Who Is Friedrich Nietzsche Can A Man Born In 1844 Really Tell Us Anyt

Who is Friedrich Nietzsche? Can a man born in 1844 really tell us anything of relevance in the twenty-first century? To simply say Nietzsche was a German philosopher would be an injustice... let's stay clear of labels, I'll simply describe Nietzsche as a man with an incredible metal penetration of situations covering all walks of life... Friedrich Nietzsche challenged the foundations of traditional morality and Christianity. He believed in life, creativity, health, and the realities of the world we live in, rather than those situated in a world beyond. Central to Nietzsche's philosophy is the idea of life-affirmation, which involves an honest questioning of all doctrines which drain life's energies, however socially prevalent those views might be. Often referred to as one of the first existentialist philosophers, Nietzsche has inspired leading figures in all walks of cultural life, including dancers, poets, novelists, painters, psychologists, philosophers, sociologists and social rev olutionaries. We have all bought into or been influenced by whatever we have been exposed to and taught. Some philosophers have attempted to get away from these influences by denying all. Nietzsche encourages us to look at past philosophers and to reevaluate our beliefs and values, and to question their origin. To attempt to understand why we philosophize as we do, and to think that perhaps the thinkers before us were still so influenced that What philosophers create is a world that satisfies the 'desire of the heart' their 'reasons' come later. (pg.550) Philosophers attempt to create the world in their own image. Everyone has a dissatisfaction w/ life - a desire to define good and evil, to know what satisfaction is - and N. is attempting to get us to deny this dissatisfation - to ask ourselves if we would be ok w/ this 'eternal recurrance'... do you think that our current craze of political correctness, our frenzy to decide what is good and what would be satisfying to the whole would be agreeable to N.? I don't think that it would. Let us attempt to do away with our dissatisfaction and get beyond the good and evil. Let us stop attempting to make other worlds better than this one, both politically and spiritually. Amour Fati! Our whole system of living is a fallacy; falsities and hypocrisies are inherent in its very core, yet we continue to live unsatisfactory lives, each with our personal life philosophies that get us though the years. Isn't it incredible that people can live with an intrinsic set of values judging right and wrong, and a feeling of purpose without really comprehending and penetrating their thoughts to the deepest depths. Amongst this herd of the unconscious are those whom would seek mental stimulation through renowned works. It amazes me that somebody could walk into Waterstone, Dillons or any other bookshop, purchase a book by say, Friedrich Nietzsche... read it... place it back on the bookshelf... then return to a normal life. Are the words too threatening to the self, or does this type of reader really see nothing to be learned? If the words are read so as to be understood then life is thrown upside down, there is a violent realisation of a world free from the bonds of ideology, or as Nietzsche would put it - a great separation.

College Essay Samples - Makes Your Writing Basics Easier

College Essay Samples - Makes Your Writing Basics EasierWriting an essay in college is no small task. If you have never thought about how much time it takes to write a college essay, I am pretty sure you will be surprised. What would happen if you put all the college essay samples in a bowl and stir them up? It would not be pretty!So, why is it so hard to compose an essay on your own? I will tell you why; you probably just haven't found a way to compose your own essays. Many students have studied grammar and style for years and are starting to realize that they need to be taught a few new things.If you look at the writing assignments given to your at the beginning of your college career, you will notice that there are usually three. The topics vary, but they are all very simple. The first question is usually asked, 'what is your major?' Your major should not be your title, but instead your topic.That topic should be your overall theme. As you go through college, you should find out m ore about your theme and try to pinpoint what makes you happy, and what makes you angry.You also need to figure out your emotions about the topic you chose, but that should be a general idea of what you think or feel about that topic. That will be the topic you are going to study in your first couple of college classes.It's amazing how much reading you do, and how much writing you do before your professor gives you your essay. It's too bad, because most students don't know how to format their own essays! A college essay sample may help you to save time and to learn how to properly format your own essay.One thing to remember when looking for college essay samples is that they should be set up in such a way that it should not take more than a few minutes to complete. Even though you will most likely spend a great deal of time on this assignment, it will be worth it in the end.

Geography Fieldwork. To Delimit the Central Business District of Newcastle upon Tyne Essay Example

Geography Fieldwork. To Delimit the Central Business District of Newcastle upon Tyne Essay Example Geography Fieldwork. To Delimit the Central Business District of Newcastle upon Tyne Essay Geography Fieldwork. To Delimit the Central Business District of Newcastle upon Tyne Essay Newcastle is located in the north East of England (as shown in map 1). Newcastle upon Tyne is located in between Sunderland and Northumberland and is situated along the River Tyne. Newcastle is a major commercial and retail city but it has not always been. In the medieval period and late 18th century Newcastle had a totally different function as a city. Today where the current Quayside stands used for Leisure and Entertainment purposes was previously used as a port for Import, Export and Travel purposes.From on the banks beside the Quayside, mainly St Nicholas Street and Dean Street was previously used fore Defense as Gallagate city walls and the Castle or situated at the top of these. Now this area is also used for Leisure and Entertainment. Markets were also used such as the Groat, Bigg, Cloth, Green and Grainger markets and today these are still used as Retail (Markets) ands also Entertainment (such as the pubs and nightclubs situated along the Bigg Market).For use to be able to d elimit the CBD we must first be able to see some characteristics of a Central Business District or CBDs. In a CBD we would expect to find taller buildings than in a residential or industrial area. This is Due to the fact that land values in the CBD would be high due to competition for space. Also we would expect to see traffic restrictions such as One-Way streets, No parking, No entry and Bus lanes only. Also there would be some pediestrianised areas and Specialist and Department stores in the CBD. You would also find few or no residential areas in the CBD.Aim.My Aim is to Delimit the Central Business District of Newcastle Upon Tyne by using four methods of data collection; land use ratio, building height, traffic restrictions and pedestrian counts.Method.Because we had such a short time to collect our results in we were split into groups and designated different streets to collect data on. For our methods of data collection we used land use ratio, building height, traffic restricti ons and pedestrian counts on main streets in Newcastle upon Tyne.For our land use ratio method of collection we firstly had to work out land uses of the individual buildings in Newcastle. We did this by using goad maps of Newcastle and we used a key of S for shops and O for offices. We had to decide what exactly was a shop or an office. We only used the ground floor land use and we came to a decision that if something that want obviously a shop such as a coffee shop then if it sold something it was a shop e.g.; a travel agents. We decided that pubs and derelict buildings would be under that category of other and anything else e.g.; bank would be classed as a office. We then took this key and walked around Newcastle plotting our results on a goad map.For our building height method of collection we simply took a goad map and at each building on the street in Newcastle we counted the number of floors from the outside of the building and wrote them down on the map. For our traffic restr ictions we also used a goad map and we simply walked down each street in Newcastle and looked about for any traffic restrictions including double and single yellow lines, pedestrianised areas, one way streets, bus only lanes, no entry and no parking signs.For our pedestrian counts we simply took a point on every street and for 5 minutes counted the number of people walking past us. We only did this for the people closest to us as anything else would lead to confusion. We then wrote the number down on the map.We used this methods of data collection because these were the most accurate, the fastest and the easiest methods to use. As we only had roughly three hours to complete the method of collection in we needed the quickest way to do this. We also had to take into account some of the physical boundaries of Newcastle to decide on where to collect out data. We could not make our data collection any further North than the Town moor as this is a section of greenbelt land stops us collec tion any data from here. We could only go as far East as the A167M Central Motorway as this prevents us from taking any collections from there. We could not go any further South because of the River Tyne, which prevents us getting any data further. We could not go any further West than St James Boulevard, which prevents us getting any data further.Results.As we were in groups we only had a map of the streets our group was doing. When we got back to class we had to put all our results together on one single map. We did this still using Goad maps.For our land values map we colored in the individual building using a color key as follows. Green was representing a other category building e.g.; derelict land, Red representing a shop e.g.; a coffee shop and blue representing a office e.g.; lawyers. We then looked at the map and from where the colors were situated we were able to work out a CBD. Where the ratio of shops to offices where 3:1 we took that as the CBD. We were able to draw our first CBD outline from this map. We excluded areas such as from out CBD because there were more offices than shops here.For our building height weFor our traffic restriction map we simply drew on any traffic restriction we had recorded such as double yellow lines we marked on the street two yellow lines running the same length as they did. We marked on all traffic restrictions with their correct sign on a goad map. We were then able to work out a CBD from this by the key and seeing where the traffic restrictions became less frequent. Where there were a high number of traffic restrictions we classed this as the CBD.For our pedestrian count we simply wrote the number of people on a goad map where we stopped to do our pedestrian count. We could then see where the numbers of people decreased this is where we drew our CBD boundary.Analysis.For us to have one final CBD boundary we first needed to make a CBD outline from our data collection seperatly. We did this an the CBD outlines were n ot the same for each. This is because different things were affectng this as they were seperate methods of collection. We first did our CBDs seperatly. This excluded nearly all the same streets such as Strawberry Place, Forth Street, Durant Road and Sandyford Road. This was because from this point on many of the factors were decreasing such as building height and the number of pedestrians in the area.Conclusion.We have been able to delimit the CBD sucsessfully. Because we worked as a group and as seperate groups we had to come to decisions about certian factors and i think that out ideas were not all the same. For example when we disscused the isssue of land use in class we desided on that shops would include anything that sold somthing so a travel agents could also come into this catagory because they sold holidays. But when we got back into the classroom someone had said that travel agents was an office so some people may have coloured in the wrong thing. This also happened with p ubs because some people were putting them under the catagory of shop insted of Other. This was only confusion in the land use and no other catagory.Limitations.Some of the problems with the way we collected the data are that we only looked at the land use of the bottom floor while some buildings had a shop or other building on top of it.When we did our land uses we all had different ideas of what was a shop and a office. To improve this we could have wrote it down exactly to aviod confucion. Also when we did our pedestrian counts it was hard to keep an accurate count on a busy street and confusion occured because people were walking past you in different directions. With our building height counts you cannot always tell how many floors the acctuall building had as we were just counting the windows on the building and some floors ay not have had windows where we were counting.The way were presented the data was also a problem. For example on out pedesrian counts it was hard to tell t he nubers on the map because we had wroye them quite small and there was no colour on the map to immidiatly see where the higher or lower numbers were. Other methods we could have used to extend and collect our data could be land values for the CBD but we could not do this as the land values are hard to obtain. We also could have used traffic counts but as we did not have ver much time we exclued this as this would have been time consuming and hard.

15 Foreign Words and Phrases People Spell Incorrectly

15 Foreign Words and Phrases People Spell Incorrectly 15 Foreign Words and Phrases People Spell Incorrectly 15 Foreign Words and Phrases People Spell Incorrectly By Mark Nichol Here are some problematic frequently misspelled words and phrases of foreign extraction: 1. A capella: The Italian phrase, literally â€Å"in chapel style† but meaning â€Å"without instrumental accompaniment,† is two words. 2. Apropos: The French phrase for â€Å"to the purpose,† and meaning â€Å"with regard to† or â€Å"opportune† or timely,† is treated as two words in the original language but as one in English. It’s sometimes erroneously split into two in English, which is not appropriate. 3. Capisce: This formal Italian term meaning â€Å"understand† is employed in English as a slang interrogative equivalent to â€Å"You know what I mean?† (Notice that capisci is also correct, as its the equivalent of capisce in the second person). 4. Chaise longue: This phrase, literally â€Å"long chair† in French, is often mispronounced â€Å"chase lounge† (the correct French pronunciation is â€Å"shez long,† though the vowel sound in the first word is in English closer to â€Å"shayz†) and, by association, the second word is sometimes misspelled like â€Å"lounge.† 5. Coffee klatch: This half-translation of the German word Kaffeeklatsch (â€Å"coffee gossip†) is an open compound (or, in a variant, more faithful spelling, a hyphenated compound: coffee-klatsch). 6. De rigueur: This French word for â€Å"proper,† adopted into English, is (like liqueur) properly spelled with two us. 7. En masse: This French phrase for â€Å"as one† is one of several adopted into English as is. 8. Flak: This German acronym derived from Fliegerabwehrkanonen, or antiaircraft guns, and, by extension, the shells fired from them, and used in English to refer to criticism or opposition has so often been misspelled flack that this second spelling is now an accepted variant, though the direct borrowing is preferred. 9. Hors d’oeuvres: The jumble of vowels following the article d’ in this direct borrowing from the French phrase meaning â€Å"apart from the main work† stymies many writers. 10. Laissez-faire: This direct translation of the French phrase translated roughly as â€Å"let do† and referring to minimal government interference in economic or other affairs is always hyphenated, even when used as a noun. 11. Mano a mano: This Spanish phrase for â€Å"hand to hand† refers, in English as well, to two people going up against each other in competition or conflict. 12. Oeuvre: The French term for â€Å"work,† most often used in the sense of the sum total of an artist’s output, consists of a bewildering sequence of letters. 13. Per se: People unfamiliar with the origin of this phrase (it’s borrowed directly from the Latin phrase meaning â€Å"in itself†) sometimes misspell it â€Å"per say† (perhaps as if to write â€Å"as said†). 14. Segue: Confusion with the name of the vehicle called the Segway may be responsible for the occasional misspelling of this word to resemble the brand name, though that error may just be the result of a phonetic attempt to produce the borrowed French term meaning â€Å"to make a close or smooth transition.† 15. Tchotchke: This improbably spelled alteration of a Yiddish word meaning â€Å"trinket† is a spelling bee competitor’s nightmare. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives Disappointed + Preposition35 Synonyms for Rain and Snow

Advertisement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advertisement - Essay Example In this advertisement, the target audience is both sexes. According to the photographs in the ad, we can clearly see that both these people are young, so the advertisement is meant for the young generation. Both of them are also very good-looking, even though they are wearing plain clothing, which helps to focus more on their beauty. They are both making physical, sensual contact with each other, which shows the supposed effect of the fragrance. Also, we can see that the involvement of both sexes shows us that the product at hand should be used by both the male and the female population. On the other hand, it’s clearly evident that the advertisement, which involves introducing a new product into the market, is meant to call attention to the product so that the target audience can be attracted to it, like it and at the end of the day purchase the product. The person viewing the advertisement is made aware that the fragrance is new because only new items usually end up in magazines, since those are the ones that the companies feel an audience would like. The advertisement also clearly states that the product is new, prompting the audience to want to give this new fragrance a try. Through this presentation, the audience is enticed to try the effect of the fragrance for themselves. Similarly, there is a message in this advertisement that is somehow overt and has been used to attract the probable buyers of the fragrance. In this case, the fragrance is meant to make the buyer feel good and also make the person be more desirable to others. According to the press release, â€Å"CK One is about connecting with the group, CK Be is about connecting with yourself, and CK IN2U is all about connecting with another person† (Osmoz). In a more hidden meaning which acts as a reinforcement to the previous message, the user of the perfume will be more

Finance & Law for Engineers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finance & Law for Engineers - Assignment Example In order to achieve this Telit is currently seeking to grow its market for the M2M technology. The company is seeking to identify with the technology and be a major dealer with this M2M technology in the short run. This has had the effect increasing gross margin from 37.1% to 38.2% as a result of redesigning operations involving M2M technology. Telit has a wide distribution network for the M2M technology which has over five thousand dealers distributed worldwide. The company’s mode of dealership is to contact customers directly or through the dealers. Over the year, Telit recruited more employees all over the world. The 17.3% increase in revenues can be attributed to the efficiency of this distribution network. The new employees and dealers will be responsible with maintaining good relationship with clients, hence steady revenue. All this was done as part of the strategy to increase the company’s market base whose effect will be increased revenues (Telit Communications, 2013). Recently, Telit has made some acquisitions and is in the process of making more acquisitions. In its growth strategy, Telit wants to diversify its products. The company has invested in seven research and development centers that have the responsibility of coming up with new competitive products as well as innovatively improve the existing products. This had the result of an increase in research and development expenses from four million dollars to twenty four million dollars. Telit has already acquired ILS Technology LLC which will offer complementary contribution to the company’s growth strategy. ILST will offer services and products that will be used to connect M2M devices to the existing clients’ systems. Alongside ILST, the company has also acquired CrossBridge Solutions that deals with mobile data connectivity. This acquisition will assist the company to tap and properly establish itself in the Internet of Things (IoT) business. These acquisitions cost the company eleven

Youth Empowerment Scheme for Poverty Reduction

Youth Empowerment Scheme for Poverty Reduction The depiction of Nigeria as a paradox by the World Bank (1996) cannot be faulted. The paradox is that the level of poverty is a contradiction of the countrys enormous wealth. Nigeria is immensely endowed with human, oil, gas, agricultural, and untapped mineral resources, just to mention but a few. Unfortunately, despite these endowments, the country remains one of the poorest in the world. In its 2000 Human Development Report, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) placed Nigeria among the 30 least developed countries (LCDs) of the world (UNDP, 2000). Although poverty is rampant in Nigeria, it is more prevalent in certain areas; and with a much more devastating dimension in rural communities. One of these areas is the Niger Delta region, which is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy because of its significantly high level of oil reserves. The region has vast oil reserves but remains poor, underdeveloped and torn apart with conflict (Eweje, 2007). Amnesty International (2005) confirmed that the Niger Delta remain among the most deprived oil communities in the world with 70 per cent living on less than US$1 a day, which is the standard economic measure of absolute poverty. Decades of political and economic marginalization that resulted from the neglect of the Niger Delta region by successive Nigerian governments, and the initial hesitation of multinational companies (MNCs) to attend to their social responsibility and contribute to social development, enshrined poverty in the region (Idemudia, 2007). According to Orogun (2009), the many years of oil production has benefited the federal, state, and local governments as well as the multinational oil companies, yet this huge profit has yet to improve the deplorable human condition, misery index of the indigenous inhabitants; nor has it fostered sustainable economic development in the oil producing communities. Sequel to this, the youth of the region have incessantly expressed their grievances by attacking deployed law enforcement and security agents, vandalizing oil installations, kidnapping and taking foreign oil workers hostage, bearing arms against the state, and forming militia groups in order to draw governments and multinationals attention to their plight. Globally, there have been growing demands on MNCs to provide community development programmes and assistance to their host communities, especially in developing countries in other words, meeting locally defined social and economic goals. This is primarily because developmental projects and other social infrastructures are lacking in most of these countries; and most of the time they are not provided by the state. Multinational corporations, as Etheredge (1999) believes, have an obligation to act as responsible members of the societies which grant them legal standing. He goes on to say that MNCs good corporate conduct does not only imply responsibilities that are only within the bounds of minimum legal requirements but also social responsibilities that are both acceptable and beneficial to various social constituencies that surround business enterprises. In developing countries, MNCs are expected to provide some social services and welfare programmes in addition to their normal economic activities. Although these are not the functions of businesses in economic terms; but in the developing countries, as Eweje (2006) stresses, these roles are expected from MNCs as an expression of demonstrating corporate social responsibility (CSR). Elucidating this view, Wasserstrom and Reider (1998) maintain that oil and gas companies in Asia, Latin America and Africa, for instance, are facing demands from the local community to provide education and healthcare programmes. They continued, saying that, these programmes are not give-aways, but involve training and working with community members to allow them to plan for meeting their own needs in the future. Wasserstrom and Reider (1998) further noted that by establishing such programs and working with the demands of the community, firms find less resistance to their operations, not only from the local community but from environmental and human rights special interest groups as well. Against this background, the Multinational oil companies in the Niger Delta have demonstrated commitments to the reduction of poverty through their respective community development initiatives. The study, therefore, evaluates the youth development strategies of Shell (normally called Shell Petroleum Development Company SPDC) in the Niger Delta. From the foregoing, it suffices that MNCs have a role in development not only through capital investment but more importantly by investing in human capital and providing local people with the tools to drive their own economic development (Nelson, 1996). Statement of the problem The high incidence of poverty in the Niger Delta is in sharp contrast to the regions critical importance to the Nigerian economy. The Niger Delta oil contributes enormously to the well-being of the Nigerian state, which depends on the oil industry for approximately 95% of export earnings and 80% of government revenue (SPDC, 2009); yet the poverty level in the region is higher than the national average (Clark et al., 1999; NDDC, 2004). Zandvliet and Pedro (2002) illustrated the picture of the region in the following words: About 70 per cent of the community lack access to clean water, has no passable roads or electricity supply, a shortage of medical facilities, a large number of dilapidated schools and suffers from severe environmental degradation due to oil production. After over 40 years of oil exploration and hundreds of billions of dollars of oil revenue, the oil producing communities have received little attention from successive administrations, particularly in the areas of socio-economic and infrastructural development. The cumulative circumstances have led to perceived alienation, and the result of which is the frequent social disorder as the only means by which attention could be drawn to them. Obi (2008) states the following as being responsible for the regions agitations: Oil pollution, extreme poverty, high levels of youth unemployment, pollution, perceived discriminatory employment practices against locals by oil companies and socioà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ economic and political marginalization and neglect by successive administrations constitute the main grievances against the oil companies and the government. The prevalence of poverty is very high in the Niger Delta, with over 70% living on less than a dollar per day in the rural areas. This soaring incidence of poverty is in sharp contrast to the regions position as the treasure base of the nation. This, notwithstanding, it is a political culture of governments at all levels in Nigeria and the elites to lay blame on the multinational corporations for the poverty situation in the region. Such culture of blame goes further in inciting the community members into believing that the MNCs are the architects of the regions poverty, and believing that the companies are massively exploiting them, but giving too little or nothing in return to them in form of development. Consequently this has occasioned persistent community protests, agitations and conflicts. The widespread poverty afflicting the people of the region has led to a condition of despair and the recourse to violence against the state and multinationals by the youth. The youths resentment stems from the regions loss of their traditional means of livelihood which are farming and fishing, caused by the activities of the oil companies, such as environmental degradation, oil spillage and gas flaring. Similarly, faced with massive unemployment and a bleak future due to absence of both government and private employment, the youth, which constitute a larger proportion of the region, have persistently expressed their frustration through hostage taking, arson directed at oil installations and attacks on the Nigerian state. Although successive Nigerian governments at different times have put up a lot of poverty alleviation programmes, yet all attempts to put the Niger Delta on course of development have been unproductive. Among the ills that hamper the development of the region are corruption and bad governance. For instance, while the institutions of the state at all levels (federal, state and local governments) are very corrupt, making it difficult for budgeted funds to trickle down to the target population; politics on the other hand is used to promote individual and sectional interests, as against the pursuit of public good. Therefore, due to this lack of significant government commitment to the development of the region, poverty has remained a pervasive problem in the Niger Delta. Hence, conditions have continued to worsen and poverty has become a major issue in the region in spite of her rich resource base. This failure to provide the developmental needs of the communities has led to the reliance by the region on the multinational oil companies to step in and fill this wide development gap. Accordingly, MNCs in the Niger Delta have responded to this challenge by employing community development strategies geared towards poverty reductions in their host communities. The need for MNCs involvement in poverty reduction cannot be overemphasized. As Ite (2004) pointed out, foreign direct investment flowing to developing countries has the potential to make important contributions to the development of local economies, including creating jobs, capacity building, and the transfer of technology. As a result, multinational corporations (MNCs) can have a positive impact in developing countries, especially through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives focusing on sustainable development and co-operation with civil society. As corporate citizens, multinational companies have contributed in various ways to local community development in the area as a way of addressing the unemployment, poverty and squalor that are stacking realities of daily living for the people of the area. For instance, Shell has been involved in educational initiatives, healthcare services and youth development projects, just to mention but a few. The main focus of the study which is on youth development scheme is a vocational training programme in which participants acquire necessary skills for self employment or eligibility for employment, such as welding, auto mechanics and electrical work. The study, therefore argues that the youth development scheme is an empowerment scheme that has improved the livelihood of the participants; although the efforts of the multinationals are constrained by factors which are political economic and social. However, the strategies must be sustainable if they have to make long term impact on poverty reduction. Has the vocational training on the youths been empowering? Have the youth been empowered by the vocational training? Do the community participate in the scheme and what is the level of their participation? RESEARCH QUESTIONS The following questions will be addressed: To what extent have youth vocational training been empowering? How much does the community participate in the scheme? What are the barriers that hamper MNCs community development efforts in the area? OBJECTIVE OF STUDY The general objective of the study is to evaluate the youth development initiatives of Shell multinational, aimed at poverty reduction among the youth of the Niger Delta. To evaluate the impact of youth development strategies on the participants To examine the level of participation of youth in the projects To identify the barriers of CD efforts of the multinational oil companies in Niger Delta 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY The study seeks to be a contribution to the already existing literature on Niger Delta. It will serve as a reference source to the authorities of Nigeria, multinational oil companies, and other Niger Delta stakeholders in gaining more insights into the root causes of the persistent conflict in the region; and consequently look in a new direction for a more effective approach aimed at addressing the crisis. There is minimal evidence in literature about community development initiatives of the multinationals in Niger Delta. This research adds to the literature on MNCs CD assistance in the region. It also shows that business has an obligation to help in solving problems of public concern. In addition to spurring economic growth and prosperity to the Nigerian state, the community assistance of multinational corporations in Niger Delta should be commended. However, the condition of the region demands a more vigorous corporate social responsibility by the MNCs in the pursuit of community development. Poverty reduction is an important development concern, which requires sustained involvements of the stakeholders in addressing community needs. The study highlights the usefulness of the MNCs corporate social responsibility in reducing poverty among the youth, which represent one of the major assets of any community. In this respect, the study contributes to knowledge on poverty in Nigeria. SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY The study evaluates the impact of vocational and skills training programmes employed by Shell to empower the youth. It will also examine the level of youths participation in the programmes. Thirdly, it will identify the factors that constrain the CD efforts of the multinationals in the Niger Delta. It will examine several government intervention programmes in the region and why they yielded no positive results. Among the limitations of this study is inability to cover the entire oil producing communities of the chosen state of study due to time, financial constraint and proximity. The geographical terrain of the communities and the presence of security personnel also constitute an impediment to reaching certain key individuals. Further, the volatile condition of the area poses difficulties to the researcher as fresh conflict is capable of springing up at any moment. Hence, the researcher would, as a matter of caution avoid some locations, that otherwise would have provided useful information to the study. OPERATIONALIZATION OF CONCEPTS In this section, the important points and variables to be considered are described to foster a clear understanding of the proposed inquiry. Niger Delta Niger Delta is defined both geographically and politically. The former comprises of states in the South-South geo-political zone, namely, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States; while the political Niger Delta extends to the neighboring oil producing states of Ondo, Abia and Imo, for reasons of administrative convenience, political expedience and development objectives (UNDP, 2006). The study focuses on the geographical Niger Delta, with River State as the case study. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and Multinational Oil Corporations (MOCs): Multinational Corporation is a firm which control and organize production using plants from at least two countries (Caves, 1996:1). Multinational oil corporations are corporations operating in more than one country for the purpose of exploring for, producing, refining, and marketing oil. In Nigeria, there are many of these multinationals oil corporations such as: Shell, Texaco, Chevron, Elf, Exxon, Mobil, Agip, Fina, and Total, just to mention a few. For the purpose of this study, Shell multinational will be my case study; although references will be made to other multinationals, where necessary. Poverty: Poverty connotes a condition of human deprivation or denial with respect to the basic necessities of life food, shelter, and clothing. It is above all a symptom of embedded structural imbalance, which manifests in all domains of human existence (Hamdok, 1999). The author also believes that poverty is highly correlated with social exclusion, marginalization, vulnerability, powerlessness, isolation, and deprivation. Community Development (CD): Community Development means improving the quality of peoples lives and expanding their ability to shape their own futures through improving their access to opportunities to better themselves (Soubbotina, Sheram World Bank, 2000). Community development in this study refers to the provision of capacity to the youth of the Niger Delta, through vocational training, with the ultimate goal of reducing unemployment among them. Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS): The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD, 2000) defines CSR as the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable development, working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life. According to Idowu and Papasolomou (2007), CSR addresses the fundamental role that business plays, or ought to play in society. Corporate social responsibility in the current study refers to Shells community development programmes targeted at youth, with the view of improving their livelihood through job creation programmes. Capacity Building: Capacity building is the process by which individuals, groups, organizations, institutions and societies increase their abilities to perform core functions, solve problems, define and achieve objectives; to understand and deal with their development needs in a broad context and in a sustainable manner (UNDP, 1997). UNDP. (1997). Capacity Development Resources Book. New York: UNDP Eade (1997) is of the view that within the concept of capacity building is the idea of development, which is an empowering process; while the notion of overcoming poverty is part of the process of development [Eade, D. (1997]. Capacity Building: An approach to people-centered Development. Oxford: Oxfam Publication. Capacity building as employed in this study refers to the process of equipping the youth with skills such as welding, electrical work, auto-mechanics, which will enable them to become gainfully self-employed, thereby reducing poverty. Chapter three: Methodology This chapter presents the research methods used to guide and accomplish the study objectives. It discusses the research design, how the researcher intends to gather his data, the type of techniques to be employed in assembling the information, the respondents, and the method of analyzing the data. The appropriateness of the design, the target population, the sampling frame and the size of the sample are also discussed. 3.1 Research Design The study will utilize the qualitative research approach, using in-depth interview, and will be analyzed descriptively. Qualitative in-depth interview provides a valuable means to probe intensely into subjective realities; covering a wide range of topics because of its flexible formality. According to Kvale (1996), qualitative in-depth interviewing approach is comparable to wandering together with interviewees; while interviewers who genuinely want to understand are on a journey with interviewees, giving the later an opportunity to communicate stories in their own perspectives. Kvale, Steiner. (1996). Interviews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Potter (1996) confirms that the ability of interviewing to explore the subjective perception has made in-depth an essential data collection tool in research. Potter, W. J. (1996). An analysis of thinking and research about qualitative methods. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. The method enables the researcher to understand the experience and viewpoint of the interviewee and gather information about issues that cannot be comprehended by other means. On it flexibility feature, Lindlof and Taylor (2002) advised that it can be conducted wherever two people can talk in relative privacy. Similarly, Fontana and Frey (1998) are of the view that it can take the form of face-to-face interviewing and telephone interviewing. Rubin Rubin (1995) further maintain that another quality of in-depth interview is its malleability in redesigning the study by the researcher based on new information emerging from his probing. In-depth interviewing is most appropriate for this study because of the aforementioned merits; and more importantly, because of its distinctive ability to generate rich information on topics that have limited literature and topics that have been relatively understudied as the current study. Lindlof, T. R., Taylor, B. C. (2002). Qualitative communication research methods (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Fontana, A., Frey, J. H. (1998). Interviewing: The art of science. In N. K. Denzin Y. S. Lincoln (eds.) Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials (pp. 47-78). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Rubin, H. J., Rubin, I. S. (1995). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 3.2 Population and Sample The population of the study will be drawn from Obia-Okpor community of River State. The youth of this community who have been involved in the Shell projects will constitute the sample frame. A total of seven respondents will be selected from among the sample frame to make up the sample size for the study. This number is considered suitable for the in-depth interviewing, as the interview itself will cover a wide-range of questions. It is hoped that the diverse contributions of the seven respondents will provide extensive information to the researcher. In qualitative research, a sample is chosen, not to be representative of a larger population but rather for the depth and insights the sample can offer the researcher on the topic of interest (McCracken, 1988). [McCracken, G. (1988). The Long Interview. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.] Also, an official of the multinational company who is directly involved in the youth projects will be interviewed in order to have his insight into t he impact of their projects on the youth. 3.3 Data collection: The research will use both primary and secondary sources in collecting data. Semi-structured interviews will be employed as primary data collection method. This is the type of interviewing conducted with a written list of questions and probes that are used as an interview guide (Bernard, 1988). [Bernard, R.H. (1988). Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications] McCracken (1988) discusses many benefits of conducting semi structured interviews with interview guide. Some of these benefits include the fact that the guide ensures that the researcher discusses all the topics that are vital to the understanding of the issues under study. Also the guide allows the researcher to focus attention on listening to the informants responses, thus offering more understanding of the testimony and better probing by the researcher. McCracken (1988) also stated that the guide does not hinder the open nature of the interview process. There is still opportunity for the researcher to follow the informants interesting lines of thought and their unexpected explanations of the issues. A semi-structured interview is the most useful interview format for conducting qualitative research. This is because the interview is neither highly structured as is the case of an interview comprising of all closed-ended questions nor is it unstructured such that the interviewee is simply given the permission to talk freely about whatever comes up. Semi-structured interviews present topics and questions to the interviewee, but are carefully designed to draw out the interviewees ideas and opinions on a given topic, as opposed to leading the interviewee toward preconceived choices. They rely on the interviewer following up with probes to get in-depth information on topics of interest. This study will also rely on secondary data obtained from textbooks, journals, periodicals, newspapers, reports from both the government of Nigeria and multinational corporations. 3.4 Data Analysis: After data collection, notes and recorded interviews will be transcribed and descriptively analysed. Interview transcripts and notes will be copied and pared down to represent major themes or categories that describe the topic being studied. Transcripts are also coded as they are transcribed. This involves assigning a particular theme or idea a number or keyword (the code) and then marking the code next to any text on the transcript that concerns the relevant theme. Otherwise called thematic analysis, it is a process for coding qualitative information. A thematic approach will be employed in the analysis of the transcribed data. According to Gibson (2006), thematic Analysis is an approach to dealing with data that involves the creation and application of codes to data. The data being analyzed might take any number of forms an interview transcript, field notes, policy documents, photographs, video footage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ there is a clear link between this type of analysis and Grounded theory, as the latter clearly lays out a framework for carrying out this type of code-related analysis. This general approach to qualitative data analysis was first developed by Glaser and Strauss (1967) and termed grounded theory to refer to the fact that the data for analysis (in the proposed study, the transcribed responses of interviewees) are grounded in their experiences and the context of the topic under study. The researcher will create codes to label the findings, and will analyze the interview data obtained from each participant independently. The notion of Capacity Building Capacity building is in some sense as old as development assistance itself. Slogans such as helping people to help themselves and the proverb, teach a man to fish point directly at capacity building. Capacity building is a relatively new concept in the field of development, emerging in the 1980s (Lusthaus, Adrien Perstinger, 1999). Lusthaus, Adrien Perstinger. (1999). Capacity Development: Definitions, Issues and Implications for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. Universalia Occasional Paper, (34), p.1 As with the concepts such as globalization, development, and sustainability, the term capacity building is an ambiguous concept that means different things to different people, groups and organizations. Although many people use these terms, their definitions do not conform to the same, as each puts emphasis on a certain aspect of capacity development (James, 2001). (James, R. (Ed.). (2001). Power and Partnership: Experiences of NGO Capacity Building. Oxford: INTRAC Publication. However, a group of these definitions have emphasized that capacity building is a tool to build and improve the skills, resources and ability of people to implement, monitor and assess a project. Thus, capacity building is seen as a process by which individuals, groups and organizations, institutions and societies increase their abilities to perform core functions, solve problems and define and achieve objectives; to understand and deal with their development needs in a broad context and in a sustainable manner (UNDP, 1997) UNDP. (1997). Capacity Development and UNDP: Supporting Sustainable Human Development. New York: UNDP. Morgan (1993) conceives capacity building as the ability of individuals, groups, institutions and organizations to identify and solve development problems over time. Another definition sees capacity building as an approach to development which encompasses all the fields that influence the development sphere (Eade, 1997) Eade, D. (1997). Capacity Building: An Approach to People-Centered Development. Oxford: Oxfam Publications. In this approach to development, capacity building identifies the weaknesses that people experience in achieving their basic rights, and finding proper means through which to build up (develop) their ability to overcome the causes of their exclusion and suffering. To have successful capacity building is attainable through a strong process of learning and education. And for capacity building to be sustainable, new technologies, new knowledge and information need to be introduced, especially in this period of globalization. This is because development is not comprehensive without sufficient knowledge in this age of globalization and information and technology. Capacity building is a comprehensive process that involves all dimensions of life. It is not so much a matter of just implementing a project or enhancing a particular aspect of life. It is an approach to development which aims to enhance the capability of people in its broadest and in a comprehensive manner. As a people-centered activity, capacity building is a process of community development where people are the focus of capacity enhancement. It creates an enabling environment where people are developed in order to manage themselves and contribute to their societies. To this end, community development becomes the ultimate output of capacity building process. Thus, capacity building is a response to community development needs. Capacity building therefore is seen as women and men becoming empowered to: bring about positive changes in their lives; about personal growth together with public action; about both the process and the outcome of challenging poverty, oppression and discrimination; and about the realization of human potential through social and economic justice. Above all, it is about the process of transforming lives, and transforming societies (Eade Williams, 1995). Eade Williams. (1995). The Oxfam Handbook of Development and Relief. Oxford: Oxfam Publications. In this process of capacity building, people acquire and improve their abilities. This creates an avenue for them as individuals and as members of the community to achieve their development objectives. Capacity Building and Sustainability The concept of sustainability has generated varied interpretations in literature, just like other development concepts. Although the concept emerged as a human response to the human destruction of the environment, it has been argued that sustainability cannot be an issue for a solely social and natural science (Kohn, 1999). Notwithstanding the myriad definitions and interpretations of sustainability, the ultimate goal of the concept is to improve human well being (Sachs, 1999). Capacity building, therefore, as an approach to development is linked to sustainable development. While sustainable development is an attempt to provide improved livelihood for the people, it is through the process of capacity building that the potential of people to achieve sustainability in their lives can be realized. Eade (1997) likened achieving the objectives of sustainable development to the outcome of capacity building, and maintained that both cannot be differentiated. Kohn, J., Goody, J., Hinterberger, F., Straaten, J. (1999). Sustainability in Questions: The Search for a Conceptual Framework. Northampton: Edward Elgar Sachs, W. (1999). Planet Dialectics: Explorations in Environment and Development. Halifax: Fernwood Publishing. Capacity Building and Empowerment Empowerment is a cross-disciplinary term, mainly used in fields of Education, Psychology, Community Development, Economics, among others. The understanding of the concept varies among disciplines, too. Based on this many meanings of the term, it has been seen as a construct easy to define by its absence but difficult to define in action, based on the idea that it takes different forms in different people and contexts (Rappoport, cited in Page Czuba, 1