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

Paraphrasing - Essay Example The purpose of the loans could be for activities that generate income and to establish microenterprises. The delimiting factor for microcredit is its focus mainly on the creation of credit without regard for alleviating poverty and assistance to improve the plight of the poor. The service offered from microcredit puts clients from the low income group to be more apprehensive in availing of this option due to lack of sources for repayment and perceived risk in debt. Having identified the evolution of microcredit programs from the early 1970s, their success have resulted in increased schemes until the mid 1990s. Providers of this type of credit have offered this particular financial assistance concurrent with development agencies with the strategy of alleviating poverty for the marginalized poor. Eventually, large organizations in Bangladesh that offered microfinance schemes were recognized internationally and provided the impetus for the first international summit to be organized and globally presented. Advantage of Microfinance In a discourse written by Remenyi that necessitated the review of thirty independent studies from diverse institutions offering microfinance programs, a significant increase averaging 20% in borrowers’ income was reflected.3 Likewise, the author indicated that the presence of common variables that influence the borrowers’ ability to improve their income, to wit: taking into account their target market, the level of skills, gender, marital status, and available support from external sources. In a related research, there has been a reported positive impact on security perceived by borrowers when there is ongoing access to loans. The experience from Grameen Bank indicates that borrowers who continued to avail of microfinance credit eventually achieved sustainability in food and assets such as livestock and rickshaws. An improvement in economic status of the borrowers was tantamount to an overall improvement in living condition s and the ability to purchase real properties. Thereby, successful microfinance borrowers were proven to have gained substantial security that prevented them to liquidate assets in times of emergencies and disasters. 4 Likewise, amongst successful borrower households in several countries, expanding employment opportunities and increasing hours of employment per week have also been noted. Accordingly, some of the social changes in Grameen Bank villages impact positively on the community as a whole, particularly the increased visibility and mobility of women. One study found that a significant change in household and community status could be derived by women who maintained control of their loans. There were evidences that indicate women manifesting direct correlation between having money and increased status and recognition. There were trends towards resourceful women who learn to use the loans â€Å"to empower themselves†.5 However, some studies reveal that â€Å"†¦It c annot be assumed that disbursing loans to women means either that they use them or are empowered.† 6 Disadvantage of Microfinance In many countries, diverse studies show that targeting women in microfinance schemes is a direct challenge to cultural norms. Without parallel programmes which address gender issues, this has resulted in increased intra- and inter-household tension. There had been reported cases of

How the epic poem Iliad influenced Alexander the Great Research Paper

How the epic poem Iliad influenced Alexander the Great - Research Paper Example The paper "How the epic poem Iliad influenced Alexander the Great" states the influence of Iliad to Alexander the Great. To a great extent, Iliad’s world was a world of heroism for Alexander. Homer’s heroes -especially, Achilles- had influenced the young mind of Alexander in his youth. But this world also taught him morality and courage to a considerable extent. It was the courage of Achilles’ courage -to go against Agamemnon’s tyrannous, unreasonable and despotic behavior- that inspired Alexander to raise his voice often against his father’s royal policies. Though he inherited much of the war-tactics and the wisdom of fighting and winning a war from his father Philip of Macedon, textual evidences from the â€Å"Iliad† show that a significant part of Alexander’s war-tactics had been induced and modulated by the war-tactics of Homeric heroes. This paper will explore into how Alexander had been influenced by Homer’s epic poem â₠¬ËœIliad’. Alexander’s real-life activities will be compared with the textual evidences in the poem. During the formative years of his early life Alexander had been greatly influenced by the â€Å"Iliad†. Since his time, he has turned into a legendary personality. He appears to one of the most influential historical personalities who tamed the world by their courage. But this legendary personality himself has been inspired tremendously by the Greek mythologies and legends. During the early years of his life, Alexander studied the ‘Iliad’. The courage and heroism of the Greek heroes.... The courage and heroism of the Greek heroes in the story were greatly shaping the young mind of Alexander. Especially the Homeric hero Achilles attracted him so much that he decided to imitate him in his real life. Till his death, the Achillean motivation to fight in a war has haunted Alexander’s mind. This Achillean motivation is best described in the following speech of Achilles: â€Å"If I hold out here and I lay siege to Troy, / my journey home is gone, but my glory never dies. / If I voyage back to the fatherland I love, / my pride, my glory dies. . . .†1 The famous Historian Plutarch comments that being pleased by Alexander’s passion for Achilles, Aristotle himself prepared an annotated copy the ‘Iliad’ and gave it to the young boy. This annotated copy of the Iliad accompanied Alexander till the last day of his life. He even slept with it under his pillow, as Chris Whitten says in this regard: â€Å"Emulating the famous hero was apparently enc ouraged by his teacher, the great philosopher Aristotle†¦.Aristotle personally annotated a copy of the Iliad for Alexander. Alexander kept it with him throughout all his later travels, even sleeping with it under his pillow.†2 Another event in Alexander’s life inspired him to mould his life after Achilles. His mother, Olympias, had been able to convince young Alexander that he was the descendant of Achilles and Hercules. Though Olympias’s story seems to be a sheer fantasy, it shook Alexander’s young mind vehemently and prepared him mentally to keep the fantasized Achillean heroic family tradition intact. Iliad’s Role on Alexander’s Conflict with Philip II From the very beginning of his career in the Macedonian Army, Alexander began to react against