What You Need to Know About the Crusades

What You Need to Know About the Crusades The medieval Crusade was a holy war. For a conflict to be officially considered a Crusade, it had to be sanctioned by the pope and conducted against groups seen as enemies of Christendom. Initially, only those expeditions to the Holy Land (Jerusalem and associated territory) were considered Crusades. More recently, historians have also recognized campaigns against heretics, pagans, and Muslims in Europe as Crusades. How the Crusades Began For centuries, Jerusalem had been governed by Muslims, but they tolerated Christian pilgrims because they helped the economy. Then, in the 1070s, Turks (who were also Muslim) conquered these holy lands and mistreated Christians before realizing how useful their goodwill (and money) could be. The Turks also threatened the Byzantine Empire. Emperor Alexius asked the pope for assistance, and Urban II, seeing a way to harness the violent energy of Christian knights, made a speech calling for them to take back Jerusalem. Thousands responded, resulting in the First Crusade. When the Crusades Began and Ended Urban II made his speech calling for Crusade at the Council of Clermont in November, 1095. This is seen as the start of the Crusades. However, the reconquista of Spain, an important precursor to crusading activity, had been going on for centuries. Traditionally, the fall of Acre in 1291 marks the end of the Crusades, but some historians extend them to 1798, when Napoleon expelled the Knights Hospitaller from Malta. Crusader Motivations There were as many different reasons for crusading as there were crusaders, but the single most common reason was piety. To crusade was to go on pilgrimage, a holy journey of personal salvation. Whether that also meant giving up virtually everything and willingly facing death for God, bending to peer or family pressure, indulging bloodlust without guilt, or seeking adventure or gold or personal glory depended entirely on who was doing the crusading. Who Went on Crusade People from all walks of life, from peasants and laborers to kings and queens, answered the call. Women were encouraged to give money and stay out of the way, but some went on crusade anyway. When nobles crusaded, they often brought huge retinues, whose members may not necessarily have wanted to go along. At one time, scholars theorized that younger sons more frequently went crusading in search of estates of their own; however, crusading was an expensive business, and recent research indicates it was lords and elder sons who were more likely to crusade. The Number of Crusades Historians have numbered eight expeditions to the Holy Land, though some lump the 7th and 8th together for a total of seven crusades. However, there was a steady stream of armies from Europe to the Holy Land, so it is nearly impossible to distinguish separate campaigns. In addition, some crusades have been named, including the Albigensian Crusade, the Baltic (or Northern) Crusades, the Peoples Crusade, and the Reconquista. Crusader Territory Upon the success of the First Crusade, the Europeans set up a king of Jerusalem and established what is known as the Crusader States. Also called outremer (French for across the sea), the Kingdom of Jerusalem controlled Antioch and Edessa, and it was divided into two territories since these places were so far-flung. When ambitious Venetian merchants convinced warriors of the Fourth Crusade to capture Constantinople in 1204, the resulting government was referred to as the Latin Empire, to distinguish it from the Greek, or Byzantine, empire they had claimed. Crusading Orders Two important military orders were established in the early 12th century: the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar. Both were monastic orders whose members took vows of chastity and poverty, yet they were also militarily trained. Their primary purpose was to protect and aid pilgrims to the Holy Land. Both orders did very well financially, particularly the Templars, who were notoriously arrested and disbanded by Philip IV of France in 1307. The Hospitallers outlasted the Crusades and continue, in a much-altered form, to this day. Other orders were established later, including the Teutonic Knights. Impact of the Crusades Some historians particularly Crusades scholars consider the Crusades the single most important series of events in the Middle Ages. The significant changes in the structure of European society that took place in the 12th and 13th centuries were long considered the direct result of Europes participation in the Crusades. This view no longer holds as strongly as it once did. Historians have recognized many other contributing factors in this complex time. Yet there is no doubt the Crusades contributed greatly to changes in Europe. The effort of raising armies and providing supplies for Crusaders stimulated the economy; trade benefited, as well, especially once the Crusader States were established. Interaction between the East and West affected European culture in areas of art and architecture, literature, mathematics, science and education. And Urbans vision of directing the energies of warring knights outward succeeded in reducing war within Europe. Having a common foe and common objective, even for those who didnt participate in the Crusade, fostered a view of Christendom as a united entity.   This has been a very basic introduction to the Crusades. For a better understanding of this extremely complex and greatly-misunderstood topic, please explore our Crusades Resources or read one of the Crusades Books recommended by your Guide.

Biomechanical Laboratory Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biomechanical Laboratory - Article Example Bioabsorbable interference screws are popular in endoscopic reconstructions of the ACL as there is no need for a second operation for removal and no complicating factor in case of a revision surgery. Pullout studies of metal and bioabsorbable interference screws have yielded similar results. However, a randomized controlled clinical trial comparing patients having metal interference screws with those having bioabsorbable poly-l-lactic acid screws showed subjective knee function to be better in the patients in the metal screw group although no difference in stability was noted between the two groups (Drogset et al., 2005) 3. Bioabsorbable interference screw breakage can be a problem in ACL reconstructive surgery which necessitates burying the screw on graft fixation (MacDonald and Arneja, 2003 ) 4. Partial or non-uniform degradation of bioabsorbable screws could lead to breakage with daily activities (Hall et al., 2009) 5. An in vitro study by Schwach and Vert (1999)6 showed a loss of 50% of compression strength in poly-L-lactic acid screws due to hydrolytic degradation between 2 and 5 months. While the overall complication rate associated with the use of this implant is low, complications involving osteolysis and aseptic effusion of the knee joint have been reported (Baums et al., 2006)7. Other complications that have been reported with bioabsorbable interference screws include cyst formation, tunnel widening, late screw breakage, and intra-articular migration (Appelt et al., 2007; Lembeck et al., 2005) 8, 9 According to Weiler et al. (1998)1, graft fixation close to the ACL insertion site increases anterior knee stability. The authors could do this successfully using a round threaded biodegradable interference screw. Interference screw fixation of bone-patellar tendon-bone grafts is a well-established process in ACL fixation. A study was conducted by Zheng.

How Civil War Resolved Slavery Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How Civil War Resolved Slavery Issue - Essay Example The political power of planter prevented the nation unification under central government with capability of implementing an economic policy that was intended to stimulate industrial development. And even though slavery generated massive power and wealth for the planters, it never led to a similar substantial commercial and industrial growth as was witnessed in the free states. Hence, slavery became a fetter on the industrial capitalism development in the United States. This paper seeks to discuss how the Civil War resolved the slavery issue; and the difference between the slave perspective we have been traditionally taught and that of Celia. The destruction of slavery through Civil War vastly accelerated development of the industrial capitalism. According to Kral (1995), the Civil War was organized and led by Lincoln as a revolution element. This war was characterized by the general strikes among the slaves and their involvement as soldiers, helpers, and spies actively in the Union army. The blacks also made a decisive contribution in building up a movement of mass revolution that led the Civil War. Many of the black activists who were refugees in the South also initiated the abolitionist movement and maintained it during the 1830s and 1840s dark days. They guided it ultimately to the point where it gained popular influence significantly in the 1850s. Antislavery activists also stimulated and exacerbated powerfully the tensions between the South and North, and assisted in providing ideological standard to unite the forces that were struggling against slavery (Kral 200). After the shots of the Civil War, 150 years later, important lessons are learned. The perspectives that we have been traditionally taught on the extent to which white supremacy and racism permeated the society of America from its inception. This marked the end of slavery. Celia, a slave's more local, regional, global perspective differs from the perspective that we have been traditionally taught. Celia, a slave was in the perspective of an isolated incident that indicated common fear of slavery in the period of antebellum in the United States. The perspective of Celia on slavery is that of the struggle of young slave women through the undeserved hardships of injustice and rape. The Celia’s story illustrates the root cause of the racism problems that America is still facing in their society today (McLaurin 97). Celia perceives slavery as racial discrimination where the white males dominate the culture which looks down upon the African Americans, with females being the most oppressed. Celia looks at views of slavery times and t he values that still could pierce the daily lives of people in the United Sates as McLaurin (1991) illustrates. Slavery as we are traditionally taught developed in America less than one generation after Jamestown was founded in 1607. According to Kral (1995), slavery spanned long due to the discovery of the possibility of making, from the cultivation of tobacco, a fortune, which was a product with large market in the European countries. Tobacco plantation needed disciplined and intensive labor, and not many colonists were ready to work for other people (Willis 76). Therefore the labor challenges and shortages led to slavery. In summary, the paper has discussed how the Civil War resolved the issue of Slavery. According to Willis (1979), the origin of American Civil War can be traced from the bourgeois revolution. Slavery became a

Lab report about lenses Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

About lenses - Lab Report Example All these have been exemplified well in the analysis segment and discussion segment. The main objective of this experiment is the determination of the focal length as well as the focal points of lenses. In this entire experiment, two methodologies for finding out the spherical lens’s focal length were chosen. They refer to the lens replacement methodology, and the lens formula methodology. The first method sets basis on the lens formula which is very essential when it comes to this concept. This formula states that there is a linear relationship between, image distance (v), object distance (u), and focal length (f) of the spherical lens (Boston, 2010).Therefore, after recording some variables regarding the object and the image distances, the computation of the focal length will be a very easy task. This can be done using the following formula: On the other hand, the lens replacement technique has to do with a number of frameworks. For instance; if the screen and the lamp housing are separated from maybe (a) to around (s) cm, two positions between shall definitely be established, hence leading to the formation of an image on a screen. This is with accordance to the concept of reversibility of light. From that point, the focal length can hence be computed using the following formula: The experiment started after assembling all the apparatus that included; the optical lens, light source, optical benches, lens mounts, as well as the screens. Using the lens mounts, a lens was mounted on a flat surface. The targeted object was then placed at a specific distance in front of the lens. The screen was thus placed at the rear end so as to monitor the reflected image. The object distance was slightly altered with, and based on this, the consequent variation on the image distance was thus determined. The same procedure was repeated with a constant variation in the object distances. The results were the recorded accordingly for further

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy A recently adopted form of psychotherapy known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy has become very popular. It was created in the 90s by Steven Hayes and is a form of behavioral and cognitive therapy. These therapy methods have long been used to treat behavioral issues like anxiety, stress due to traumatic situations, and depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches patients to take a negative thought and evaluate all the reasons why it is false. However, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) will allow the patient to accept that thought right away. Those thoughts may even be allowed to continue or repeat until the intensity of them is naturally reduced. These unwanted thoughts are not readily released but instead are accepted. Professional therapists who use the ACT technique have argued that this method more successful in a shorter amount of time. It allows a person to understand that they can still take action with having to modify or altar your feelings in any way. You can realize that you are having these disconcerting feelings but still are able to act on the opposite. ACT stresses the idea of Mindfulness, which is a practice of being present in thoughts and daily living. You will also be taught to identify your personal set of values and chose behaviors and actions that agree with your values. Data has shown that from 1996 to the present, that there has been a high effectiveness rate in a variety of situations. Founder and supporters of this therapy method believe that a higher level of fulfillment is achieved when we can overcome thoughts and feelings that are negative. Patients are taught to choose to take positive action event when destructive situations arise. Even this therapys acronym implies that in the end you need to act to make in any positive change. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a great tool for people dealing with substance abuse, physical or emotional abuse, as well as patients with OCD, phobias, and bi-polar disorders. Couples and families have also been able to benefit from this method and grow closer and more intimate with each other. Adult A.D.D. Adult A.D.D or Adult Attention Deficit Disorder is where people have difficulty focusing for a certain amount of time or on one thing at a time. Many people with varying types of Attention Deficit Disorders feel that others easily misunderstand them. They do not see the world in the same way as others. Diagnosis of this disorder is underrepresented in adults and possibly over diagnosed in children. In fact, adults often dont realize what the symptoms that they are A.D.D until their children get diagnosed with it. Adults who suffer from this condition have problems with continuing a task, being organized, or getting things done on time. Additionally, those dealing with this have issues with having long-term relationships and controlling mood swings. The test used to help diagnose an adult is relatively the same as children, but instead of word like school, the adult will use work. So if you score with the range of having this condition, what do you do next? You will need to have a doctor eliminate other possible reasons for your symptoms like, OCD, bi-polar, depression, anxiety, or hormonal imbalances. Early menopause and pre-menopause can also cause women to exhibit similar signs of attention deficit. At first, your doctor may give you antidepressants because depression is common in adults with this disorder. If these dont work, then they may progress to a stimulant drug if you dont have a history of drug abuse as this medication can be addicting. For this reason, people with this disorder feel that the treatment is worse then the condition. There are ways to cope with Adult A.D.D naturally. Modifying your lifestyle with a proper diet and exercise can help you deal with the disorder without medical side effects. Regular exercise helps you to relieve stress and can even reduce depression. Nutrition is very important when we need to focus. Brain boosting foods with amino and fatty acids are key to helping you reduce attention deficit symptoms. Lastly, make lists. Lists can help you stay on task. Place duties of the highest importance first and practice going in order. You will feel proud of yourself each night when all of your tasks have been completed. Depression Quiz Depression is much more than mere sadness. It is defined as emotional dejection and withdrawal. We often say that we are depressed because something unfortunate happened during our day or we couldnt get our way. However, real depression is a clinically diagnosed condition that often needs therapy and or medication to relieve. There is a way to find out if you have a tendency toward this condition. It is called a depression quiz. This test helps you determine whether you are showing signs of being depressed by the symptoms you express. This test wont show results of how deeply this condition is felt, but it is very helpful toward getting a diagnosis and determining your state of mind. Showing your doctor this test will help him or her to ascertain the level of your condition and what steps will need to be taken. This test is geared towards making you aware of the general signs and symptoms of this condition but providing important and relevant facts. The test contains a set of questions that will determine if your condition is mild to severe, acute to chronic. You can effectively create a list of the symptoms that you are suffering from or experiencing whenever you answer yes to any of the questions. Three or more yes answers can be evidence of an acute form of depression. A temporarily depressed person will notice these symptoms reduce as the problems that caused them also fade. However, symptoms that remain over a period of a month or more can be evidence of a more serious condition. In this case, you should contact a medical professional. These symptoms consist of fatigue, insomnia, irritability, and thoughts of suicide. If you feel any of these symptoms or just a feeling that things arent right, then you should take a depression quiz. Please be aware that his test is not a substitution for a medical diagnosis. It should be used as a way to determine your state of mind and make you aware of the symptoms one can face with this condition. Show your results to your doctor to determine the next step toward mental health. Astrology Matching Marriage in this day and age is a complex endeavor. Finding your perfect soul mate has become a gamble that many couples are losing every year. Many bachelors and bachelorettes worry that they may never be able to find the right person to grow old with. People all over the world have sought various resources in find a partner. There are so many match making websites and companies that it is hard to weed out the bogus ones. However, there is one method that is an ancient way of find Mr. or Mrs. Right; its astrology matching. This practice uses a persons star signs to determine what type of mate would be the best for them. Using this type of compatibility scale you can find someone to share your life with. Astrologers gather information by using stars, planets and the sun. They believe that these elements often influence our behavior and increase the probability of finding a partner. In some cultures, parents consult astrologers to help them find a suitable husband or wife for their children. The information provided by the astrologer will influence the decision to agree with the marriage. These readings wont tell you the precise future, but it can let you know what characteristic you need to look for in a mate. These characteristics will be the most compatible to your own or balance out your weaknesses. For example, if you are shy, you may want to search for someone a little more outgoing. If you have a temper, you should look for someone more mild tempered. These things can help keep your relationship interesting and less strenuous. Knowing how that particular sign acts, thinks, and feels will give you an advantage when searching for a mate. Even when you do find a person with a compatible horoscope it isnt guaranteed that it will last. There are many variables to astrological matching that you have to consider. This technique should only be used as a tool to narrow down your search. You may be compatible with many different horoscopes, but if you are not compatible with Virgos for example, you could be aware of that. You will still have to work at any relationship. You will need to bring the best parts of your personality out to show potential suitors. Leo Astrology Symbol Individual who are born under the Leo astrology symbol or sign are those born between July 23rd and August 22nd. Leo is ruled by the Sun and their element is fire. This is considered a very independent sign. Leo is the fifth astrological sign and is from the constellation of Leo which represents the lions tail. Men born under this sign are warm and high spirited and prone to action. He loves to be the center of attention. He is highly social and his enthusiasm spreads to all his friends. He isnt just a fun time friend, but you can also depend on him when times are hard. Leos are great, natural born leaders with quality leadership skills. They are honest, loyal and positive and prefer to lead out front. They are able to relate to people from different lifestyles and are very diplomatic. Even though they are great at delegating tasks to others, they dont easily accept them. Leos are dont like to accept failure and are determined to succeed. Leos love romance with candlelit dinners and hospitality. They prefer luxury and living very comfortable. You have to stroke the Leos ego as they love praise and admiration when they have achieved something. They are naturally very sensitive creatures. Leos are very strong willed and dominant, so two together can be a serious issue. Generally Leos are generous, warm, loving, proud, and creative. However, they can also be bossy, dogmatic, conceited, interfering, and power hunger. They like children, living lavishly, quality food, business, and drama. They dislike people that are mean spirited, cheap, or small-minded. Some famous people who are also born under this sign are Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock, and Robert DeNiro. Business partnerships for any Leo would be more compatible with the Sagittarius than any other sign. They both exhibit common sense as it pertains to business and can maintain respect for each other. Leos would be better served to enter business fields like architecture, ministry, entertainment, public speaking, executive positions, education, and the political arenas. If you are a under the Leo astrology symbol or sign, you certainly can relate to some of the characteristics stated above.

Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing Essay -- Aristotle Philosophy Philoso

Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing Aristotle describes three types of life in his search for human flourishing: lives of gratification, politics, and contemplation. He contends that there is a single Idea of Good that all men seek, and he finds that happiness, or eudaimonia, best fits his criteria. Aristotle investigates the human purpose to find how happiness is best achieved, and finds that a life of activity and contemplation satisfies our purpose, achieving the most complete happiness in us. Aristotle is correct regarding the necessity of activity, but restricts the theory to only the life of study. We will reject this restriction, and instead allow any life of virtue and productivity to substitute for Aristotle’s life of study. One primary means of remaining active to achieve happiness includes loving friendships, which only happen to the virtuous. Thus human flourishing is living a life of virtue, activity, and productivity. Aristotle proposes that we have a single Idea of Good which is both complete and self-sufficient, chosen entirely for itself, and that end is happiness. He must establish these three claims: Idea of Good Claim 1) We have ends which we choose for themselves. Idea of Good Claim 2) That there is only one such end. Idea of Good Claim 3) That end is happiness. He argues for Idea of Good Claim 1) as follows (Irwin 173): 1.1. If we choose everything because of something else, desire will be empty and futile. 1.2. We have a gut feeling that some desires are not empty and futile. 1.3. Therefore, we do not choose everything because of something else. 1.4. Therefore we choose something for its own sake. 1.5. What we choose for its own sake, therefore, must be the best good. Th... ...nt role in helping us remain active and virtuous. We can apply a broader application of this search for happiness by allowing lives other than that of study and contemplation to be pursued, as long as virtue and loving friendships are present. To arrive at this conclusion we postulated two of Aristotle’s premises (see Postulate 1 and Postulate 2); allowing these lead us to a worthwhile map of how one may reach eudaimonia, the Idea of Good which follows from the postulates. Overlaying a life of productivity for Aristotle’s requirement of study, we have achieved a valid argument, assuming the postulates, for a means of human flourishing. One should live one’s life with virtue, activity, and productivity. Work Cited: All references are made to Nicomachean Ethics, written by Aristotle, translated by Terrence Irwin. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1999.

Home schooling Essay

Home schooled children are argued to have problems concerning their social development. This is expected to happen since their world is perceived to be limited and devoid of contact with children who are also developing like them. It may be a surprise to many but it is not true and there are several reasons that are primarily empirical proofs to the issue. The following are compelling evidences that there is no such thing as social development problems that accompany home schooled children. The issue on social development lies on the premise that social skills and emotional intelligence have a lot to do with successful adjustment and better if not excellent performance in academics and much later in the workplace. Social adjustment then is a key component in the much heralded findings on emotional intelligence’s quotient (EI or EQ) superiority over intelligence quotient (traditionally known standard of measurement). In addition, the rationale for home schooling is more than protecting the child from the more negative influences that are in the current educational systems today; believers of the home school paradigm look forward to developing lifelong learners who are better catalysts in the ever-changing world we live in. What can be more compelling are independent studies advanced and done by Shyers, Seligman, Adams and Smedley whose works have been either intentionally overlooked rather by those educators and policymakers who refused to have their perceptions changed or could not simply afford the change to occur. Seligman is known for his treatise on â€Å"optimism† as a concept that defines and describes the kind of child who has an edge in the harsh realities of the school and the environment as a whole which must be seen developing in a child (Bunday, 2006). Schools churn out children who must have high self-esteem for them to succeed, but ironically, it has become eluded the school and the children. Optimism is only built within the child through the parental oversight rather than a school’s primary task hence, home schooling can be deduced as better at it than the traditional venue. Socialization if we take time to think about it has something to do with maturity and the ability to understand other people and have the sensitivity to look at others in their respective contexts which in essence adults with experience and wisdom can do and can train or convey to their children in a personal way. Not so with a bigger and more impersonal school system (Bunday, 2006). Adams wrote about the better way which is biblical approach of training children and home is the foundational avenue to instill these values of respect, cooperation and consideration of others (Bunday, 2006). Shyers in a well-researched thesis did a comparative study on the traditional and home school set up employing the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale to measure self-esteem showing that there is not a significant difference between the results of the two groups (Shyers, 2009). The implications simply reveal of the home school landscape that defies the kind of training deemed only to be received or provided by the school system; a picture of children in the area of socialization and their abilities to see themselves among difference kinds of people and situations regardless of whether they come from the traditional or home schooled way (Bunday, 2006). Lastly, Smedley discussed in his seminal work focused on daily living, communication and socialization skills as items of interest and found out that home schooled children scored higher with percentile at 84 in comparison to the percentile of 27 on the traditionally schooled children. Smedley used the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales which is a standardized tool or instrument in his study. Conclusions in the study are obviously clear: home schooling is better at the main issue posited by most opponents on the system (Bunday, 2006). Therefore, socialization is not impossible with home schooling and cannot be levelled at those who choose to have their children trained to learn life skills at home. Reference: Bunday, Karl 2006. Socialization: A Great Reason Not to Go to School. Accessed May 7, 2009 at http://learninfreedom. org/socialization. html Shyers, Larry E (2009). Comparison of Social Adjustment Between Home and Traditionally Schooled Students. DA9304052, from UMI, 1 (800) 521-3042. )

Busang – a River of Gold

Challenges for Bre-X Minerals in Indonesia Bre-X Minerals Ltd. faced numerous challenges in 1996, largest among them being the potential loss of the majority stake in property that could yield upwards of 100 million ounces of gold. The Indonesian government was threatening to redistribute ownership of Busang, the mining region in which Bre-X had property rights, due to its fear that Bre-X was a short-term player not serious about extracting the gold or a long term commitment in Indonesia. These fears were justified given Bre-X’s small size (it had a net loss of $Cdn. 66,677 in 1995 compared to a net income of $Cdn. 218 million from Barrick Gold Corp. , a potential government-corporate partner) and limited connections within the country (established only in 1993 by exploring in the East Kalimantan rainforest). Another critical challenge faced by Bre-X was the public outcry over a foreign firm taking advantage of Indonesia’s wealth of natural resources. This mineral explo itation resulted in cries for public action to seize the land and deny Bre-X any compensation. Prominent public figures Dr. Amin Rais and Mr. Hartojo Wignjowinoto were most vocal in these demands. This is a classic example of the risk an unprepared company takes on when operating in a country that is transitioning both politically and economically. Over the first half of 1996, analysts predicted increasing success at Busang and as a result, Bre-X’s stock value rose. Indonesia, however, is a mixed economy where the government uses public action to manipulate and influence the private sector with ease. Bre-X’s failure to collaborate with an influential local company from the beginning of its venture led it to the current crisis. The company’s developmental and operational stagnation resulted in increased pressure from the world’s largest mining firms, Barrick included, and the Indonesian government. The Sudjana Proposal: Bre-X Minerals & Barrick Gold Due to the corruption and public action of the Indonesian government and the potential for continued bureaucratic challenges to extracting the gold, Bre-X should accept Minister Sudjana’s proposal to partner with Barrick. The Indonesian government has shown, through its interactions with Bre-X, that it is easily influenced by the demands of President Suharto’s family and by pressures from respected individuals. For example, the Barrick proposal received endorsement from the government only after Barrick hired Suharto’s daughter (Tutut) and encouragement from former U. S. President George Bush and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Despite making an alliance with PT Panutan Duta in late October, Bre-X was late in recognizing the importance of relationship building in conducting business in Indonesia. With only eight days to negotiate the deal with Barrick, Bre-X does not have time to develop the necessary connections to succeed in Indonesia without a competent partner. Strong property rights are an essential component in any successful market economy. Although Indonesia has regulations regarding mineral exploration and extraction, the government has found ways to manipulate the regulations to best serve its interests. Making it through the various stages of mining approval requires complex paperwork and numerous negotiations with various government offices. Bre-X had navigated this system and received a Contract of Work (CoW) to mine the Southeast Zone. However, after Kuntoro Mangkusubroto declined to revoke Bre-X’s CoW, Sudjana had transferred the processing of CoWs out of Mangkusubroto’s office. This move suggested that Sudjana could manipulate the regulatory structure to revoke Bre-X’s CoW and make it much more difficult for the company to continue exploration or begin mining. Rejecting the Barrick deal proposed by Sudjana would expose Bre-X to future challenges that may prevent them from ever capitalizing on its Busang II claim. However in accepting the Barrick deal, Bre-X stands to lose a large portion of their claim to the future profits from Busang. Bre-X has made large investments to purchase and explore the properties in Borneo and needs to make sufficient earnings to recoup its costs and satisfy its investors. Therefore, Bre-X should use the eight days that they have to reach an agreement with Barrick in which they receive a greater than 22. 5% stake in Busang. Beyond Barrick: Other Roads to Busang One alternative Bre-X could pursue is a different joint venture with either Placer Dome or Tech Corps, which would align Bre-X with a large enough company to develop and operate in Busang. At the same time, Bre-X needs to cultivate their existing relationship with Suharto’s son to give the company an inside track in navigating the corrupt regime. This alternative is attractive for all parties involved because it increases investor confidence and Bre-X’s stake in Busang, allows Placer Dome or Tech Corps to get involved in the project, and increases the government’s claim through Suharto’s inner circle. Another alternative for Bre-X would be a total buy-out by Barrick. This option would result in a substantial capital inflow for the company to pursue its core business model; exploration and partnership. Throughout the company’s history, Walsh has constantly had to seek out investment from a number of sources to successfully operate his business due to its small size. The operations thus far in Busang have been reminiscent of the Australian speculators in the 1980s, and the Indonesian people are again faced with a situation where estimates of total gold reserves are skyrocketing, while little infrastructure development or mining activity has taken place. The national sentiment towards Bre-X and its inability to carry out mining operations on its own, makes a buy-out proposal an attractive alternative whereby Bre-X can pursue new exploration in a friendlier environment.