Facquier Gas Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Facquier Gas Company - Case Study Example On top of that an additional 10 miles had to be planned for the following year. Murphy was tasked with the supply of gas distribution materials like pipes, meters, and fittings and basically all the materials required to make the project a success. The vice-president of the organization was in charge of supply, designing and construction organizations. While having lunch at the company cafeteria in January, Murphy overheard the Mr. Clive Byers (construction project manager) talking of a new Fauquier Gas Company project. The company had to start construction of a new 3.5 miles gas line in June and it had to be ready by September. For the project to be completed at the expected time, murphy requested Byers to furnish him with the purchase request so he could tender the same to the mills that would be able to accommodate his schedule. However, Byers told him he had to first get Sam Law (design engineer) to complete pipe specification after which Pat Wilson (construction project engineer) approval would give the green light for the start of the project. Only then would Byers send Murphy the purchase request. This consequently required consultation for the project to be completed in time. The specifications of the pipe that Pat Wilson gave Murphy were a diameter of the pipe being 24 inches with a wall thickness of 0.75 inches with a length of 57 feet. Previously, the pipe used to have wall thickness used to be 3/8 inches while the length was 40 feet plus or minus 5 feet. The new specifications were intended to reduce the stringiness by having a thickness of  ¾ inches thickness while increase in length to 57 foot would reduce welding cost. Wilson had to decide on the wrapper to use on the pipe by making economic considerations. Previously, Fauquier contracted two companies which used coal and pry-tech and were located in Philadelphia and Atlanta respectively. What worried Mr. Murphy the most is that by April 14th; he had not received the

Computer and Network Hardware Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Computer and Network Hardware - Assignment Example This issue will have a great disadvantage on centralized management as well as security of a network system. Multiple domain controllers may also lead to fault tolerance within an Active Directory environment. DNS servers are installed in computer networks to provide fault tolerance, traffic loads as well as replication. DNS servers therefore have to be planned with care to ensure that the required number of zones and requests from clients are included. In a case where a DNS server records low performance, additional RAM can be added to the server to improve its performance. In installation of a DNS server, a primary server, backup as well secondary server will be required to ensure high availability (Technology facts, 2012). A DNS server is standardized by application of a set of Request for Comments to ensure it provides interoperability with other implementations of network servers. These system capabilities enable it to work successfully with other DNS server implementations. A high application Director DNS can be replicated to provide a high availability of the server as it monitors the DNS application processing. A terminal access gateway authorizes remote network users to establish a connection to a private or internal corporate network from any device that is internet enabled. Resources of this network can include computers in which Remote Desktop has been enabled, terminal servers or terminal servers that run Remote Application programs. It should be installed in a different cluster in which a web service has been installed. A terminal access gateway establishes an encrypted and secure connection for remote users through the uses of a Remote Desktop Protocol. A connection will also be developed between the remote users and the internal network resources in which their applications run. A web server responds to a user’s

Humanitarian Intervention Essay Example for Free

Humanitarian Intervention Essay The United Nations is an international organization that fights for world peace, and strives to control international law, international security, economic development, social progress, and human rights. In the United Nation’s preamble, it states the organization is â€Å"determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"†¦to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.† However, the U.N. can often be ineffective and it has been an ongoing debate between the world’s leaders whether or not intervention is justified when inhumane acts are committed in foreign lands. Too many human beings have been victims of violence, rape and/or other crimes on the U.N.’s watch all because the organization is not authorized to forcefully intervene in another country. The United Nations Security Council is responsible for preserving peace between nations and even within nations, and when a nation is committing atrocious acts against its citizens, the U.N. and other nations should have the right to intervene militarily to end those abuses. Just as if a teenager would take on the responsibilities of providing a home and food for themselves when they move out, a country assumes the responsibility of taking care of its citizens when it becomes independent. When a country proves to the outside world it is not capable of controlling its citizens and maintaining a peaceful nation, blue helmeted U.N. troops may invade these unstable regions. It would be inhumane for the U.N., any country, or any human to witness a population suffering and not try to interfere in some way. To look the other way would be immoral and an inhumane act of itself. When trying to obtain peace in foreign countries, peaceful negotiations are not always successful and other means are necessary. In the past, the U.N. has not been able to aid suffering populations militarily and has failed to protect the citizens from vicious crimes. In a survey taken by the U.N. in 2007, â€Å"which covered a total of 14 countries, plus the Palestinian Territories, [it] found that solid majorities in each of 12 national pools believe that the U.N. Security Council should have the right to authorize the use of military force to protect innocent people from genocide and other massive abuses, even against the will of their own government† (Lobe). Even with the support of the majority of world, the U.N. still does not have the authority to forcefully protect innocent people from cruelty. When tens of thousands of people were being killed in Darfur, and Rwanda, it was the U.N.’s responsibility to step in and save the lives of those living in a country at an unfortunate time. However, by following their rules of procedure, the U.N. troops were not allowed to use force unless fired upon. Since 2003, â€Å"tens of thousands of people have being killed and over one million people displaced† in Darfur and in 1994, Hutus killed an estimated 800,000 Tutsis in Rwanda (Spectators to Genocide). â€Å"As a result of the massacre [in Rwanda], there are more than one million orphans† (Rust). But when the blue helmeted troops entered the Rwandan chaos, there was not much they could do to stop the genocides that were taking place right before their eyes. It took the United Nations three years after the United States declared the events taking place in Darfur as genocide to interfere, and even still the U.N. has done nothing beneficial to help those suffering in Darfur. Unable to seize weapons, the blue helmets stand by powerless. Had the United Nations involved itself earlier in Rwanda and Darfur and at full force, millions of people’s lives could have been saved or bettered. If the U.N. involved itself militarily, it is possible that the U.N. may have a few casualties, but the United States Army has lost a good number of soldiers over the years while fighting for causes they believe in. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made, and if a few members of the U.N. were lost in effort to protect the lives of thousands of people and potentially save a population, it would be an admirable sacrifice. It should be the world’s responsibility to defend civilians when its government is guilty of neglecting to â€Å"protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity (Reeves). Had the United Nations acted quicker when the Hutus began killing the Tutsis, and put an end to the vicious attacks that took place during those days, future genocides could have possibly been prevented. Instead, the word genocide can be heard more frequently and little is being done to stop that. Thousands of lives could have been saved or altered had the United Nations been able to step in and militarily defend the helpless populations of Rwanda and Darfur. Justification of humanitarian intervention is essential in order to protect the lives and rights of those suffering from genocide. The U.N. should want a reputation of not allowing genocides to take place, but instead the organization is being criticized for the lack of effort and aid being lent to those countries in need. Over the years, too many lives have been lost or damaged due to genocide and other inhumane acts. Humanitarian intervention needs to be allowed when a country is not protecting its citizens, in effort to save the lives of populations. The United Nations’ ineffectiveness in the past should be enough of a reason for why humanitarian intervention should be justified. It is imperative that the United Nations be entitled to militarily involve itself when innocent lives are in danger. Works Cited Charter of the United Nations: Preamble. Welcome to the United Nations: Its Your World. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. . Jim Lobe. U.N.: POLL SHOWS BROAD SUPPORT FOR U.N. ACTION AGAINST GENOCIDE. Global Information Network 6 April 2007 Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 3 Nov. 2010. Reeves, E. Failure to Protect: International Response to Darfur Genocide. Harvard International Review 29.4 (2008): 84-85. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 3 Nov. 2010. Rust, Selina. RWANDA: REMEMBERING THE UNFORGETTABLE. Global Information Network 9 April 2010 Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 9 Nov. 2010. Spectators to Genocide. Wall Street Journal 2 Aug. 2007, Eastern edition: National Newspaper Abstracts (3), ProQuest. Web. 3 Nov. 2010.

First Case Using DNA in the UK

First Case Using DNA in the UK No humans are exactly alike, and the DNAs are what constructs humans to be genetically unique. Using an extraordinary finding about DNA fingerprinting, a murderer of two 15-year-old in Leicestershire was successfully convicted. On November 21, 1983, Lynda Mann left her house to babysit for a lady down the road. While walking back home on a path called the Black Pad, Lynda was raped and strangled by a man. Her body was found the next morning. The story of Lynda Mann was discussed everywhere near the area and the people in the village were living in fear because the murderer was not found for quite a while. They suspected a man named Colin Pitchfork, a baker with 2 sons, but when asked about what he was doing on the night Lynda Mann disappeared, he answered that he was babysitting his child in his home. The case went cold. On July 31, 1986, another girl named Dawn Ashworth did not return home after taking a shortcut home. After two days, her body was found in a path called Ten Pound Lane. It was found out that she was raped, beaten and strangled. The two murders appeared to be done by the same person and the people believed now that the murderer was local. Richard Buckland, a 17-year-old boy with learning disabilities has been going around the murder scene of Dawn, telling people and the police that they were looking in a wrong spot. He was a local, working in a Carlton Hayes psychiatric hospital. He did not give a definite answer on what he was doing the night when Dawn went missing and so the police arrested him. After questioning, he admitted to the crime involving Dawn Ashworth but denied the murder of Lynda Mann. Thanks to the DNA profiling, it was found out that Richard Buckland was not the killer and Colin Pitchfork was arrested for the murders. This case is interesting because it is the first case where DNA fingerprinting was used to release and convict a person. Even though the village people had skepticism towards the new method of identifying a person, they all agreed to participate and that is how they could connect Colin Pitchfork with the murders. Now, DNA testing is used all around the world and is considered one of the most efficient way to identify a criminal. From Lynda Manns body, the police found and linked a semen sample to a person with a type A blood. They also found an enzyme profile that matched only 10 percent of males. No other evidence was found. Then, from Dawn Ashworths body, they found a semen sample that revealed the same blood type. However, the prime suspect, Richard Buckland, continued to admit to the murder of Dawn but deny the murder of Lynda. The police were sure that those two murders were committed by the same person because the modus operandi of the second murder matched that of the first. Modus operandi, which translate to modes of operation, is someones habit of working usually regarding business or crime. When the police felt that they needed extra help in discovering the murderer, they contacted Sir Alec Jeffrey, a researcher and a scientist at the university of Leicester. He discovered that human DNA produces a constant but unique patterns that can be used to identify one person and find out relationships between family members (Jeffreys, Thein, Wilson, 1985, p. 76). The first method used for DNA profiling involved RFLP analysis. A sample such as blood or semen is cut into small pieces by restriction enzyme. This produces thousands of DNA fragments of different sizes. Then, the fragments are sorted out by size by gel electrophoresis. After this, the fragments are transferred on to the nylon membrane. The process is called Southern blot. A radioactive DNA probe is added where it binds to specific fragments. Lastly, X-ray film is placed to detect the radioactive pattern. Using this method, he compared the semen sample collected from both victim, Lynda and Dawn, and found out that the murder was indeed committed by the same person. However, the prime suspects DNA did not match the DNA of the semen sample. The police had to let Richard Buckland go. To find the murderer, the police went on a man hunt and asked all the male in the village from ages 18-34 to voluntarily take a blood test so they could compare their DNA with the killers DNA. It was solely for elimination purposes. The man hunt was a slow process and the operation was massive. Just when the police were losing hope, everything turned around one day. On August 1, 1987, Ian Kelly, one of Colin Pitchforks, the man that was questioned for Lynda Mann few years back, fellow worker at the bakery, told his colleagues in a Leicester pub that he has gone to do the blood test instead of Pitchfork because he has asked him to. Pitchforks excuse was that he had already given his blood pretending to be a friend who wanted to avoid being questioned about a youthful conviction for burglary. A woman overheard what Ian Kelly said and called the police to report it. On September 19, 1987, Pitchfork was arrested. His blood and saliva matched the semen samples taken from the scene of two crimes (Ottawa, Ont, 1988). This could be seen from the pattern of the DNA. When the x-ray of both sampled are placed beside each other, you could see that the pattern of 2 bands were the same or similar in location. He eventually admitted to the murders and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The impacts that this crime had to the society is the fact that young women feel more vulnerable no matter where they are. They have to live in constant fear that they might be a victim of a rape or murder just because they were simply there (Siddle, 2015). Lynda Manns sister, Rebecca Eastwood has set up an online petition against releasing Pitchfork and it has passed 4,000 signatures. She fears that If released he will kill again and he will always be danger to the public (Siddle, 2015). The fact that he doesnt have to wait for girls to hunt anymore but simply go online and find girls on social media websites scares many people that he would commit the same crime but through an easier way. Rebecca has said that Pitchfork has effected her family, especially her mom. she has been strong and tough through out the years knowing that he is in prison. She does not know how her mom would carry on if he is released. This case forces law enforcements and government to prioritize security at night in pathways and roads. The government also has to make sure that young children are not walking by themselves late at night because they could get themselves in danger. This case has also proven that DNA fingerprinting is an efficient way to identify a person through blood, saliva, semen and so on. The people, who were not really sure if this method would work, were reassured after Colin Pitchfork was arrested that this way of testing worked and that this finding is revolutionary to forensic science. Colin Pitchfork was sentenced to a minimum term of 30 years. However, in 2009, Pitchforks sentence was reduced to 28 years. Bibliography Man nabbed by genetic fingerprints gets life. (1988, Jan 23). The Ottawa Citizen Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/239145129?accountid=15182 Colin Pitchfork: DNA evidence snared child rapist who killed my sister please do not let him go free; Colin Pitchfork was the first criminal in the world to be convicted on DNA evidence and was jailed for life in 1988 for killing two schoolgirls.(2015, May 5) Irishmirror.ie, Retrieved from www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic Butler, J. M. (2010). Fundamentals of Forensic DNA Typing. London: Academic Press. Peter Cheney, T. S. (1991, Oct 05). GENETIC FINGERPRINTING legal breakthrough inexact science? Toronto Star Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/436502141?accountid=15182 Baird, R. [Ronald Baird]. (2016, August 11). True crime stories about Colin Pitchfork Code of a Killer. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deoZEm1e8TIt=27s. Jeffreys, A. J., Wilson, V., and Thein, S. L. (1985a). Individual-specific fingerprints of human DNA. Nature 316: 76-79.

The Flea by John Donne and To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell Essay

The Flea by John Donne and To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell "The Flea" by John Donne is written in the 17th century as is "To his coy mistress" by Andrew Marvell. This we can see by the language used which was typical of that period in time "apt to kill me" and "yea" which are taken from the flea. Both poems also speak of virginity being very important, especially before marriage because if a woman had lost her "maidenhead" before, the husband would have the right to leave her without the need for a divorce. Both poems have the same theme of seduction. In "The flea" this is put across in each in three regular stanzas where as "To His Coy Mistress" is written in to sections. This is to convey that each stanza is still about the same subject because they are of similar lengths and writing style. The first stanza of "The Flea" conveys the message of how the flea has taken blood from both of their bodies and has combine it in the body of the flea, and so making them united as one "And in this flea, our two bloods mingled be". Donne's argument is based on this flea throughout the three stanza's and goes on to start his persuasion that the flea has had its pleasure in the form of food, and so why can they not enjoy in a sexual relationship and experience pleasure similar to what the flea has had, but without the trouble of wooing her leading on to marrying her. In the second stanza he then goes on to further push his argument (which at this time seems to be going quite well) that in the flea's "living wall of jet" they have been put together even though her parents have doubts "Though parents grudge" and are almost married (since their bloods have been combined and become one which, in that period of ... ... with her. However the type of love most people would like to feel is that in "Shall I Compare Thee" which displays a staggering amount of compliments for the lady in the poem. Overall these poems are very different in their portrayal of love, but each manage to convey it to the reader exceedingly well through use of structure (such as the dramatic monologue form of "My Last Duchess" that shows his self centeredness and control), language (such as the complementary language used in "Shall I Compare Thee"). Imagery is also used effectively (as in "First Love" when Clare describes himself as "winter" and girls as "flowers" to show that he does not comply with them). The actual content used is also very effective as in "To His Coy Mistress", where the syllogism and the tactics of complements and frightening are used to, what is in my opinion, good effect.

Last Solution for Outbreak of Gangs? :: essays research papers

Last Solution For Outbreak of Gangs?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently being discussed in Congress is the Anti-gang Bill, also known as the â€Å"Gangbusters Bill†. This bill would turn gang-related violent offenses into federal crimes punishable by mandatory sentences of at least ten years, expand the range of crimes punishable by death, and allow U.S. prosecutors to try 16 and 17 year old gang members as adults in federal courts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One unfortunate effect of this new bill will be the progressing overcrowding of federal prisons. On June 30, 2004, a study was taken of the United States Federal Prisons and 2,131,180 prisoners were detained in federal or state prisons or local jails, an increase of 2.3% from midyear 2003 statistics, and an estimated 486 prison inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents went up from the previous 411 at the end of 1995. Between 1995 and 2001 alone, violent offenders accounted for 63% while drug offenders contributed 15% of the total growth of the state prison population. Even with population disputes aside, this political decision will only further persuade our more enlightened citizens of our government officials’ gullibility, to truly believe cement walls and bars will stop gangs and gang-related violence. All this â€Å"Gangbusters Bill† will do is round them up possibly making it easier for them, given the then closer proximity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another topic giving reason to throw up red flags on this government issue is the fact that the bill will help bring the United States further indebt. In 1992, Federal and State prisons reached a record high of 883,593 prisoners and it was estimated that approximately 1,143 prison bed spaces were needed per week due to overcrowding. On an economic prospect, on average each prisoner costs $22,000 per year and the 883,593 prisoners were costing American taxpayers approximately $19.4 billion, not to mention another $61.7 million for the construction of the 1,143 spaces needed. Do these numbers throw your mind for a loop?

Different arguments of civil society by katy pace

Different arguments of civil society by katy pace BY Tuni127 Katie Pace Civil Society and its Definitions While generally acknowledged to consist of privately formed social organizations, civil society remains an ambiguous conception prone to diverse interpretations. As a Western idea, first made famous by Alexis de Tocqueville in his analysis of American democracy, its application worldwide and in nations with differing social, religious, economic and political backgrounds has created debate about what civil society is and how civil society influences or is influenced by government.Tocqueville first presented civil society to the West as voluntary, non-political social organizations that strengthen democracy preventing a tyranny of the majority. Associations, which can be â€Å"religious, moral, serious, futile, general or restricted, enormous or diminutive†, protect diversity by uniting equal but weak individuals into powerful groups. These associations prevent the fragmenta tion of society by forcing men to consider the affairs of others and to work with their neighbors.According to Tocqueville, the equality and individualism fostered by democracy convince men that hey need nothing from nor owe anything to their neighbors; thus, without civil society, they would isolate themselves from the community. Finally, Tocqueville argues that civil society fosters the social norms and trust necessary for people to work together and teaches individuals to appreciate and effectively use their liberties. Consequently, civil society promotes democracy and checks despotism.Many Western writers wholeheartedly accepted Tocqueville's definition of civil society. In both his book, Making Democracy Work, and his article, Tuning In, Tuning Out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in America, Robert Putnam treats ivil society, also called social capital, as â€Å"features of social life- networks, norms and trust- that enable participants to act together more effec tively to pursue shared objectives†. Putnam argues that social capital influences citizen engagement in the community, which in turn influences government.A developed civil society is necessary for democracy to work well, for it relies on and develops the trust among individuals and the leadership skills necessary for a representative government. The author of the Solitary Bowler agrees that â€Å"the association-forming habit† is â€Å"the stuff if civil society'. His discussion of the decline of civil society in America is based on his Tocquevillean definition of civil society as a network of voluntary associations.Though the author acknowledges that American civil society may simply be undergoing metamorphosis and not disappearing, he holds fast to his Western view by drawing the reader's attention to new types of voluntary associations which fit snuggly into his definition. The article, Bowling Alone, also focuses on new forms of social capital, but it does not red efine social capital. Other writers question Tocqueville's definition and analysis of civil society.In his article, The Importance of Being Modular, Ernest Gellner agrees that civil society is â€Å"that set ot diverse non-governmental institutions, which is strong enough to counterbalance the state†¦ whilst not preventing the state from fulfilling its role of keeper of the peace and arbitrator between major interests†. However, he argues that this definition is deficient because it includes elements of plural societies that should not be considered examples of civil society.Gellner says a nation can have â€Å"a plural, non-centralized, but socially oppressive society' in which social order is aintained by local, kin-defined, religious and stifling rituals that leave no room for individual autonomy. Therefore, civicness cannot be determined by pluralism. Once must narrow the definition of civil society and take a closer look at a society's associations to see if they f all within the new definition. Sheri Berman attacks the traditional conception of civil society in, Civil Society and the Collapse of the Wiemar Republic. Prior to the nazi's rise to power, Germany society was a plethora of social institutions.Due to the lack of responsive national government and political parties, hese associations fragmented society instead of uniting it. Consequently, in an â€Å"inversion of neo-Tocquevillean theory', civil society weakened and eventually destroyed the Weimar Republic, replacing a democracy with a totalitarian regime. Consequently, Berman argues that associations should be considered â€Å"a politically neutral multiplier, dependent for its effects on the wider political context†. Once the concept of civil society was applied to the East, more objections were thrown at it.In his article, Orientalism, Islam and Islamists, Bryan Turner discusses the role of elativism and ethnocentrism in western analysis of Middle Eastern society. Turner d efines the Western viewpoint of civil society as â€Å"that network of institutions which lies between the state and individual and which simultaneously connects the individual to authority and protects the individual from total political control. † The West assumes that civil society is the main indication of social progress from a state of nature to one of civilization and from despotism to democracy.Defined by the West, despotism exists where â€Å"civil society is either absent or underdeveloped†. The estern concept of civil society is based on in individualism; thus, the West assumes there is â€Å"no established tradition of legitimate opposition to arbitrary governments in Islam† because Islam is â€Å"devoid of individual rights and individuality'. However, the West ignores similarities between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Furthermore, the West accepts Islam's lack of social capital as the cause of its political instability and fails to examine othe r possibilities.Eva Bellin also questions the application of Tocqueville's civil society to eastern studies in her work, Civil Society: Effective Tools of Analysis for Middle East Politics?. Bellin argues that the term itself has a range of definitions. The West has applied this ambiguous term to the Middle East and determined that the region is â€Å"inhospitable to civil society'. Yet, the West ignores the use of the term by Middle Easterners themselves. Leaders call on civil society to promote projects of modernization. Islamists employ the concept to gain influence in the public sphere. Intellectuals use the term to increase individual liberty.Thus, civil society acquires elements of â€Å"secularism, citizenship, civisme, civility, civil iberties†, most of which would destroy despotism. Bellin concludes from this that the West should not dismiss the existence of civil society in the Middle East. Samu Zubaida also urges proponents of civil society to reexamine its defini tion in his article, Islam, the State and Democracy. He defines two concepts of civil society. The first, a secular-liberal definition, conceives ot civil society as voluntary associations that â€Å"foster individual autonomy and provide experience in the exercise of social and political rights and responsibilities†.For such associations to exist, the state must ithdraw from economic and associational life while creating â€Å"legislation and institutional mechanisms which provide the framework of rights and obligations for these spheres†. The second definition of civil society is an Islamic-communal definition that conceives of civil society as an â€Å"informal network of relationships† whose focus is property and business. Finally, Ibn Khaldun provides a conception of civil society that, while written long before debates about social capital began, could enlighten the West about civil society in the East.In The Maquaddimah, Khaldun's ivil society is based on group feeling and religion. A leader acquires power and a society acquires stability if the community is bonded by feelings of kinship and common descent and by connections between clients and allies. Religion strengthens these bonds by eliminating Jealousy and discord as the community focuses its energy on important goals. Group feeling can exist in harmony with an absolute ruler and its lack can destroy an empire, rendering a community vulnerable to outside control. The different approaches to civil society outlined above leave the reader with two pposing definitions of civil society.The first is a Tocquevillean definition in which civil society and democracy are assumed to complement each other. The second is a Middle Eastern definition in which civil society does not consist of formal groups whose existence is designed to achieve specific goals. Civil society is instead a series of informal relationships based on religious, familial and clientele connections that can and do exi st under undemocratic governments, for they are entirely beyond the government's sphere. These relationships have existed throughout Islamic history and continue to exist today.