Now after 17 centuries of experience in the courts of secular power, there are few (in the US at least) that think we have anything to do with change. We are defined as a rock-solid and morally righteous political block of social conservatives, either to be wooed or rendered ineffectual, depending on your point-of-view.

The clout of the so-called religious right is waning. Blame it on the lack of a unifying candidate if you want to, but as a Christian I think this is a good thing. Political power is the opiate of the religious. Ironically, the very power we sought has stripped our true effectiveness, and defined us as merely another political force among many.

So it?s over, Connie. This will actually be good for both of us.

For the first 300 years of our existence the Christian community was decidedly counter-culture, without secular status or power. We were known for our love and community; our growth came mostly from among the poor. Then with Constantine we gained a champion who blended cross, sword and earthly wealth. We rose out of the catacombs and into the courts of the civic lords.

The Bible refers to us collectively as the ?Bride of Christ.? Our dalliance with this handsome patrician Constantine was the first of our serial adulteries with rulers good and bad: Charlemagne, Henry, Catherine, Francisco, Benito, William, George?all of them. We leveraged them, or they us. Shamefully, at our worst, we became accomplices-by-silence, as we did in 1930?s Germany.

Our role remains shallow today if all we do is find candidates or political causes with the values closest to our own and then endorse them. If our work does not actually target the greatest need for change, in the human heart, we have instead merely adopted the American secular power system (admittedly the best one out there) and then tried to dress it up with our morals. Given the failing and sin that occupies even the best of human systems, this approach is a bit like putting lipstick on a pig.

At our very core we represent an entirely different order, one that is deeply suspicious of all worldly power. The Christian concept of authority is upside-down from the rest of the world; we believe that to be great is to be a servant, and that the last shall be first. We believe in turning the other cheek and in loving our enemies. These are difficult to live out practically, but nobody claimed it would be easy.

This ought to produce Christian citizens who are engaged and involved, making decisions for the practical good of the world order. We have a good example of this in one of our own evangelicals, William Wilberforce, who worked to end English slave trade in 1833.

For most of the issues that divide liberals and conservatives, there is not a ?Christian position.? Believers disagree about the role of government in economics, or whether any certain worldly conflict is just. I hate to startle or anger my evangelical friends, but this means that a committed, born-again evangelical Christians can just as likely be a Democrat as Republican.

Jesus told us to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar?s and to God the things that are God?s. These two citizenships are not to be confused. I am a Christian, and because of that, I am in nobody?s camp. If I am persuaded you may have my vote, but my heart belongs to God.

As an insider of African politics, growing there, being there, being impacted by; I can tell you that the funniest and assuredly the craziest thing is that the damage those local politics do has more destructive impact than whatever direct rulers would have ever done even in apartheid times, whatever colonialists would have already done to former colonies.

Nowadays throughout Africa local politics under influence of foreign forces (interests…) are perpetrating huge treason to their people mostly illiterate…to their advantages!

The world have watched happening right before our eyes, Political Unrest followed by unfinished massacre scenes in Rwanda, in Congo, in Liberia, in Sudan and unexpectedly in Ivory Coast and soon in Senegal.

The African American community, the African diaspora so to speak has a major role in preventing and entering into play in that international arena of preventive diplomacy wherever required in Africa… it’s not just about following the lead of those corrupt governments to give oneself a sense of collaborative approach, the best citizen-oriented initiatives are led by civil society organisations in Africa… and a thoughtful and delicate filtering of those organisations is a MUST for any foreign assistance scheme to avoid infiltration by those same negative “Club, family interests group” we’re supposed to be fighting in an attempt to recover African dignity in this 21st Century.

In South Africa Thabo Mbeki is ousted following an open frivolous campaign orchestrated by the British Empire… in Ivory Coast after Rwanda and Congo…in Sudan after conflicting interests of the Godfathers civilians are paying the price from their blood, family dispersion, community and environmental destruction.

Until then, until a major an consistent Diaspora public opinion is harnessed by the fierce urgency of now, information and communication with and from any news media is the key to sustaining and shaping that Mandatory Collective Diaspora Response to local African woes… efficiently and with due speed, South Africa, Senegal, Congo, Sudan and other parts of Africa cannot allow or permit the dynamic process of reform to slow down…Actually, you know it or not, enemies of DEMOCRACY operate All in the background of all governments in Africa, they’re all Old western colonial emperors and empires who fed slavery in All Ways, Lumumba with Belgium, France in Central/West Africa, South Africa with the British Kings…wishing to expand and sustain their privileges in Old African lands, worse yet to come, when the European Union will be chaired by its former Blair.

Consequently, from the civil society standpoint, the process of fundamental reform and all it that entails, is the first priority, not only among CLEAN politicians, but among all legitimate organisations, columnists, academics, and especially the man in the street are thinking and talking about reform continuously…Media is being guarded pond of the State in most African nations, leading to less freedom of Speech.

And yes we have two choices:
1- Whether we weep for the seemingly saddening, sickening share of Africa, Or
2- We stand the path to networking for a sustainable & prosperous Africa and its people…Advocating the Cause!

Beyond good wills, and grass root initiatives, we have to launch some sorts of Preventive Diplomacy Agenda towards African countries now we’re witnessing a contrary trend to this new century turning point… From Any STANDPOINT… the only chance for Africa to unite with its Diaspora and itself…

While I finish these lines a Bob Marley song comes in background: ”There’s a natural mystic blowing in the air. If you listen carefully now you will hear.”

It’s been song, chanted in the churches, prayed for in mosks, foreseen in many dreams… The same way Jews are helping Israel in all ways, Africa will be or will not be following whatever disposition its scattered diaspora will be doing for it. Unfortunately it seems like most are not getting it.

M. Demba N.

Political factors that can affect a Six Sigma project include personal resistance to change, inflexible company policies, and incompatibility with existing organizational methods and goals. Not surprisingly, all of these factors also affect business processes of any kind. They are not unique to Six Sigma. This is one of Six Sigma’s strengths: realistically acknowledging the way politics work in an organization. Six Sigma is not just number crunching. It understands the importance of and encourages the involvement of people throughout and at all levels of the organization working together toward a common goal. Six Sigma encourages planning, communication, and openness about processes, procedures, and information.

Many people see change, any change, as loss?a loss of their power or a loss of the security of the old way of doing things. Thus, people are prone to defend the old way, out of habit and out of unease. They wonder how change will affect them and what exactly happens behind the scenes and if they don’t know, become apprehensive. This is a problem that can be overcome through communication. Six Sigma successes require clear and open communication at all levels. Any change in an organization will meet some resistance, either intentional or just from inertia. When management can effectively communicate that it is behind that change and can communicate the positive aspects of the change, resistance and “turf” politics can be countered and overcome.

Another problem is people who disregard the value and power of Six Sigma and consequently, they are reluctant to support Six Sigma projects. To the uninitiated, Six Sigma may appear similar to or simply an evolution of other quality programs. There have been so many quality improvement fads over the years. It is not surprising that people are now a little jaded. Others may see Six Sigma as solely another cost-cutting or productivity enhancement fad. This is a short-sighted view. Six Sigma is neither a fad nor just another quality initiative. It is a “way of life.” It is a multi-level, cyclical movement toward continual process improvement. The quality improvement fads sell themselves as cheap and easy quick fixes. The reality is that there are no quick fixes to significant process improvement. Six Sigma understands that; it is not a simple quick process. However, the right Six Sigma training and information will help people to understand that Six Sigma is significantly different; it is a robust continuous improvement strategy and process.

Once projects are begun, Six Sigma projects can become a battle of wills for control over which strategy, approach, or tool is used. Team meetings can devolve into arguments over which measurement to use, how it will be calculated, which charts will be generated, whether to use DMAIC or DMADV, etc. Six Sigma is not about making things more difficult. It is about using common sense to make things easier. It is certainly about recognizing that there is more than one road to improvement and more than one right answer to a problem.

In overcoming political problems, the leadership of senior management is critical. Successful Six Sigma programs are built on a solid organizational foundation. The organizational structure and system needs to be clearly identified and communicated to the entire organization to successfully implement Six Sigma Quality. Becoming a Six Sigma organization doesn’t just happen. Planning and training goes into setting up a successful Six Sigma organization. Employee roles and responsibilities must be established and clearly communicated to all. For many companies successful in Six Sigma, the key factor has been the direct involvement of their top leaders.

Six Sigma is about getting everyone involved. A Six Sigma project forms a team of people who work together to identify problems and develop solutions. Such teams are not isolated teams rearranging the world for everyone else to live in. These teams are serving the organization by employing the skills and tools they have learned to increase quality and reduce defects. Instilling the team concept along with expert training will go a long way toward solving potential political troubles in your organization.

Looking onto the history of Chicago’s politics, one can see it as a democratic stronghold. The City, in fact has not elected even a single Republican as a mayor, after the year 1927. This simple fact might tell you that this is a Democratic stronghold. The city’s democratic organization is popularly known as the Chicago Democratic Machine. The city has been favoring Democrats, in the presidential elections also. Nowadays though, there has been an intense fight between the parties, but still Democrats have had the last laugh. There are eight persons, chosen as the U.S Representatives from the city. This is a large ratio as only nineteen are chosen as the U.S Representatives from the state of Illinois, out of which eight have a part in the city. The Chicago city hall houses various departments of the state and also the offices of the mayor and other notable dignitaries who are responsible for the welfare of the city and the state. It also convenes the several such official meetings.

The politics of the Chicago has been one of the most interesting of its kind. If you would like to know more about the politics of Chicago, then do visit Chicago politics, where you will be able to get a lot of information regarding this.

Sometimes the Politics of Fear are frightfully effective. After WWI the Nazis managed to convince the public that Jews were gong to take everything away from them. The German citizens were told that the Jews were a threat to their livelihoods and lifestyles. The citizens of Germany gave their power away to the Nazis and found themselves living in a harsh police state that committed the largest genocide in history.

One characteristic of societies that are ruled by the Politics of Fear is that they tend not to deliver prosperity to anyone except for a handful of insiders. The only economics that work very well with the Politics of Fear are to devote a significant part of the economy to the business of war and enforcement. When more of the economy is devoted to these activities livings conditions and civil liberties suffer. The culture becomes repressive.

On the other hand the Politics of Hope tend to stimulate economic growth, and skew that growth away from war and enforcement and into things like entertainment, travel, and investment. People are much more likely to spend and invest if they feel hopeful about the future. People are much more likely to give to charity in a climate of hope and optimism. This produces a culture that is expansive and promotes freedom and expression.

Creating an environment of hope and optimism is the job of leadership. It is disturbing to see that when society is threatened or at war that most leaders begin to talk in pessimistic tones ? as if this is the only way they can appear seriously concerned about what is going on. This however, is the signature of minds that lack vision or the ability to inspire.

It is especially important to maintain a hopeful and optimistic attitude during times of challenge or hardship. This is how we are able to emerge from trying circumstances with the greatest amount of momentum. Consider what leadership did to help us emerge from the Great Depression. FDR talked about opportunity and led the way for business by investing in the country?s infrastructure and creating jobs. Think about the stock market. Stocks rise and fall on the perception that things are going to get better or worse for a particular company or the economy as a whole. Great leaders are able to inspire the public and instill a feeling of we can do this in the minds and hearts of citizens.

This approach stimulates the Will of the People to take on challenges that otherwise seem too daunting. Willpower is perhaps the most important quality required to persevere, overcome adversity and emerge victorious. It is certainly possible to motivate people through fear ? but it is nowhere near as powerful as stimulating their will through inspiration.

Our society faces some of the greatest challenges in the history of humankind. We need great leaders to inspire us to do whatever is necessary to move through these challenges as efficiently as possible so we can create and maintain a high quality of life on planet Earth.

Remember this when you vote. Vote for the candidate with the best visionary and leadership potential. This will be the person capable of seeing through the problems to the solutions and communicating this vision to the public. Such a leader can inspire the hope and optimism necessary to summons the collective will of the people to move beyond our challenges and towards a brighter future for all. Support these leaders and we can transform the Politics of Fear into the Politics of Hope.

In closing I suggest you read Restoring Democracy, an article on the Bright Future website. It contains clues about why we tend to elect politicians instead of leaders, and how we change this trend.

Does that seem sad to you? Me too. However there are times when being politically slanted can come in handy. It isn’t all just sounding like a clone produced by an idealistic cult. Sometimes those of us who actually think about things before responding have a disadvantage.

This seems counter-intuitive to us normal people who don’t run every single thing everybody says through a political filter. I mean, we actually listen to people and don’t suspect a hidden agenda when the person behind the counter at Denny’s asks us for our order. We think that getting into an argument with the waitress at the point because she didn’t address global warming is a bit nuts. But we are a bit short-sighted, and don’t understand how being a political nut can actually be a benefit in many situations.

For example, let’s say you find yourself in a group of starving people that are waiting for food to be distributed by some government authority. Now let’s say that you are really against the killing of certain sea mammals. OK, so they announce on the loudspeaker that the expected food shipment didn’t come today but a small group of natives managed to club one of these mammals to death and it has been grilled up medium-rare. However there is only enough for about 60% of the people. Because you are so appalled at the whole notion, you know not to bother stampeding with most of the other starving people towards the front.

OK, lets go with a more realistic example. Let’s say a scientist stops by your work and wants to demonstrate a new power source which uses human anger as it’s fuel. None of your co-workers care much about politics and thus are pretty easy going people. When the scientist tries to demonstrate the product, there is no fuel at hand for it. So your boss makes a slanted statement in support of the opposite political party as you, and now you are the one who gets to fuel the new energy source.

All right, all right, here is an even more realistic example. A co-worker accidentally states that she thinks Americans should support whoever happens to be President regardless of which party you belong to. Now you can finally put that person in their place and let them have it. Justice will at least temporarily be done, and no doubt you will gain the respect of everyone in your office.

Basically whenever unwarranted anger is needed, or lashing out at people who don’t deserve it will save the day, your political affiliations will be a needed and much appreciated resource. Don’t bother waiting around for thanks. Just be happy that you are helping to save the world a little bit at a time.

The political parties: According to the Basic Law it is the task of the political parties to participate in political will form by the people. Parties whose commitment to democracy is in doubt can, at the request of the Federal Government, be banned from participation in the country?s political life. However, such a ban is not automatically forthcoming in any sense. Should the Federal Government consider a ban to be appropriate because such parties pose a threat to the democratic system, it can only petition for such a ban. The idea is to prevent the ruling parties simply banning those parties who might prove awkward in the fight for votes.

The electoral system: The German Electoral system makes it very difficult for any one party to form a government on its own. This has only happened once in 56 years. An alliance of parties is the general rule. So that voters know which partner the party they voted for is considering governing with, the parties issue coalition statements before embarking on the election campaign. By voting for a particular party citizens thus express on the one hand a preference for a specific party alliance, and on the other determine the balance of power between the desired future partners in government.

The Federal President: The Federal President is the head of state of the Federal Republic of Germany. He represents the country in its dealings with other countries and appoints government members, judges and high-ranking civil servants. With his signature, acts become legally binding. He can dismiss the government and, in exceptional cases, dissolve parliament before its term of office is completed. The Federal President remains in office for a period of five years; he can be re-elected only once. He is elected by the Federal Convention, which is made up of members of the Bundestag.

The federal structure: The German federal state is a complex entity. It consists of a central Federal Government and 16 federal states. The Basic Law lays out in great details which issues fall within the ambit of the Federal Government and which devolve to the federal states. Public life in Germany is predominantly based on central laws. In accordance with the principle of subsidiary citizens, on the other hand, deal almost exclusively with state and local authorities acting on behalf of the federal states. The reason for this is the aim of the Basic Law to combine the advantages of a unified state with those of a federal state.

The Federal Constitutional Court: The Federal Constitutional Court is a characteristic institution of post-war German democracy. The Basic Law accorded it the right to repeal legislation passed as part of the legitimate democratic process should it come to the conclusion that such legislation contravenes the Basic Law. The Constitutional Court only acts in response to petitions. Ultimately every German court is obliged to submit a petition for actual assessment of the normative basis to the Constitutional Court should it consider a law to be un-constitutional. The Federal Constitutional Court holds a monopoly on interpretation of the constitution with regard to all jurisdictions.

Germany and Europe: Given the high standards with regard to the constitutional state and democracy as a result of the Basic Law, the Federal Constitutional Court is also a player in the European political arena. The court has illustrated on several occasions that European law must satisfy the criteria of the Basic Law if Germany politics is to relinquish to the EU the rights to draw up its own laws. In this respect to a certain extent the ?eternal guarantee? of applicable principles with regard to the Basic Law vies with the Basic Law?s commitment to European integration.

If you want to know more about Germany politics please contact us at German Information Centre to get the latest information.

You basically need to focus on fitting in with the scheme of

things around the office. Be friendly and outgoing and offer

support to your co-workers and management when possible.

Refuse to engage in the sleazier side of office politics and

soon management and your peers will take notice of you.

You will win their support and respect.

Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn to management. Don’t

assume that they should know what you do all day. They

have their own agenda and may take notice of some things

that you do, but many things may go unnoticed. Your positive

attitude and activities will rally support and leave a lasting

impression to everyone.

It’s ok to offer to take on additional responsibilities, but

only do it if you have the time or someone else hasn’t

stepped up to the plate. Don’t bite off more than you

can chew, it will make matters worse and make you

look incompetent. The trick is to show that you are

worth more and soon you will not only fit in, but also

come to be relied on for more important assignments.

You will be a player in the game of office politics, no

longer an outsider looking in. An increase in

responsibilities usually means a raise as well.

Playing the game of office politics well can lead to many

rewards in your career. In addition to fitting in and getting

personal recognition when an opportunity presents itself,

you also need to accept constructive criticism just as well.

Never take it personally, rather look at it as a chance to

grow and learn from mistakes. If you come off as defensive

when you are being criticized, it will sabotage any chance

you have of becoming part of a group.

Know your limitations, toot your own horn, play by the rules,

make your talents shine and most of all, respect yourself

and those around you. Remember that you will not be able

to please all of the people all of the time. But pleasing those

that count, those in authority and those that you work closely

with is equal to winning half the battle. Be subtle, make the

transition as seamless as possible and make yourself useful.

Only then will you have a chance at winning the war. It is the

easiest way to survive office politics in any company.

Article written by Simone Emmons.

Mr. Cole agrees that the Internet plays a pivotal role in
providing a more equitable society that encourages
participatory development. He argues that due to the
younger generation having the ability to effectively
communicate through Internet forums, they are more
willing to express their political opinions online. The
younger generation also has the opportunity to engage
in academic discussions with people who are older and
have more experience, such as university lecturers, or
people who specialize in the area of discussion. Hence,
the Internet has clearly demonstrated its use in terms
of educating the younger generation for the future.
However, the positive benefits that can be gained through
the use of the Internet not only extends to young citizens,
but has also created an impact for those who are in the
workforce and are keen to learn more about their nation’s
political system.

Research has shown that many Americans are ?surfing’ on the
Internet before a Federal Election to increase their knowledge
about political parties and their policies. Mr. Cole states, “The
Internet is no longer a marginal force in American politics ? it
is quickly becoming the central force in empowering voters.
“(ComputerWorld, 2005:1). For example, the success of the
election of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean was mainly
due to the Internet, where online fundraising and lobbying was
used to ensure that people were adequately informed of the
parties’ policies.

Hence, due to the power of the Internet, although many would
argue that a person needs a certain level of knowledge and
expertise before they are able to master the Internet and its
search engines effectively, these people also agree that new
software and computer technicians are slowly changing
technological discourse in order to accommodate for people
who may not be as technically inclined. Although it is
generally agreed that the environment of cyberspace and the
purpose of using the Internet is constantly changing to suit
the needs of contemporary society, gaining information about
political parties and their policies still remains a top priority for
Internet users, especially those living in Western society.

Article written by M6.Net Web Hosting.

As all pakistani?s as well as other nations knows it well these days that in pakistan we have two party system but it is not a bad thing because so many countries have two party system in their countries but more than this we have one man show in our political parties and that thing is very dangerous for all of us in pakistan how? the answer is:

As most of you people know about kings and how they rule their countries that way is not a democratic way of government and in that scenario general people does not have right to express there views openly and say truth openly the same thing is in our political parties the difference is that political leader are not accepting that they are king of their party.

Leg pulling in Pakistani Politics

these days Pakistani politics is on high ranks..how ?

PPP the governing political party try to hold his control on all the provinces and in this struggle they try to pull PML-N legs as soon as possible but till now with he grace of Lotta?s PML-N is still hold the biggest province control.
But?.. when Mr. President will come back from the visit of China there will some thong new in Pakistani politics what will be that we don?t know but one thing that we should know,the situation is going to be after president?s visit to China will not be good for general people of Pakistan.

Situation In Punjab

As you all knew that these days politics in Punjab is on peak but i think not politics but Lotta?s on high rates and PPP is trying to get hold in the biggest province of Pakistan and PML-N don?t want to quit from Punjab who is right and who is wrong i don?t know it is up to you people.please tell me who is right in this situation but one thing that i know very well that the situation in Punjab is not good for Democracy and the people of Pakistan especially for people of Punjab.

??????????

Raja Waqar Arif

Read More at http://www.rajawaqar.com