My duty hours in the session time:

Monday, 26.01 11.30-13.00 room 209
Thursday, 29.01 11.30-13.00 room 109
Monday, 02.02 11.30-13.00 room 109

To get a credit, all tests must be taken before the end of February.

Best regards

Agnieszka Dremza

Most bizzare jobs - what would you like to do after UW?

Some time ago I found in Polityka newspaper information and photos of most bizarre jobs, which exist in the world. Most of them are of course from USA - nothing surprising, isn't it?

Please go through the photos and short comments and check out which one is for you. :)

Or - if you prefer working in office check out the video on the end - want working with such people any more?

"Elevator operator"?

As the note say - she is announcing what floors the elevator will be stopping at.

"Chicken Sexer"

Sorts through baby chicks to determine if they are male or female, and then segregate them. The chicken sexer puts the chicken hatchlings on the appropriate track early, enabling those chickens to receive optimal nourishment for their likely commercial role from an early age.

Fantasy Broker

A postal clerk wants to be a stand-up comedian for one night. A businessman wants to drive a freight train across a western State. A psychiatrist wants 20 dates on 20 weekends with 20 girls from 20 different countries. How do they do it? They see a fantasy broker whose business is making dreams come true. Originally pioneered in Chicago by an advertising executive, fantasy firms in several cities now do a booming business, charging from $150 to thousands to turn dreams into reality.

Finder

An Oklahoma City man makes a living finding unusual things for people--like a pair of fleas dressed as bride and groom, a baseball signed by Jim Thorpe in 1933, and a client's missing brother. Finders Keepers, Inc., was started by an ex-advertising agency employee who discovered he had a knack for finding odd props for TV commercials. "I have always been able to locate the rare and unusual with an uncanny facility," he says. "Suddenly it dawned on me that I could capitalize on my ability." Finders Keepers will look for anything, provided it's legal. The company's manager boasts a high success rate; however, he's still looking for an electric clock motor that runs backward.

I had to :) :

 

'bout the office work:

To be continued - I have an exam tomorrow. I can't fail it.

Body language in business

Body language in business

Introduction 
 
Did you know that body language accounts for over 90% of a conversation! Body language can be used to help conduct an interview, give a presentation or make that important sale: a conversation stretches so much further than speech. 
 
Body language is the reason why selling face-to-face has a huge advantage over selling by phone. 
 
Usually when we communicate with or see people, we only respond to what is being said, heard or generally seen. There is so much more involved and most of us do not pick up on it: it's our body language and it can express a thousand words… 
 
Our body language will give others an impression of ourselves or show our emotions. You're probably using it right now to read this article (you will either be alert and interested, or baffled and un-interested).

  "an important aspect of  
  Posture running a successful business"

 Our body language is an important aspect of running a successful business as we cannot always say what we really feel. This means we have to act positive in negative situations (and vice-versa of course). You can also identify other people's body language and know what they really mean: whatever they may be saying




 You may immediately think of this as standing tall and up right as much as possible. In fact, it is the natural alignment of your head and body without the use of tension and 'locking'. 

Everyone has a different posture and it usually develops through habit over the years. This may be slumping your shoulders forward or hanging your head: anything that has come to feel natural.
 
Your posture may show how you will approach a situation. For example, if you stand with your shoulders hanging, arms folded, and leaning to one side, it will look as if you aren't ready for or interested in the task in question. Should you stand with strong shoulders, head up, arms out by the side and closed fists, you will look as if you are ready for anything no matter how much stress is involved.
 
Looking at a persons feet when they are sitting down will tell you who is an extrovert (out-going) and who is an introvert (withdrawn). Extrovert - toes pointing out, introvert - toes pointing in.

The Space Around You
 
Those who stand always look more powerful to those people who are sitting down. This is because they are taking up more space. So if you feel comfortable standing, use it to look as though you have a higher status then those around you.
 
When you move around, the more space you take up can make others seem threatened by your presence. This is because those around you may feel that their presence in the area is less significant. In such case, they may move around using as little space as possible.

  "If you are sitting, you can 
  still give an image of power"

If you are sitting, you can still give an image of power. If standing isn't appropriate, use more space by stretching your legs out or by having your arms at the side of the chair. When you are on the phone and you need to be assertive, standing up will project your urgency.
 
Hand-to-Face Movements
 
Look out for customers that use hand-to-face movements such as holding their chin or scratching their face. This can usually show that they are thinking of making a purchase but they have a concern, for example, "can I afford it" or "what if a I pick the wrong size", etc.
 
This may be a cue for you to move in before they leave and inform them that they can 'buy on credit if preferred' or that they can 'exchange the product if it is not suitable', etc. It is a fact that many customers do not ask to solve their queries and therefore leave if they are unsure: this is why it is important to recognise this common form of body language.
 
Gestures
 
Doing one thing may mean another as the case may be. These are things that we should look out for, as it can easily give things away about both yourself and the observer. A simple touch of the nose could mean that you/they aren't being truthful.
 
A lot of us move our heads when we are talking to get approval from others. If you want to look powerful, then you should try to keep your head movements to a minimum.
 
How much you show your underbelly (your front) is a way of showing how confident, secure or trusting you are. The less you cover up your underbelly with folding arms, crossed legs, raised hands, etc, the more appropriate the qualities may be. Folding your arms may look as if you are trying to defend yourself and will look bad to the other person.

If you talk to someone who originally has folded arms, crossed legs and perhaps turning away slightly, you may think that they are uninterested and also feeling detached from your conversation. If they start to unfold their arms, uncross their legs, etc, it may be a sign that they are accepting your issue.

  "we are attracted to those people
  who are similar to ourselves"
 
Another gesture that we use is called 'mirroring'. You may not know it, but we are attracted to those people who are similar to ourselves. A case may be where you are with an employee to discuss an issue and you both take a similar sitting/standing position. The discussion goes well, but if you had taken a different position, it may not have gone as well as it did. This gesture is often taken on by sales people who sit in a similar position as their customer.
 
A more common gesture is perhaps the one that is most annoying. It is known as 'displacement activity' and is used to get rid of physical tension in the body. Examples of this may include nail-biting, playing with hair, chewing gum, and teeth grinding.
 
Grooming gestures are those things we do to reassure ourselves. This may involve you perfecting your hair or fiddling with your clothes. We normally do this when we are around people we don't know, and so we groom ourselves to make us look more presentable to lift our confidence.

Finally, our hands are used to emphasize what we say, from pointing and saying "over there", to waving someone away and saying "go away". Hands that are made into a pyramid shape (fingers and thumbs on both hands touching, with palms wide apart) mean power. If someone sitting across a desk from you talks to you with the pyramid gesture pointing to you, this will either be your boss, or your future boss!

Facial Expression
 
A simple smile can make others feel more at ease where a frown can make people see that you are aggressive or unsure of something. We use facial expressions to get our points across in the right context. For example, your message would suffer if you were saying how angry you are with a huge smile. 

Eye Contact 
 
When someone talks to you, do they look directly at you or look away? Maintaining eye contact when talking (or listening) to someone gives an impression that you/they are confident and honest. Making little eye contact can say that the other person doesn't like you, is nervous or shy, or perhaps believe that they are higher in status and think that eye contact isn't necessary.
 

"Making little eye contact can say
  that the other person doesn't like you"

Also, look out for it if you believe that someone isn't being truthful, as most people can't keep eye contact when they are bending the truth. 

   
However, someone looking at you non-stop is stressful and in these situations you should throw your hands around a bit more or point to brochures and objects to distract them. Staring is basically seen as an aggressive act and can also be interpreted as being unbalanced.
 
If talking to people outdoors, avoid wearing sunglasses as this can be very uncomfortable for the other person and can give an image of trying to hide your identity (a shifty salesman, for example). In addition, try to blink as less as possible as this can make it difficult for the other person to understand you (due to being distracted). Blinking less also gives an image of confidence.
 
Summary
 
Body language comes in many forms, as you have seen above. Different people have their own ability to recognize body language and they will recognize it with different meanings to other people. So, when you use body language, one person may see it differently to the other.
 
When we don't know someone, we use their body language to get first impressions of them. In most cases, the impressions we make are wrong, as a positive form of body language may mean something negative about them. For example, someone who moves around a lot may be seen as energetic and efficient. In some cases, this may be correct, but it can mean that they are uncomfortable in the situation and also nervous.

Use body language to make you appear more confident, powerful, trusting, etc depending on what the situation may require from you. If you give off negative signs, then it could be the difference of achieving your goal (e.g. a successful presentation, proposing an idea in a meeting, discussing a task with an employee, etc).
 
Also, try to recognize other people's body language. By doing so, it could mean that they are/aren't interested or that they feel threatened by your presence: in which case you can change your body language to make them feel more at ease.
 
If you ever get the opportunity to have a presentation by you video taped, you may see things you would never have believed!

source: http://www.bizhelp24.com/employment-and-personal-development/body-language-in-business-2.html

video 1

video 2

video 3

source: youtube.com

Motivation Techniques

Motivational techniques to get you where you want to go

Most of us want to be successful at something. Whether you wish for monetary success, or simply to lose weight, be a better parent or have a successful affiliate website, you have to be motivated and committed to succeed.

The power and ability to succeed is in all of us - all it takes is the motivation to get something happening. Because unless you take action, your dreams of success will remain just that - dreams. Jason Gracia in his well-known book The Motivated Mind gives you an instructional guide on how to turn your dreams into success.

Learning how to take action, get motivated and stay that way is the key that will drive you to succeed and these simple motivation techniques will help you get what you want out of life.

Plan to succeed

Successful people are goal oriented. They plan their goals, then work in incremental steps to achieve those goals. Your goals need to be specific, realistic and achievable. Visualize your goals so that they become real, then write them down and keep them somewhere as a daily reminder of what it is you're aiming for.

• To stay motivated, you need to feel inspired and excited about what you are aiming to achieve. If you can't get excited about your success goals, you'll never find the inspiration and motivation you need to take action to change your life.

• If your goals don't excite you, then you've chosen the wrong goals. Go back to the drawing board and think about what it is that inspires and excites you, then you'll have a goal you can work towards.

• The longest journey begins with a single step, so plan on adding one new positive step to your daily routine each day to move you towards your goal. Adding one positive step each day will help you take control of your future and rid you of past negative habits.

• Set aside 15 minutes each day to review your goals and the progress you have made. Measuring your progress will keep you inspired to achieve the results you want and help you recognize problem areas that may need work. Acknowledging your achievements is a way of patting yourself on the back for a job well done.

• Believe in the possibilities. Don't allow your fears to stand in the way of your future success. Acknowledge the fact that everyone feels fear when they step outside their comfort zone. As the old adage says, "Feel the fear, then do it anyway!"

No matter what your goals, MyGoals.com can help you achieve them. From losing weight, to gaining focus in your career or getting your debt paid off, they can help you succeed with a step by step process towards achieving what you want out of life.

Thinking your way to success

Successful people believe in themselves and their ability to succeed, despite the setbacks, obstacles and failures they will have encountered along the way. The road to success is littered with those who fell at the first hurdle and didn't have what it takes to get up again.

Accept the fact that you will fail, maybe more than once, and in many different ways. Believing that you will achieve your goals without setbacks is unrealistic and a recipe for failure. Successful people turn the negative events that are sure to occur into learning experiences, then they adjust accordingly and move on.

To be motivated you have to be positive.

Sure, we all have days when even getting out of bed feels like a drag, but hitting the "Snooze" button on the alarm is not going to get you to where you want to go.

Being positive puts you in control of your own destiny, so when you understand that only YOU can control your future you also understand that only YOU can control the present.

On those days when it all seems too hard, simply focus on what it is you're aiming for and imagine how exciting it will be when you achieve your goals.

Let the excitement of realizing your dreams fuel your imagination, and from that you can power into your day.

• Learn something new every day. The more you know, the closer you'll get to achieving your goal in the time you've set yourself. Information can help you gain confidence, dispel fear and give you the inspiration and motivation you need to lead a better, more fulfilling life.

• Get your life right Staying motivated and achieving your goals is a whole lot easier if you can keep your focus.
  
  Aim to rid yourself of the clutter that prevents you from staying focused. Jason Gracia from Motivation123.com teaches you in a step-by-step process how to keep yourself focused in his best-selling book The Motivated Mind.

• Organize your workspace so that it creates a positive, stimulating environment. A cluttered workspace creates a cluttered mind, so take the time to clean up around you.
  
  Make your workplace a happy place to be by pinning your favorite quotation to the wall where you can see it, or adding a vase of fresh flowers to a table nearby - whatever brings a smile to your face will keep you in a positive frame of mind and dispel any negative thoughts that may try to creep in.

• An active mind requires an active body and an active body requires a healthy lifestyle. You can't expect to operate at your peak if you don't have the physical stamina to maintain the momentum. That means eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and getting enough sleep. Feeling positive about your physical wellbeing has a tremendous impact on how you feel about achieving your goals.

Helping or hindering?

Surround yourself with people who inspire and motivate you to succeed. Ask yourself if the people in your life are helping or hindering you on your path to success, then make any changes necessary.

You don't have to go it alone - share the excitement of what you are aiming to achieve with those around you who will root for you every step of the way.

Take time out each day to relax. Switch off and spend time doing an activity you enjoy (other than work!) - go for a walk, take a bike ride or simply spend quality time with your family. Balancing work and play is an important part of staying healthy, happy and motivated.

Learn to live your life with passion. Appreciate all that you have around you and how great it feels simply to be alive at this particular moment in time.

Yes, it's important to keep your focus on the goals you wish to achieve, but the journey can be as exciting and stimulating as the destination. Keep your eyes open and enjoy the ride!

Taken from: http://www.associateprograms.com/articles/475/1/Motivation-techniques/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfWTQA6QPk4

Working in a corporation

Corporation   A corporation is a legal entity separate from the persons that form it. In British tradition it is the term designating a body corporate, where it can be either a corporation sole (an office held by an individual natural person, which is a legal entity separate from that person) or a corporation aggregate (involving more persons). In American and, increasingly, international usage, the term denotes a body corporate formed to conduct business, and this meaning of corporation is discussed in the remaining part of this entry (the limited company in British usage). Corporations exist as a product of corporate law, and their rules balance the interests of the shareholders that invest their capital and the employees who contribute their labor. People work together in corporations to produce value and generate income. In modern times, corporations have become an increasingly dominant part of economic life. People rely on corporations for employment, for their goods and services, for the value of the pensions, for economic growth and social development. The defining feature of a corporation is its legal independence from the people who create it. If a corporation fails, shareholders normally only stand to lose their investment (and possibly, in the unusual case where the shares are not fully paid up, any amount outstanding on them - and not even that in the case of a No liability company), and employees will lose their jobs, but neither will be further liable for debts that remain owing to the corporation's creditors unless they have separately varied this, e.g. with personal guarantees. This rule is called limited liability, and it is why the names of corporations in the UK end with "Ltd." (or some variant like "Inc." and "plc"). Despite not being natural persons, corporations are recognized by the law to have rights and responsibilities like actual people. Corporations can exercise human rights against real individuals and the state, and they may be responsible for human rights violations. Just as they are "born" into existence through its members obtaining a certificate of incorporation, they can "die" when they lose money into insolvency. Corporations can even be convicted of criminal offences, such as fraud and manslaughter. Five common characteristics of the modern corporation, according to Harvard University Professors Hansmann and Kraakman are... - delegated management, in other words, control of the company placed in the hands of a board of directors  - limited liability of the shareholders (so that when the company is insolvent, they only owe the money that they subscribed for in shares)  - investor ownership, which Hansmann and Kraakman take to mean, ownership by shareholders. - separate legal personality of the corporation (the right to sue and be sued in its own name)  - transferrable shares (usually on a listed exchange, such as the London Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange or Euronext in Paris)  Ownership of a corporation is complicated by increasing social and economic interdependence, as different stakeholders compete to have a say in corporate affairs. In most developed countries excluding the English speaking world, company boards have representatives of both shareholders and employees to "codetermine" company strategy. Calls for increasing corporate social responsibility are made by consumer, environmental and human rights activists, and this has led to larger corporations drawing up codes of conduct. In Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, corporate law has not yet stepped into that field, and its building blocks remain the study of corporate governance and corporate finance.        The Corporation Movie Part 1 The Corporation Movie Part 2     Corporation's history   The word "corporation" derives from corpus, the Latin word for body, or a "body of people". Entities which carried on business and were the subjects of legal rights were found in ancient Rome, and the Maurya Empire in ancient India. In medieval Europe, churches became incorporated, as did local governments, such as the Pope and the City of London Corporation. The point was that the incorporation would survive longer than the lives of any particular member, existing in perpetuity. The alleged oldest commercial corporation in the world, the Stora Kopparberg mining community in Falun, Sweden, obtained a charter from King Magnus Eriksson in 1347. Many European nations chartered corporations to lead colonial ventures, such as the Dutch East India Company or the Hudson's Bay Company, and these corporations came to play a large part in the history of corporate colonialism. During the period of colonial expansion in the seventeenth century, the true progenitors of the modern Corporation emerged as the "chartered company". Acting under a charter sanctioned by the Dutch monarch, the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC), or the Dutch East India Company, defeated Portuguese forces and established itself in the Moluccan Islands in order to profit from the European demand for spices. Investors in the VOC were issued paper certificates as proof of share ownership, and were able to trade their shares on the original Amsterdam stock exchange. Shareholders are also explicitly granted limited liability in the company's royal charter. In the late seventeenth century, Stewart Kyd, the author of the first treatise on corporate law in English, defined a corporation as, "a collection of many individuals united into one body, under a special denomination, having perpetual succession under an artificial form, and vested, by policy of the law, with the capacity of acting, in several respects, as an individual, particularly of taking and granting property, of contracting obligations, and of suing and being sued, of enjoying privileges and immunities in common, and of exercising a variety of political rights, more or less extensive, according to the design of its institution, or the powers conferred upon it, either at the time of its creation, or at any subsequent period of its existence."   Chief executive officer   A chief executive officer (CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer (executive) or administrator in charge of total management of a corporation, company, organization, or agency, reporting to the board of directors. In internal communication and press releases, many companies capitalize the term and those of other high positions, even when they are not proper nouns. In some European Union countries, there are two separate boards, one executive board for the day-to-day business and one supervisory board for control purposes (elected by the shareholders). In these countries, the CEO presides over the executive board and the chairman presides over the supervisory board, and these two roles will always be held by different people. This ensures a distinction between management by the executive board and governance by the supervisory board. This allows for clear lines of authority. The aim is to prevent a conflict of interest and too much power being concentrated in the hands of one person. There is a strong parallel here with the structure of government, which tends to separate the political cabinet from the management civil service. In other parts of the world, such as Asia, it is possible to have two or three CEOs in charge of one corporation. In the UK, many charities and government agencies are headed by a chief executive who is answerable to a board of trustees or board of directors. In the UK, the chair (of the board) in public companies is more senior than the chief executive (who is usually known as the managing director). Most public companies now split the roles of chair and chief executive. In France, a CEO/MD is known as the "PDG" (French: président directeur général); in Sweden, the CEO/MD is known as "VD" (Swedish: verkställande direktör); in Australia, the CEO can be known as the "MD" (managing director); in Spain, the usual name is "director general"; while in Italy, the position is called "AD" (Italian: amministratore delegato). In Denmark and Norway the CEO is known as the "administrerende direktør", abbr. adm.dir. In the US, and in business, the executive officers are the top officers of a corporation, the chief executive officer (CEO) being the best-known type. The definition varies; for instance, the California Corporate Disclosure Act defines "executive officers" as the five most highly-compensated officers not also sitting on the board of directors. In the case of a sole proprietorship, an executive officer is the sole proprietor. In the case of a partnership, an executive officer is a managing partner, senior partner, or administrative partner. In the case of a limited liability company, an executive officer is any member, manager, or officer. At Queen's university in Kingston, Ontario the CEO of the QSB and commerce faculty are ten extremely important individuals. The current CEO is comprised of Denny Downie, Jamie Shea, Rose Thuringer, Yianni Fountas, Mark Shopiro, Taylre Duarte, Mark Vesely, Adam Mitchell, Katarina Wittkamp, Kevin Dussesldorp, and Warren Ehgoetz. They are all extremely attractive and quite awesome. In the airline industry, the Executive Officer, more commonly known as the First Officer, is the second in command of the aircraft. In a fixed wing aircraft the First Officer sits in the right-hand seat but in a rotary wing aircraft they sit on the left.       Motivational techniques   One of the motivational techniques used in corporations are so called motivational posters. Those posters are placed on walls in corporation buildings to show people the traits wich are desired in a work place.   CEOs use also motivational movies and show them in presentations.                     See for yourself if you are suited to work in a corporation!                                  Something for fun

 

Israel

First of all i would highly recommend reading something about latest history of Israel.

1948: War of independence
Fighting between the Arab and Jewish communities of Palestine began in November 1947, immediately after the UN decision to create a Jewish state. The Arab States declared they would greet any attempt to form a Jewish state with war and leaders of the Palestinian-Arab community promised a "fight to the death".
In the early stages 100,000 Palestinian Arabs, mainly the upper-classes and better off fled to neighbouring states.[24] Before May 1948, 150,000 more fled or were evicted during fighting as the Jews slowly overpowered the Arab forces. Jewish preparation for the Arab invasion led to the eviction of hostile Arab communities who controlled access routes.
The war for Israel's Independence was the costliest in its history. Out of a Jewish population of 650,000, some 6,000 men and women were killed in the fighting. The exact number of Arab losses is unknown but the estimates ranged from 10,000 to 15,000 people.
According to United Nations figures, 711,000 Palestinians left Israeli-controlled territory between 1947 and 1949 and, over the next few years 850,000 Jews left the Arab world.
At the end of the war, Egypt remained in occupation of the Gaza Strip and Transjordan annexed the "West Bank" and eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City.
1948 - 1953: mass immigration
In 1950 the Knesset passed the Law of Return which granted all Jews and those of Jewish ancestry, and their spouses, the right to migrate to and settle in Israel and gain citizenship.
Over the next few years, virtually the entire Jewish populations of Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt were driven out. From 1948 to 1951, mass immigration brought some 700,000 Jews to Israel, doubling the population. From 1948 to 1958, the population rose from 800,000 to two million. By 1952, over 200,000 immigrants were living in temporary tents or pre-fabricated shacks built by the government.
1955 - 1963:Sinai Campaign & Eichmann Trial
The Egyptian government began recruiting former Nazi rocket scientists for a missile program. Some Nazi war criminals found asylum in the Arab world, including Alois Brunner.
The Sinai Campaign came about as conflict between Egypt and Israel increased in 1956. During the Fifties', hundreds of Israelis were killed in Fedayeen attacks from (Egyptian occupied) Gaza into Israeli territory. The attacks began as private initiatives by Palestinian refugees.
In 1956 Egypt blockaded the Gulf of Aqaba, and closed the Suez canal to Israeli shipping.
In accordance with this agreement (which was not officially admitted until very much later), Israel invaded the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula in October 1956.
The Israeli, French and United Kingdom forces were victorious, but withdrew in March 1957 due to pressure from the United States and USSR. The United Nations established the UN Emergency Force (UNEF) to keep peace in the area. In practice the Suez Canal remained closed to Israeli shipping.
In May 1960 the Mossad located Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief administrators of the Nazi Holocaust, in Argentina and kidnapped him to Israel. In 1961 he was put on trial and after several months found guilty and sentenced to death. He was hanged in 1962 and is the only person ever sentenced to death by an Israeli court.
In 1962 the Mossad began assassinating German rocket scientists working in Egypt after one of them reported the missile program was designed to carry chemical warheads. This action was condemned by Ben-Gurion and led to the Mossad director, Isser Harel's resignation.
1963 - 1969: Six-Day War
In 1967, Syria, Egypt and Jordan amassed troops along the Israeli borders and Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping. Nasser demanded that the UNEF leave Sinai, threatening escalation to a full war. Egyptian radio broadcasts talked of a coming genocide.
Israel responded by calling up its civilian reserves, bringing much of the Israeli economy to a halt.
On the morning before Dayan was sworn in, June 5 1967, the Israeli air force launched pre-emptive attacks destroying first the Egyptian air force and then later the same day destroying the air forces of Jordan and Syria. Israel then defeated (almost successively) Egypt, Jordan and Syria. By June 11 the Arab forces were routed and all parties had accepted the cease-fire called for by UN Security Council Resolutions 235 and 236.
Israel gained control of the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the formerly Jordanian-controlled West Bank of the Jordan River, including East Jerusalem. On November 22 1967, the Security Council adopted Resolution 242, the "land for peace" formula, which called for the establishment of a just and lasting peace based on Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in 1967 in return for the end of all states of belligerency, respect for the sovereignty of all states in the area, and the right to live in peace within secure, recognized boundaries.
For the first time since the end of the British Mandate, Jews could visit the Old City of Jerusalem and pray at the Western Wall to which they had been denied access by the Jordanians. In Hebron, Jews gained access to the Cave of the Patriarchs (the second most holy site in Judaism) for the first time since the 14th Century. A third Jewish holy site, Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem also became accessible.
1969 - 1975: Yom Kippur War
In 1972, 11 members of the Israeli team to the Munich Olympics were taken hostage by Palestinian terrorists. A botched German rescue attempt led to the death of all 11 Israeli athletes and coaches (probably killed by the terrorists). Five of the terrorists were shot and three survived unharmed. The three surviving Palestinians were released without charge by the German authorities a month later. The Israeli government responded with an assassination campaign against the organizers and a raid on the PLO headquarters in Lebanon.
In 1973, 11 days before Yom Kippur, King Hussein repaid Israel for its assistance in September 1970 by warning Golda Meir of the impending Syrian attack. Meir ignored the warning.
The Yom Kippur War began on October 6 1973 (the Jewish Day of Atonement), the holiest day in the Jewish calendar and a day when adult Jews are required to fast. The Syrian and Egyptian armies launched a surprise attack against the unprepared Israeli Defence Forces. For the first few days there was a great deal of uncertainty about Israel's capacity to repel the invaders, however the Syrians were repulsed and, although the Egyptians captured some territory in Sinai, Israeli forces crossed the Suez Canal and were heading towards Cairo when a cease fire was agreed. Although the war's results were generally favourable to Israel, it cost over 2,000 dead and resulted in a heavy arms bill. The war generally made Israelis more aware of their vulnerability. Following the war, both Israelis and Egyptians showed greater willingness to negotiate. On January 18 1974, following extensive diplomacy by US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, a Disengagement of Forces agreement was signed with the Egyptian government, and on May 31 with the Syrian government.
In May 1974, Palestinians attacked a school in Ma'alot, holding 102 children hostage. Twenty-two children were killed. In November 1974 the PLO was granted observer status at the UN and Yasser Arafat addressed the General Assembly.
1977 - 1981: The Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty
In November 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat broke 30 years of hostility with Israel by visiting Jerusalem at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. During the 2-day visit, which included a speech before the Knesset, the Egyptian leader created a new psychological climate in the Middle East in which peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours seemed a realistic possibility. Sadat recognized Israel's right to exist and established the basis for direct negotiations between Egypt and Israel.
Following Sadat's visit, 350 Yom Kippur war veterans organized the Peace Now movement to encourage Israeli governments to make peace with the Arabs.
In March 1978, eleven armed Lebanese-Palestinians reached Israel in boats and hijacked a bus carrying families on a day outing, killing 35 people including 13 children. Three days later, Israeli forces crossed into Lebanon commencing Operation Litani. After passage of Security Council Resolution 425, calling for Israeli withdrawal and the creation of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon peace-keeping force (UNIFIL), Israel withdrew its troops.
1981 - 1983:The First Lebanon War
On the 30th June 1981, the Israeli air-force destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor that France was building for Iraq.
In June 1982, the attempted assassination of the ambassador to Britain was used as a pretext for an Israeli invasion aiming to drive the PLO out of the southern half of Lebanon. Under Sharon's supervision, the invasion expanded and became known as the 1982 Lebanon War with the Israeli army occupying Beirut, the only time an Arab capital has been occupied by Israel. Some of the Shia and Christian population of South Lebanon welcomed the Israelis, as PLO forces had maltreated them.
1984 - 1988: first Intifada
Growing Israeli settlement and continuing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, led to a Palestinian Intifada (uprising) in 1987. Israeli attempts to suppress the uprising failed and the first intifada continued until 1991. Human Rights abuses by Israeli troops led a group of Israelis to form B'Tselem, an organization devoted to improving awareness and compliance with Human Rights requirements in Israel.
1992 - 1995: Oslo peace talks
In February 1994, a follower of the Kach movement killed 25 Palestinian-Arabs at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron (Cave of the Patriarchs massacre). Kach had been barred from participation in the 1992 elections (on the grounds that the movement was racist). It was subsequently made illegal.
Israel and the PLO subsequently signed the Gaza-Jericho Agreement in May 1994, and the Agreement on Preparatory Transfer of Powers and Responsibilities in August, which began the process of transferring authority from Israel to the Palestinians.
On July 18 1994, a Jewish day centre in Argentina was blown up , killing 85 people. Argentine investigators concluded the attack was by Lebanese Hezbollah with Iranian assistance.
On July 25 1994 Jordan and Israel signed the Washington Declaration which formally ended the state of war that had existed between them since 1948 and on October 26 the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace, witnessed by US President Bill Clinton.
However the agreement was opposed by Hamas and other Palestinian factions which launched suicide bomber attacks at Israel. Rabin had a barrier constructed around Gaza to prevent attacks.
1999 - 2001: withdrawal from South Lebanon
In 2000, Israel unilaterally withdrew its remaining forces from the "security zone" in southern Lebanon. Several thousand members of the South Lebanon Army left with the Israelis.
The UN Secretary-General concluded that, as of June 16 2000, Israel had withdrawn its forces from Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 425.
On September 28 2000, Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount, providing the Palestinians with a pretext for the launching of the al-Aqsa Intifada.
In October 2000, Palestinians destroyed Joseph's Tomb, a Jewish shrine in Nablus. They also stoned worshippers at the Western Wall and attacked another Jewish shrine, Rachel's Tomb.
2001 - 2006: withdrawal from Gaza and the Northern West Bank
The failure of the peace process, increased Palestinian terror and occasionally attacks by Hezbullah from Lebanon, led much of the Israeli public and political leadership to lose confidence in the Palestinian Authority as a peace partner. Most felt that many Palestinians view the peace treaty with Israel as a temporary measure only. However many Israelis were anxious to disengage from the Palestinians.
In response to a wave of suicide bomb attacks, Sharon began construction of a barrier round the West-Bank.
In January 2003 separate elections were held to the Knesset. An anti-religion party, Shinui won 15 seats making it the third largest party.
In December 2003, Ariel Sharon announced he would consider a unilateral withdrawal from parts of the occupied territories. This crystallized as a plan for total withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
In 2005 civilians were evacuated from Gaza (some forcibly) and the residential buildings demolished. Disengagement from the Gaza Strip was completed on September 12 2005. Military disengagement from the northern West Bank was completed ten days later.

source: en.wikipedia.org

Here are some films from Youtube:
http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=X-fRLODYoH0&feature=PlayList&p=2B64440CDA5B8412&index=6 - Usa behind Israel
http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=lMxfEsooM5M&feature=related - Israel must destroy Hamas
http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=S7KdPOFQl9Y&feature=related - speciala session of UN

just look how these Israeli people are bloodfrenzy!
http://ifamericansknew.org/media/erasevideo.html

another links I'd like to present:
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=22564
http://www.cfr.org/publication/8968/

English B2

WELCOME!
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Hope you will enjoy working here :)





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Week 1

WORK


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Prepare a presentation connected with the topic of work. You are free to approach the topic from whichever angle you want, e.g. workplace of the future, job market, how to climb the career ladder, how to become a millionnaire etc. Your presentation should include films, pictures, quizzes, press articles, latest news... At the end there should be a discussion provoking question.