Motivational Interviewing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motivational Interviewing - Article Example Their follow-up is also easier as they are closely monitored in the clinic. The next article by Cummings, Cooper & McClure (2009) focuses on the older generation of adults who are being encountered with serious health problems ranging from acute to chronic illnesses. The population comprised of people with diabetes, risk if heart disease and cancer survivors. There were two groups in this research: the control group and the intervention group and the two were being monitored in order to verify the changes brought about by application of the motivational intervention. The older generation adults were in no specific location but they were being monitored in their different locations for any physical changes once the intervention started to be administered on them. The results in this population also factored in the age and the conditions that come with old age such as the mental illnesses. In the first research about teens with substance abuse problem, the main point is on ensuring that this population by the end of the 3 month period of research and follow up will not relapse once they leave the primary care clinic where they are under close observation. There is also the issue of ensuring that they will be well educated enough to avoid the friends that use the drugs and evade their company as they are likely to be influenced back into using the drugs and alcohol. Working with teens is also not an easy affair especially because they are in the adolescence age where they are trying to find their loci in life and think they know everything as well as thinking no one understands them including their reason for engaging in the drugs and alcohol. The main point in the article about older adults and their health issue is the fact that they are needed physical exercise to deal with some of their health complications and ensue that they are healthy but resistance is very high. Many do not believe

Reflection on Coatess Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection on Coatess Argument - Essay Example The black people were denied the opportunity to access good housing facilities since they were cut out of the legitimate home-mortgage market starting from the 1930s to 1960s.I also believe that previous efforts by the subsequent government to improve the living standards of Black Americans through welfare programs, affirmative action and subsidized housing have been minimal. In my view, although the current Constitution grants equal protection of the law, racism and discrimination against Blacks still exist and thus only reparations can address these social problems. Although the author argues that reparations may be expensive given the huge spending by the government on other social programs that benefit the entire American population, I differ since a debt to Black people is owed and American has the resources to pay the reparations.   The black people deserve reparations since the available statistics indicate that they are at the wrong end of all the socio-economic indicators. For instance, blacks are three times likely to encounter homicide than other racial groups while the infant mortality rate of black neighbourhoods is twice that of the national average. Although the current Black people might not have been slaves, the truth is that they were denied their inheritance and good upbringing since their parents were poor and mistreated by the government. There is a prove that slavery is responsible for Black Americans socio-economic status due to discrimination, lack of property rights and lack of voting rights.

Latin America and the World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Latin America and the World - Essay Example Urban development and immigration were at the increase due to the rise of agriculture and business development. Consequently, there was the emergence of the urban classes which opted to merge with the political movement (Leopoldo 102). In water for chocolate, the author starts in Mexico City where, the person named Tita introduces herself. It is the story of an active girl who had just celebrated her 15th birthday, to the occasion of her life when she was at the age of 39. In the foremost chapter, the author demonstrates the necessity of responsibility and responsibility, as it was the first contention that Tita faced. Tita was at a problem as her family required her to reject Pedro’s marriage proposal, since they required her to stay put in the house so that she could take care of her widowed mother always (Laura 76). This was like permission specified to her by the culture, which anticipated her to complete the duty of helping for her widowed mother. The issue of gender based unfairness portrayed in the Latin society in that century, as Tita’s mother denied her freedom to marry the man she always loved, Pedro. Another instance of gender inequality arises as we see Esperanza denied the opportunity t o join Alex brown, by her mother as she claims that institution must be followed to the latter. This harsh rule by Tita’s mother makes her start a secret love with Pedro since she knew that bearing children would be of support to her marriage in the prospect life, given that they would also cater for her as she grows older (Laura 2010). For now, in the house of the spirit, the author introduces Clara as a young girl, who at that time, was writing about her pet in her journal, which was enormous hound. The Del Valle families’ gathers at the church as they listen to the priest, who turns out to be over fervent in his discourse as he later curses Clara citing that the demons infatuated her.

How children with challenging behaviours can be included in the Literature review

How children with challenging behaviours can be included in the classroom - Literature review Example Though there is much disagreement on the exact definition, yet the intellectual community is aiming at identifying pragmatic solutions to the issue. For this reason, it is first crucial to understanding the reasons behind such behaviours which may range from general communication difficulties to other external factors, sometimes even socio-economic disadvantages or an underlying medical cause (Knowles & Landen 2012). Thus, once the underlying causes are identified, policy initiatives can be taken at the institute level which would then be needed to be incorporated into classroom to incorporate children with needs in the classroom. Establishing and Promoting positive behaviour towards children implicating challenging behaviour, on part of the teachers, is the most effective technique to resolve the issue early on. However, the main question arises in context to which techniques to apply and how, in order to ensure a secure and an encouraging environment for such children with needs. Moreover, the policies would only be effective if they contribute toward building a positive culture in the institute where an encouraging environment can be reaped to help the children with challenging behaviours. Analyzing literature is essential to understanding what has been done in the past to deal with the issue at hand, and more importantly the effectiveness of the techniques being applied in the past. More importantly, literature review will lead toward better understanding of the topic at hand which will further provide logical insights on the research question. Moreover, literature review will offer a holistic analysis of the children with challenging behaviours, which will help in generalizations adding further knowledge to the topic at hand. The topic is a policy concern for all institutions imparting education to children, since these institutes leave a serious impact on the students. Not

Tanning Beds Essay Example for Free

Tanning Beds Essay Have you ever been tanning? I have been tanning multiple times and I love it. Tanning is defined as â€Å"A structure lined with sunlamps in which one stands or reclines in order to acquire a suntan†. Tanning’s purpose as it is defined is to get a tan. Tanning beds are used by people to tan all year around. Men and women are no longer forced to make time to tan outside or to schedule a time around the weather because of tanning beds. Another reason tanning beds are convenient is it only takes a short amount of time to show results when regularly you would have to lay outside for hours before you see results. In this paper, I am going to evaluate tanning where it came from, who invented it, where, and why. Last but not least were going to be looking at the positive and the negative aspects of tanning too. The history of tanning beds begins with Friedrich Wolff. Friedrich Wolff was a German scientist who invented the tanning bed in 1978. Friedrich invented this on accident. He did this when he was doing a study on the positive side effects of ultraviolet light on athletes. Then he noticed a side effect about the skin when under ultraviolet light, he saw that the skin became a nice tan color. Later on he eventually brought the tanning industry to America. Years later to present day tanning has become a huge business, and a common hobby throughout not only the United States but the world. On the contrary, there are plenty of health risks when operating a tanning bed. Some people consider that tanning beds are detrimental to the health of all users. One of the major health risks that someone can get from tanning is skin cancer. The AAD state that â€Å"the number of skin cancers have  been raising over the years due to increasing exposure to UV radiation from the sun, tanning beds, and sun lamps†. At hand are two kinds of skin cancer: melanoma and non-melanoma. Melanoma is the most serious and life threatening form of skin cancer. Then non-melanoma is most common skin cancers, which are not as severe as melanoma. Astoundingly, more than one million cases of non-melanoma skin cancers are found each year and are considered to be sun related. This evidence from studies are shocking because so many people tan but they overlook the risks. In addition, there are other long term effects of ultraviolet radiation which include sunburn, eye damage, premature aging of the skin, and phototoxic reactions. I have tanned off and on for the last five years, and the only noticeable effect I have received from tanning is sunburns and occasionally skin reactions from certain tanning lotions. In spite of that, with tanning there are positive effects as well. One is nutritional health; The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates sixty percent of the United States population is not receiving enough Vitamin D. This shows that Vitamin D is essential to the body’s health. Vitamin D has positive effects on keeping your blood level sustained and promotes healthy bones. Furthermore, another positive effect from tanning is the emotional and physical attributes it gives. Emotionally tanning can give you the sense of looking good, but also emotionally it can boost and give you positive feelings. Then that will make you a happier person. Finally, tanning can physically give you better looking skin and also a nice brown skin. .To begin with, every tanning salon has a different aspect that draws attention to the customer. My place of choice is Tan Connection, which is located off of tenth and girls school road. The address is 7329 W. 10th St. Indianapolis, IN, 46214-2515 and the phone number is (317) 271-9828. What caught my eye about this certain salon was the employee, the set up of the salon and the cleanliness. The employees are very friendly and enthusiastic that it makes that whole visit worthwhile. Walking into the salon you see this beautiful waterfall with the perfect lighting, palm trees, and magnificent rock surrounding it all. Not only does the inside look beautiful  but the outside has a walkway and flags and employees leading you inside. The salon itself is picturesque. The way the salon looks inside and outside is my number one observation. If the salon looks like a dump then more than likely the service will too. Also, cleanliness of a salon has a big effect on how I choose where to go. Usually if the floors, windows, and bathrooms are dirty then that probably means they don’t clean the beds that often. Clean beds are something everybody wants when tanning because you don’t know if the last person that was in there had some sort of disease or illness. Tan Connection definitely has clean beds: for one, you can smell when you walk in the room, for two they have cleaning supply in the room with towels, finally they offer to even clean again right before you tan. Tan Connection would be the tanning salon I would recommend to anyone. To conclude, as you can tell by evaluating tanning beds there is controversy on whether tanning is good or bad. When Friedrich Wolff invented tanning accidently, he created a whole new world of social behavior and business. Now today’s society, it is common for people to tan several times a week. Some people know the health risk and choose not to change. On the other hand, I believe tanning is acceptable to a certain point. I think tanning is good for getting Vitamin D, and also I believe it is good emotionally and physically. Conversely, I think there is a certain point when tanning should be set to a limit. You do not want to tan too much because then it is unhealthy. It is terrible for the skin and the immune system and overall detrimental when overexposed to tanning.

The Production Process Of Monster Inc Film Studies Essay

The Production Process Of Monster Inc Film Studies Essay The process of movie making entails four stages, development, pre-production, production and post-production. The development stage involves the process of creating the story line. At the pre-production level the technical challenges are addressed. It is in the production stage that the actual filming takes place and polishing of the movie is done at the post production stage. The Pixar process through which Monster Inc passes is detailed below. Step1: This step entails explaining of the idea about the movie to the audience and the members of the development team. At this stage the originality of the idea is pivotal as it translates to how viable the movie is. The idea of Sulley and Mike working for Monsters Inc is an incredible idea and so is the inclusion of Boo. The work was developed from the two artists namely Docter and Grant. The adult man had the childhood drawings come to life and start plaguing on his existence. He could see the monsters but the other could not. The monsters represented the fears he had to deal with as a kid and which he did not. However, these monsters disappeared at he continued to overcome these fears. Step 2: this idea is then written down in what is referred to as text treatment. It also worth mentioning that it necessary to come up with many text treatments as they help in opening up the possibilities available. In addition, such treatments help to refine the main idea of the story. For instance, the initial idea was to have a 32 year old man who could see the monsters but which was later changed to an innocent girl. Step 3: Elisabeth (12) defines storyboards as the graphic organizers which could include illustrations and images and are necessary in the movie making process for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture. It is a tedious and intricate process and was developed in Walt Disney Studio in 1930s. This concept of story boards is credited to Webb Smith where scenes would be drawn in different sheets of paper and would be pinned on a bulletin board (Mark 65). This proved effective in telling a story in a sequence. The Monster Inc incorporates story boards and is better described as a hand drawn comic book version. The artists receive the scripts and they are then expected to make the drawings. The sequences by the artists utilize the emotions from the scripts to be able to make the illustrations. The drawn out sequence is then handed to the director of Monster Inc. Step 4: In making of the Monster Inc movie the scratch voice is used to the story board reels. However, professional actors are hired when the story and the dialogue have been perfected. It is also worth noting that the actors hired need not depend on the script alone but also need to improvise to make the movie interesting. The actors hired for different role in Monster Inc then record the lines in different ways and the best ones are chosen. However, if the scratch voices are good enough then there will we no need to follow the rest of the process. Sulley the massive monster who finds himself in trouble was played by John Goodman who had a rich and wide vocal range. His voice also similar to that of a bear and it seemed to fit to this role. Finding the voice for Boo was challenging and it is the voice of Mary Gibbs who plays this role that brought the energy needed. In addition she was playful and fit in well in this role. Step 5: This is the stage where by the illustration by the story board is developed into a reel. The reel is able to tell a story without the need to have a pitcher person to tell the story behind the shooting of Monster Inc. This process is pivotal in the making of Monster Inc as it helps in validating the sequence of the story. The editorial of Monster Inc also takes this chance to ascertain the elements required for each shot. For instance, in this movie Joe Rauft did the story board and also was the scratch voice of Sullivan. Step 6: The art department utilizes the work from the above process and brings life to the scenes. In particular this involves creating inspirational art, illustrating the world and the characters. In addition, the artists also design sets, props, visual looks for surfaces and colors which will be necessary lighting. In looking for the style of Monstropolis the production designers had to go to view different locations which could inspire the design of the movie. 22 different sets were designed for the movie and some of theses sets included the Boos bedroom, sushi eatery, Harryhausens and home of yeti. Step 7: This step is another tedious task in the making of Monster Inc. The characters, sets and props to be used are sculpted by hand and then scanned in three dimensions. These elements are then given avars and the animators use them to make the movements. In this movie the clay sculptures were made and then digitized for the main characters. For the rest of the monsters they were created by the computer using the kit of virtual parts. It is also worth noting that in order to give the animators a lot of movement those modeling the characters used Geppetto; a program used to add more controls. Step 8: This is an interesting stage where the sets are dressed with prop models in bringing out a realistic scene. It also worth noting that those charged with this task, work closely with the director in ensuring his vision of Monster Inc is being actualized. For instance in making the monsters colorful, the city and the factory had to be muted. Step 9: The real work of taking shots then starts and the story is translated into 3-dimensional scenes. This stage is involving for the layout crew of Monster Inc, who use a virtual camera to create shots while capturing the emotion of each scene. Multiple shots are created for each scene and this helps the editorial team to make the best choice of the shots that will give the maximums story telling effect. Step 10: At this point the layout, dialog, sound, character and models are already done and the animators choreograph the movements and facial expressions of the characters and this is done for each and every scene. Computer controls are used and avars are also necessary at this point. The movement of the Boss shirt and Sullivan long fluid fur posed a great challenge. How do you animate every wrinkle in both of theses two characters clothes? This required the use of simulations that would automatically generate such movements. Similarly, for Boo having the hair was another problem and Docter found a temporary solution by use of pigtails which were easier to animate. However, this was also complicated by the fact that these movements needed to be realistic. In particular, the Boos shirt had to drape in an aesthetically appealing way and Sulleys hair had to stick out attractively as well. The animator John Kahrs was in-charge of Sulley and lead animator for Boo was Dave DeVan. Step 11: At this point the shading is done to bringing out different color effects. In shooting of Monster Inc this was done by using software which allowed complex variations where the color shifted with the lighting. Step 12: It is the lighting that completes the whole picture and at this stage the key, fill and bounce lights become important in enhancing the mood and emotion of the characters in the scene (Richard 45). The room ambience is also defined in creating a realistic and giving out the right impression. Step 13: At last the sets, colors, character movement are put in one frame. The Pixars process used in making the Monster Inc utilized a huge computer system which interpreted the data and incorporated the motion blur. After this was done the completion of Monster Inc required final touches from the various departments. For instance the special effects and sound effects were added. In particular, the photo-science department recorded the digital frames in readiness for projection. Work Cited Elisabeth, Weis Film Sound: Theory and Practice. Columbia University Press, 1985 Mark, CottaVaz. The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting, Chronicle Books, 2004 Richard, Reckitt. Special Effects: The History and Technique, Billboard Books; 2nd edition, 2007

The History Of The European Union Politics Essay

The History Of The European Union Politics Essay The European Community was an institutional framework for the construction of a united Europe. The European Community is commonly called the (EU) and later officially became known as the European Union (EU). It was created after World War II to unite the nations of Europe economically and politically by uniting their resources into a single economy. By doing so, another war would be less likely among neighboring countries. A number of European leaders became convinced that the only way to secure a lasting peace between their countries was to unite them economically and politically. This was the framework for the building of the early European Community which expanded into the European Union. The EU was set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between its neighbors, which culminated in the World War II. In 1950, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) began to unite European countries economically and politically in order to secure lasting peace The organization oversees cooperation among its members in diverse areas, including trade, the environment, transport and employment. (BBC) The six founding countries were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Based on the Schuman plan, these six countries signed a treaty to run their heavy industries of coal and steel. Thus under a common management no country could, on its own, make weapons of war to turn against the other as in the past. The founding fathers of the European Union, and regarded by many as the principal architects of European integration following the end of the World War II were: Konrad Adenauer Sir Winston Churchill Alcide de Gasperi Walter Hallstein Jean Monnet Robert Schuman Paul Henri Spaak Altiero Spinelli In 1957, the Treaty of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC), or Common Market. Building on the success of the Coal and Steel Treaty, those six countries expanded cooperation to other economic sectors. They signed the Treaty of Rome, creating the EEC determined to lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe. (Goldberg, 2003) The idea was for people, goods and services to move freely across borders. In the 1960s, the early European Community continued to progress. The EU started its common agricultural policy in 1962, giving their countries joint control over food production. All farmers were paid the same price for their produce. The EU grew enough food for its needs and farmers earned well. There were unwanted side-effects, such as overproduction with mountains of surplus produce. Later in 1963, the EU signed its first big international agreement, a deal to help 18 former colonies in Africa. To date, this has expanded to 78 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) regions. In 1968, the original six countries removed customs duties on goods imported from each other, allowing free cross-border trade for the first time. They also applied the same duties on their imports from outside countries. The worlds biggest trading group was born. Trade among these six countries and of the EU and the rest of the world grew rapidly. In the beginning of the 1970s pollution was starting to become a problem especially in Scandinavia and Germany because of acid rain which was destroying forests. The EU eventually adopted laws to protect the environment, introducing the notion of the polluter pays for the first time, and since then Institutions such as the EU with its countries like the Netherlands and Germany have made it a cornerstone of their environment. (Bruyninckx, 2009) This led to the founding of pressure groups such as Greenpeace. In 1973, the original six countries expanded to nine when Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom formally enter the EU. As a result, in 1974 to show their solidarity the EU leaders set up the European Regional Development Fund. Its purpose was to transfer money from rich to poor regions to improve roads, communications, attract investments, and create jobs. This came to account for one third of all EU spending. In 1979, EU citizens directly elected the members of the European Parl iament for the first time. Previously they were delegated by national parliaments. Members sat in pan-European political groups (Socialist, Conservative, Liberal, Greens, etc.) and not in national delegations. The influence of the Parliament was constantly increasing. Figure . European Summit at work.The EU continued its economic growth, political expansion, and industrial modernization. Membership of the EU reached double figures when Greece joined. They had been eligible to join since its military regime was overthrown and democracy restored in 1974. In the industrial sector, computers and automation were changing the way people lived and worked. To stay in the forefront of innovation The EU organized ESPRIT, the European Strategic Program for Information Technology in 1984. (Grande, Hanson, Lackman, 1994) That was the first of many research and development programs. Automated robots soon joined car factory production lines in the 1980s as well. In 1986, Spain and Portugal entered the EU, bringing total membership to 12. However, trade was not flowing freely across EU borders because of certain obstacles and differences in national regulations. european summit.jpg The Single European Act of 1986 launched a vast six year program to sort out those trade problems. The Act also gave the European Parliament more input and strengthened EU powers on environmental protection. Next in 1987, The EU launched the Erasmus program to fund university students that wanted to study in another European country for up to one year. Since then, more than 2 million students have benefited from this and similar EU plans. The collapse of communism across Central and Eastern Europe which began in Poland and Hungary, symbolized the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Faced by a mass exodus of its citizens to West, the East German government opened the gates. Germany was united after more than 40 years, and its Eastern part joined the EU in1990. The fall of the Berlin Wall led to some economic issues At the same time, consumers suddenly had access to goods and services that hadnt been available behind the Iron Curtain, and, for the first time in decades, entrepreneurs were able to start their own companies. (Tucker, 2009) More major expansions took place in the 1990s for the EU, and later the European Community was officially recognized as the European Union. In 1992, the Treaty on European Union (TEU) was signed in Maastricht. The Treaty established Community policies in six new areas: trans-European networks, industrial policy, consumer protection, education and vocational training, youth, and culture. (EU Legislation, 2007) It was a major EU milestone setting clear rules for the future single currency, foreign policy, security policy, and closer cooperation in justice and homeland affairs. Under the treaty, the name European Union officially replaced European Community. With old barriers gone, people, goods, services, and money moved around Europe as freely as within one country. In 1993, the single market and its four freedoms were established: the free movement of goods, services, people, and money had become reality. As the EU has expanded, more than 200 laws have been agreed on since 1986 covering tax policy, business regulations, professional qualifications and other barriers to try and open more frontiers. Unfortunately, free movements of some services were still delayed. In 1995, Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the EU which increased membership to 15 countries which covered almost all of Western Europe. In the late 1990s, the Schengen Agreement took effect in seven countries: Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Travelers of any nationality could travel between all of those countries without any passport control at the borders. Other countries have since joined the passport-free Schengen area. In 1997, there was the signature of the Treaty of Amsterdam. It built on the achievements of the treaty from Maastricht by laying down plans to reform EU institutions, to give Europe a stronger voice in the world, and to concentrate more resources on employment and the rights of its citizens. Later that year, EU leaders agreed to start the process of membership negotiations with 10 countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Malta were also included in negotiations. In 1999, the Euro (European Currency) was introduced in 11 countries for commercial and financial transactions only, notes and coins would come later. The Euro countries were Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland (Greece later incorporated the Euro in 2001). However, a countrys old currency must have had a stable exchange rate for two years and because of that Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom decided to stay out of the Euro area for the time being. There were other conditions as well, such as interest rates, budget deficits, inflation rates, and the level of government debt. Moving into 2000, changes to the Treaty of Nice agreed to open the way for enlargement by reforming EU voting rules. In 2001, the EU stood firmly alongside the United States in the fight against international terrorism after the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center killing over three thousand people. Moving into 2002, Euro notes and coins were introduced. Printing, minting, and distributing them in 12 countries was a major logistical operation. More than 80 billion coins were involved, and notes were the same for all countries. Coins had one common face, giving the value, while the other carried a national emblemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦all currency circulated freely. Figure . EU PeacekeepersIn 2003, as part of its foreign and security policy, the EU took on peace-keeping operations in the Balkans. Their main concern was in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and then in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In both cases, EU-led forces replaced the NATO units. Internally, the EU agreed to create an area of freedom, security, and justice for all citizens by 2010. EU Peacekeepers.jpg In 2004, the EU finally finished the process of membership with eight countries (Bulgaria and Romania still remained candidate countries) of Central and Eastern Europe: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia joined the EU. This finally ended the division of Europe which had been decided by the Great Powers 60 years earlier at Yalta. Next, twenty-five EU countries signed a Treaty to establish a European Constitution in 2004. It was designed to streamline democratic decision-making and management in an EU of twenty five or more countries. It also created the post of a European Foreign Minister. The Constitution had to be ratified by all 25 countries before it could go into force. When citizens in both France and the Netherlands voted No to the Constitution in referendums in 2005, EU leaders declared a period of reflection. (EurActiv, 2007) The constitutional treaty signed in 2004 was meant to make the EU more efficient. In 2007, two more countries from Eastern Europe, Bulgaria and Romania, joined the EU. This brought the total number of member states to twenty-seven. Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey were candidates for future membership, but have not yet been accepted. Later that year, the twenty seven EU countries signed the Treaty of Lisbon, which amended the previous Treaties. It was designed to make the EU more democratic, efficient and transparent, and thereby able to tackle global challenges such as climate change, security, and sustainable development. The Treaty of Lisbon aimed to make the EU primarily act more efficiently in security matters. Also in 2007, a Council decision was made determining the order in which the office of President of the Council should be held. The position is held for six months by each Member State on a rotational basis. The Council is the main decision-making body of the European Union. The ministers of the Member States meet within the Council of the European Union. Depending on the issues on the agenda, each country is represented by the minister responsible for that subject (foreign affairs, finance, social affairs, transport, agriculture, etc.). Council responsibilities included: The Council passes laws, usually legislating jointly with the European Parliament. The Council coordinates the broad economic policies of the Member States. The Council defines and implements the EUs common foreign and security policy, based on guide lines set by the European Council. The Council concludes, on behalf of the Community and the Union, international agreements between the EU and one or more states or international organizations. The Council coordinates the actions of Member States and adopts measures in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. The Council and the European Parliament constitute the budgetary authority that adopts the Communitys budget. In 2008, Cyprus and Malta incorporated the Euro, increasing the size of the Eurozone to 15 Member States. The value of the Euro reached an all time high on July 18th at 1.5843 to the U.S. dollar. However, later in the year, the worldwide recession began to take its toll on the currency and European economies. Also in 2008, Sweden ratified the Lisbon Treaty. Slovakia incorporated the Euro in 2009, and the Eurozone now included 16 Member States. In December, the worlds three main credit ratings agencies downgraded Greeces debt, sending financial markets tumbling and raising concerns about other weak European economies like Portugal, Spain, Ireland and Italy. Concerns started to show as The leaders of the European Union gathered in Brussels in an emergency summit meeting that seemed to highlight the very worries it was designed to calm: that the world economic crisis has unleashed forces threatening to split Europe into rival camps. (Castle Erlange, 2009) Later that year, the previously signed Lisbon Treaty entered into force. As the EU struggled in 2010 to contain the debt crisis, Standard Poors in April downgraded Greeces sovereign debt to junk status, and cut Portugal and Spains credit ratings. The Eurozone finance ministers met in May to approve a à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬110 billion ($146 billion) loan package to Greece. That June, the Euro reached a four year low, falling below à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬0.862017 ($1.19). Eventually the Euro began to comeback the EU recovered from the global financial crisis faster than expected, with business investments growing by an estimated 2% in 2010, but with public investment and housing development lagging. Strong corporate profits should enable this recovery to continue in 2011. (The World Factbook) To date, the EU continues to progress and move forward amid untimely setbacks. In closing, the European Community formed as a result of WWII with the intent of preventing European countries from another war, devastating destruction, and the loss of lives within its soon to be member States. The European Community gradually evolved into the European Union with the purpose of increasing economic integration, citizen socialization among its member States, modernizing industrialization, and to centralize a monetary currency among its member States. European citizens now have the freedom to live, work, and study in any part of the EU. Since the European Community began over half a century ago, the EU has taken great strides in achieving a greater sense of unity among its members States and throughout Europe. The future of the European Union rests in its ability to balance supranational (social) and intergovernmental (monetary) issues. While the EU decision-making process might become bogged down as the number of member States around the table increases, the EU has a solid foundation to evolve and prosper with the right unified leadership from within its member States.