, and a Naval and Marine detachment at Diego Garcia. 7. Interests. Economically, the region is vital to UK being the source of about 40% of its oil supplies and an important supplier of non-ferrous metal imports. However there is no intention to maintain naval presence in the region though it is militarily supporting US policies in the region  [5]  . France 8. French Indian Ocean Territories. France possesses a large number of strategically located islands in the Western Indian Ocean, the largest of these being Le Reunion and Mayotte islands. France maintains a sizeable force in the IOR, comprising of about 10,000 men and 20 warships. Additionally, Djibouti is a major logistics base for French naval forces deployed from the Atlantic and Mediterranean commands. Owing to the islands, France considers herself to be a regional power in the Indian Ocean, rather than an extra -regional one. Consequently, France is a member of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), an organisation for regional cooperation, which includes Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros. Frances deep involvement in the Indian Ocean is also evident from her defence agreements with Djibouti, Comoros, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Madagascar and Mauritius  [6]  . Reunion Headquarters of French Forces in the Indian Ocean 9. French Interests. The French EEZ in the Indian Ocean amounts to a approximately 2  ½ million square kilometres, which is more than a quarter of the total French EEZ. Consequently, French naval activity in the waters of the Indian Ocean represents about 30 percent of the total French maritime activity. The French Indian Ocean territories are of strategic significance as they are on the cross roads of major commercial maritime traffic. There is extensive fishing, meteorological and geophysical research activity being undertaken by the French in these regions. France depends on West Asian oil and has trade interests with various littorals  [7]  . Japan 10. Japans proactive role in IOR is pre-requisite to Japan not only for its global status but also vital for its economic interests, especially since the sub-region is the source and transit for its energy lifeline. It is also wary of Chinas domination in South China Sea. 11. JMSDF is a large force which enforces a maritime control zone up to 1000 nm, thereby adequately addressing its security concerns and ensuring the protection of its EEZ assets. However, due to the constraint posed by the Japanese Constitution, it has been unable to assist the sub-region to secure the sea-lines against non- traditional threats. Japans commitment to Southeast Asia has thus been limited to financial and technological assistance for navigational safety and prevention of pollution  [8]  . 12. However, Japan is now actively considering a Constitutional review to break free from the legal handicap, including in terms of collective-security. This would make Japan more militarily assertive and enable it to safeguard its vital security interests in Southeast Asia  [9]  . Japan also recognises Indias strategic location in IOR and understands the vital role that India can play in securing its SLOCs. Russia 13. During Cold war, erstwhile USSR succeeded in gaining access to several bases in the IOR for forward basing and gathering intelligence. Infact, the number of Soviet bases and ships often exceeded those of US. Although it did have a lull period post 1992-1993, she still enjoys diplomatic relations with most of the littorals in IOR. These relations have great potential for cooperation in high technology, oil and gas pipelines. 14. Interests. The Indian Ocean Region is a vital link for Russia because it provides an all weather route for Russia between her Eastern and Western provinces. Besides Russia has security and trading interests in the northern reaches of the Indian Ocean. It also wants to maintain bases in the IOR to be able to influence world opinion in its favour. China 15. Chinese Influences. Over the years China has been widening her influence in the region. Today, China imports 32 percent of its oil needs, 58 % of which comes from Middle East. This figure is expected to double by 2012 with almost 70% oil requirement being met from Middle East  [10]  . Chinese state owned oil corporations are acquiring oil assets in Australia, Indonesia, Central Asia and Africa. The relationship between China and Myanmar (Communication facilities at Coco Islands, Sittwe Naval base), Bangladesh (Modernisation of Chittaong harbour), Sri Lanka (Construction of Hambantota harbour), Maldives (Submarine base) and Pakistan (Deep Sea port at Gwadar) have a strategic intention to strategically encircle India through String of Pearl  [11]  . The establishment of a free trade area with ASEAN countries is another important consideration. 16. Chinese Interests. Chinese interests in the IOR are growing and can be summarised as follows  [12]  :- (a) Containment of India. The efforts to contain India both economically and geopolitically, because it is the only regional nation that can pose a threat to its expansionist tendency in future. (b) Second Strike Capability. To maintain a second strike capability in the Indian Ocean. (c) Counter US Threat. To monitor activities in the Indian Ocean and counter increased US presence in the region. (d) Secured Oil Supply. Chinas energy needs are being fulfilled by import from Persian Gulf. Hence it is significant for China to safeguard these supply lines. Prognosis of Extra-Regional Influences 17. Indian Ocean region is potentially the most volatile and significant area, where the interests of the world powers are merging. All extra-regional powers have concerns over their energy security coming from Persian Gulf and through various choke points. The security of sea lanes against the threat of piracy and maritime terrorism is another threat. Additionally, these powers do not want the others to grow powerful by influencing the littorals in the IOR. And a few, such as France also need to maintain territorial integrity of their interests in IOR. 18. India has a geographically advantageous position in the IOR and finds herself in a position where she has to perform a balancing act to protect her interests in the region, which are vital to her progress and deal with the presence of extra regional powers. End Notes